arnie - Posted - 03/20/2011:  07:56:51

I have a 5th string spike that has come out. What should I use to glue it in with - crazy glue or epoxy?

raybob - Posted - 03/20/2011:  08:40:08

I use crazy glue. I like a snug fit too. So if the hole is too sloppy I'll partially fill it with wood dust or shavings (from a toothpick or something), work a drop or two of glue into the hole with another toothpick, then put the spike in and tap it gently to the right elevation. Wipe up the squeeze-out with a paper towel before it sets up, and there you go. Good luck.

scooter46 - Posted - 03/20/2011:  09:23:51

I'd use the crazy glue, and if you have an old set of feeler guages take one the size of the 5th string put it alongside the hole then tap the spike down to the feeler guage. Larry

DannyB4 - Posted - 03/20/2011:  11:35:58

...I would use a tooth pick, sanded down til it fits rather loose all the way in the hole,( down to almost a splinter)
..place it in the existing spike hole,clip it of even with the top of the fingerboard, then take the spike and force it into the hole while useing somthing like books or tape rolls to support the back of the neck.
..you might need to take a smalll hammer and tap the spike into place and a pair of needle nose pliers to keep the tang straight
...keep your string under the tang so when you get near the point to keep your string secure you won't go to far and have the tang against the fingerboard,..
... try sliding the string in and out from under the spike tapping with the hammer til the string sits firm under the spike but can be moved in and out with ease...
this is a good fix with out glue , just in case the spike needs to come out later on..
just take your time

banjonz - Posted - 03/20/2011:  11:51:13

DON'T USE EPOXY!!! ( sorry for the textual shout!!!) Once it is in you can't get it out again. With crazy glue or even aliphatic glue, at least these can be heated and softened if need be.

sunburst - Posted - 03/20/2011:  13:09:08

If you heat a spike with a soldering iron it will come right out no matter what you glued it in with. Epoxy is especially easy to release with heat, and it only takes a little heat so there's no damage.

I like to install spikes with no glue, just driven into a snug fitting hole, but when they come loose or otherwise have to be installed in a slightly loose hole, I squirt a little superglue into a small container, dip the tip of the spike in the glue, then tap it into it's hole. If the hole is too loose for that, I fill the hole with rosewood or ebony and drill a new hole, same place or moved slightly.

desert rose - Posted - 03/20/2011:  17:35:44

Yes ANY glue releases in mere seconds with a little heat from a soldering iron

Until superglues came around epoxy was the standard for quality refretting, and the frets can come out in seconds with a soldering iron and a standard fret puller.

I ALWAYS ALWAYS glue spikes, Ive seen to often people come in with missing spikes that wernt glued

Remember its wood and seasonal changes can expand or shrink the wood enough to EASILY loosen a spike without glue

I use superglue

Scott

banjer5 - Posted - 03/20/2011:  18:37:59

Yup! Super glue works for me too, why wait for epoxy to harden?

Fred

DantheBanjoMan - Posted - 03/20/2011:  19:22:17

Super Glue. I find that the stuff made by Satellite City (Super T, etc.) works pretty well. I get it from Woodcraft or my local hobby store. I have had mixed results with the various brands I've purchased from my hardware store. Super City also makes a solvent, and it's a good idea to pick some of that up.

I'm not a big fan of the toothpick for repair jobs, and would be more inclined to use a combination of ebony or rosewood dust with gap filling Super Glue if you needed some kind of filler.

Edited by - DantheBanjoMan on 03/20/2011 19:23:37

DantheBanjoMan - Posted - 03/20/2011:  19:26:06

One more thing--tape off the area around the spike hole. (Be sure to account for the thickness of the tape when using your feeling gauge.)

Edited by - DantheBanjoMan on 03/20/2011 19:26:34