Redemptive Humidity (not relative)

Well, its been raining for 4 days with terrible flooding, and it finally stopped and the sun came out. I was  able to get back to the shop without a boat and guess what. Nature had done what I was afraid to do, simulated the environment that caused the damage to the new guitar body in the first place.

Yes, it was like a sauna when I walked in. I felt the guitar laying on the bench and the wood was very pliable and the glue was soft and mushy enough to put it back into shape and glue it back together. Wow, was I surprised. The picture of the hygrometer was taken about an hour after I opened the door and turned on the fan. It was probably 90% and about 85 degrees F when I first walked in .

I immediately grabbed my glue (yellow resin glue this time) and blue painters tape and went to work. Shaping and molding like a sculpture. It was pretty wild. It was like the guitar building Gods were looking over me. I was afraid to stop until I was complete because the conditions were changing rapidly back to normal.

Looking at this picture it looks a little lop sided, but who cares, we're moving again. It will never be perfect, but what in life is? Character comes from adversity, and this baby has had its share of that!

Will fill you in later with another update on this and some other stuff I'm working on.. I picked up some necks from the Martin factory that are sweet...thanks for checking on me..

Robert

Irene Update

We got hit pretty hard by Hurricane Irene. I hope everyone is safe and getting through the incredible damage caused by the storm.

At the shop the heat and humidity was so bad after the storm that the new guitar literally exploded. The glue softened from the heat and the wood swelled from the increased humidity causing it to bust loose from the seams.

I have been using liquid hide glue for this build, but I am seriously thinking that I will go back to the

yellow aliphatic resin glue. I cannot control the environment in the shop and it may hold up better for me.

When I get taught a luthier lesson I get hit hard, no subtle suggestions, just full blown explosions. This one was especially difficult to handle since I have worked so hard and long on this project. I am not certain if the guitar can be put back without exposing it to the same extreme conditions that caused the damage. By doing that I would be exposing the rest of it to the same conditions unless I could localize and control it. Man, thats tough, may have to hang her up and use her for future inspiration...or as a reminder of what not to do.. that sucks!

I will get back to you on this one, maybe I am being to emotional right now, and can fix it. For now I am not certain what to do, so I will drop back and punt..

In the mean time I need to get the chainsaw out and cut up that Dogwood that fell over in the yard from the storm. I already have plans for that wood, even though it will take a few years to cure properly. If you have never seen Dogwood, it has heartwood like walnut., with a contrasting white sapwood...beautiful.