This is a bit of an anti-climax, but it is what it is! Humpty Dumpty had no will to be ‘put together again’!
Jokes aside, as I mentioned in my last post, the main thing governing that this glue-up job went properly was removing the already existing Araldite somehow. Though I laboured more than I have ever on a job, I knew that there was always a possibility that there remained remnants of glue that I had been unable to reach.
So I glued up the parts with dowels thrown in for good measure, clamped it all up good and left it to dry for 48 hours.
While I waited, I cleaned and oiled the fretwires, fretboard and bridge, snugged up the hardware on the headstock and gave the guitar body a good rub, such that it shone.
However, when I began the restringing process, the two parts began separating. I halted proceedings right there, drilled in three more holes, inserted three more dowels, cut and sanded them flush and let the glue dry for another 48 hours.
But again when I tried stringing it up, the joint began coming unstuck. This time I knew that I had to call it quits. But I did stick the two offending parts – cosmetically. However, the instrument will never be able to bear strings (tension).
I called up the owner and gave him the sad news, but he took it very well.
Humpty-Dumpty is gone now but it has left behind a dull ache in my heart, an ache that will keep reminding me that I ‘couldn’t put Humpty together again’!
P.S.: For what came earlier, read
