Fixing cracks! What to use, and when to use it.....

[Robert Hosmer]

Hello to all!

What's everyone using to repair their cracked/split wood?

Got a really nice set of cocobolo I'm working with. One of the back plates has a split going down from the top to approximately the waist area. A very clean split that is not noticeable to the eye (unless the wood is torqued in opposing direction on each side of the split).
What to use for repair- epoxy or thin CA?
When to do it- before or after thicknessing?

Thanks,
Rob

[ken cierp]

I use thin CA for all cracks except sound-boards for that I use Elmers White glue.

[Tim Benware]

Ditto and I fix first and thickness afterwards.

[Robert Hosmer]

Is there anything special I need to know about using the CA? (My experience with it is very limited.)
Clamp together and wick glue in? Or separate a little, aply glue, then pressure?

I tried using some CA once to "arrest" a crack in a board, and the crack got longer. What causes this?
Also, I have had it whiten before, and some have said that wood with high moisture content can cause that; others have mentioned that use of accelerator can cause that, too.

What about cleanup and finish compatibility?

Sorry to be such a bother, but it really is a great set that I would like to turn out looking new instead of repaired. Fortunately, the piece is very straight-grained, and the split follows right down the grain line.

[ken cierp]

First the crack got wider because the material had high moisture content to begin -- then it proceeded to crack as it got drier -- you glued it and it got drier yet -- re-crack. Cracks at that stage need to be filled with matching material nothing will hold the crack together.

CA is very user friendly -- scrape it level with a single edge razor blade -- it is usually tranparent under finish.