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Can/should it be fixed?
Open wood knot inside violin
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jolecerve

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March 3, 2018 - 9:05 am
Member Since: March 3, 2018
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So I took a leap of faith and bought a Bird's eye violin online sigh! It is beautiful but once I received it I noticed that there is s short maybe 2-3mm wide crack inside where a knot in the wood is. I guess you would call this a knot crack. It was left open by the maker. My fear is that one day the crack will spread or get worse. Will filling it help or compromise the sound/quality of the violin?

Thank you all in advance for your advice 

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Irv
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March 3, 2018 - 10:42 am
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Hi Jolecerve (and others).  If I am understanding you correctly, the crack you noticed is fully contained within a wood knot.  Cracks typically lengthen from an area of high stress to an area of low stress and if you drill a very small hole at the extent of the crack, it will not continue beyond the hole.  In your case, the knot itself will contain the crack.  The crack was likely created when the wood was originally dried.  If you protect the surrounding area with something like painter's tape and carefully apply a drop of "super glue" directly on the crack, it can be covered.  But I would not worry about it.  Enjoy what sounds like a very nice violin.

Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
March 6, 2018 - 1:27 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
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Usually Knot cracks do not spread so easily and are protected by the hardness of the knot and itself. You can take pictures and it would help us better assess the situation if you like.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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jolecerve

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March 8, 2018 - 5:37 pm
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The crack is inside the violin so getting to it with super glue is probably out of the question without tools. You can see the indentation on the back side if the violin as well but light does not shine trough from the inside so I don't think it's to thin there.  There is also a small crack in the rib by the neck I think it happened when they were shaping the rib. I also attached a picture of this crack and the rest of the violin. It is a beautiful Guarneri copy, full bird's eye with a spruce top the wood was supposed to have been aged for 15 years prior to making. I just want to make sure it will last a lifetime and habe the chance to grow into it's sound without falling apart on me. If I need to have it fixed I defiantly will not hesitate I got a really good deal on this beauty and putting a little more money into it would be worth it. But if I don't have to leave it in a shop I'd rather not anything could happen. There are only two places that I know of to take it to and one sends it from person to person for repairs and that scared me to death...20180308_155010.jpgImage Enlarger20180308_161210.jpgImage Enlarger20180308_163053.jpgImage Enlarger20180308_162958.jpgImage Enlarger20180308_162423.jpgImage Enlarger20180308_162725.jpgImage Enlarger

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Irv
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March 8, 2018 - 6:18 pm
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The crack noted in the first picture looks to me like the end grain crack in a very, very small branch knot.  I would not worry about it, although if you can see it through the "f" hole it should be very easy for someone to apply a dab of super glue on it with a straw like applicator.  

The rib crack should be taken care of.  I know how I would repair it for my own violins but yours looks a lot prettier than mine so I would seek someone with more  knowledge.  I would definitely keep a humidifier in the case until it is repaired.

Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.

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jolecerve

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March 8, 2018 - 6:55 pm
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  •  I was worried about that one it's under the varnish so I don't know if the maker repaired it while making it or if it was in noticed and just varniished over. You can also see it in the side picture with the strings pointing right its right by the neck. Do you thind I would be able to see if its been repaired from the inside with a good light or is it in a weird spot?
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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
March 13, 2018 - 3:01 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16430

I wouldn't worry about it.
If you wanted to put super glue on it (not recommending it at all) just put superglue on a toothpick for example and dip it through the f-hole.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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