Crack repair -- re-repair

[johnnyg]

I know this thread is old, but maybe someone will see it. Can I use a sealing iron to remove a cleat? On my first build, I noticed a 1.5" crack opened up in the right upper bout on the guitar back. I repaired it and cleated it and all seemed well for a short time. The crack has re-opened after a few weeks. It looks like I didn't get the glue sufficiently in the crack. Closer inspection of the cleat shows it barely caught the crack with one edge.

It looks like I need to remove the cleat (yellow titebond) and fix the crack right this time. What is the best way to try and clamp a crack in this area?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[ken cierp]

Those little irons are perfect for loosening glue in confined areas, you'll need glue residue remover as well.

Pictures are always best so we are all on the same page with advice and suggestions.

[Tim Benware]

After you have removed the cleats, if the crack has a gap in it you should humidify the guitar first to see if it closes up (that may take up to a week). If the gap doesn't close up you may need to make a spline to fill the gap before gluing it up. If there is no gap or it closes sufficiently you need to work glue into the crack for it to hold. There are several ways you can do that 1. pump some thinned titebond with a suction cup, 2. gently apply pressure to the crack to massage some glue in (you need to be careful doing this as you can cause a bigger crack if you aren't careful) or 3. if you have an pistol grip blow gun (http://www.harborfreight.com/pistol-gri ... 68259.html) attach a suction cup to it and blow the glue into the crack at about 10-15 PSI.