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I'm building my second guitar using Cocobolo B/S. It seems that the glue joints between the Coco and every other wood just pop apart with slight pressure. I've heard many different theories relative to this problem was just wondering how you handle Coco and glueing.

Thanks,
Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

Greg-
Ive been told to bake the back plates in the oven at 250 for about 3 hours to get the resins to boil out. Now I have never done this, but I plan to on my next two guitars which will be of coco. I had the same issue on a coco guitar I did once before.

The sides are heat treated in the bender, so there all set

Lance

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I have three cocobolo guitars together, all with yellow titebond, no special treatment, all were dense oily woods.

No splits, one is two years old. Matter of fact, let me knock on the table here. I've not had a single joint with yellow titebond or hide glue fail on cocobolo.

I currently have twelve bodies together, all with one or the other glue in many various woods, no joint failure.

It scares me when I hear about doing anything other than making the joint, then gluing it. Good luck with your first. We are all interested in seeing you succeed.Dickey38744.6009490741

I have put 3 Coco instruments together. I'm not sure I like the idea of cooking the wood to get the resins out. I don't think it is needed. Like Bruce I know guys that just use the normal titebond and have no problems. However to be on the safe side I used a special epoxy for exotic oily woods when gluing what I thought were the critical joints. The back joint as well as the neck and heal block were glued on with the epoxy. I used my regular glues for the rest of the build. One builder recommended to scuff the areas where the liners and back braces would be glued on with 100 grit paper to help the glue grab. I have done this and have had no problems.

I guess if other people are cooking their wood at 250 with no ill effects than you should be fine. I just don't think it is needed, especially if you use epoxy for the critical joints.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
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I too have build 3 guitars with cocobolo backs and sides.....love the
stuff...looks and sound that is. I makes me sneeze and sputter like crazy.
And I wear a mask!!!!
All have been glued up with titebond. Nothing special done, and they have
held together fine. (Not a long track record though)

Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

I used Titebond original, may have been a tad old though, so I'm re-glueing it with some fresh stuff. I'll let you know how it goes.

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

Greg

I've done a few in Cocobolo, I wipe the joint line with Naptha before I glue with yellow titebond.

Andy, Same here. I thought a little sanding without a mask would be okay, but it is never okay. I fought a lung irritation for six months after a session resawing and sanding it. I had to clean shop seriously down to blowing everything off and vacuuming the floor.

Mario and Hank know what I'm talking about.

Well, Greg, sorry to hear about the glue failing. I guess if you glue enough stuff together eventually some joints will fail. And I was aware some special glues were available, just haven't experienced the problem that requires it. Anyway, we want to see you succeed, be sure and wear a good dust mask when working that stuff.

Andy, another thing on this cocobolo, next time I bend coco sides, I'm wearing a respirator not just a dust mask. As a teacher, I cautioned my students not to burn treated woods as they are full of copper arsenate. If it kills bugs, we probably don't need to breathe that stuff. Same goes for coco smoke in my mind.

I had one guitar I did with cocobolo/titebond, and had a lot of movement in the back seam. Had to strip off the finish, pull off the back, and re-glue it.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
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Well, at least I have had enough sense to wear a respirator when sanding/cutting the stuff.

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Gwaltney Guitars