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If this is the BREAKROOM then this is the BROKEN. Violin was sitting on a box and exploded overnight. All by itself.
The instrument was out of warranty.
The break was very clean so I made a simple fixture and reset the neck using household gelatin.
So far so good …. if it holds !
The violin body is Kevlar and I'm not convinced that it works well in a glue situation.
PS If you zoom in on picture (right click), you can "skate" around the image.
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I don't know how well this would work with a violin, but when I worked with kevlar and carbon fiber, we always used a 2-part epoxy to hold things together. The stuff was pretty noxious, but it ended up being pretty strong.
The mystery is what the manufacturer used in the first place ? There was no evidence of any bonding adhesive on either piece. There MAY have been a very thin, ( 0.003" ?) clear, glaze on the mating surfaces
Also, the usual violin practice is to use a glue that permits taking things apart later which hide glue does well i.e. reverse with elevated temperatures. ( maybe 150 degrees )
I may have to go to a permanent 2 part adhesive if the gelatin doesn't hold but at least I will have tried it and, hopefully, it will also fail-safe the next time (not while I'm playing it!).
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I'll ask my Luthier friend what one should use. I know that he glued the ribs, back and belly with a heat glue that I think he made himself. I'll see what I can find out.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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If that happened in my house I would blame the cats, or if it happened this summer the heat. Actually is the pieces were attached with a hot glue heat may be a problem. Hot glue failure is a real issue where I live.
I hope you gelatin repair holds, but if it does not you might be able to use hot glue with a very high melting point. Good luck with it.
It's about 4-5 days since I used the hot gelatine and all looks good. I had also installed a dowel in the joint to further strengthen the junction and maybe that is helping.
I have no idea how long all this glue has to last until it is past some critical point ?
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