GluBoost GluDry, Fill n' Finish, and MasterGlu Instrument Finish Repair
By Chris Loeffler |
GluBoost GluDry, Fit n' Finish, and MasterGlu Instrument Finish Repair
Can this stuff really repair a damaged guitar finish?
by Chris Loeffler
Instrument repairs, like vehicles, are typically something I leave to professionals. The chance of a shoddy job or even doing more damage far outweighs my confidence in my untested repair skills! As a result, anything short of a major issue tends to go unaddressed on my instruments. With that as a background, I agreed to check out the GluBoost line of finish repairs and wood adhesives. I was sent the following products to review: GluDry, Fill n’ Finish Pore Filler, Fill n’ Finish Thin, MasterGlu Thin, and MasterGlu Ultra Thin.
The Fill n’ Finish formulas (Regular and Thin) come in 2 oz. bottles and are intended to address dings, cracks, and dents in any wooden instrument finish, including Nitro, Lacquer, Poly, and even water-based formulas. GluBoost engineers recommend using the standard Fill n’ Finish formula on porous woods, such as rosewood or mahogany and the Fill n’ Finish Thin for less porous woods, such as maple or Koa for appropriate penetration.
I used the Thin n’ Finish to address a pretty dramatic gouge in the back of the neck of an Epiphone Les Paul and smaller ding on the side of a Breedlove acoustic guitar. Armed with no previous finish repair experience and a few instructional videos from the GluBoost site, I was able to quickly and cleanly fill both areas. The adhesive pours fairly viscous from the bottle and sets very quickly. I found the flow very easy to control and was impressed that it kept its height and didn’t dimple in as it dried. The end result was a transparent, bubble-free, smooth finish with no transition lines. Evidence of the original damage was still visible on close inspection from certain angles, but that spoke more to my need to have better prepped the area before application.
GluDry is a non-blush drying accelerator for cyanoacrylate finishes (such as the formula used in the Thin n’ Finish), and is sold in a 4 oz. spray can. The goal of accelerating the drying process is not only to reduce repair time but also to provide a quick set to reduce the chance of dust adhering to the drying finish or accidental impressions on the surface due to premature physical contact.
To see how big a difference GluDry made to the process, I only used it on one of the dents I addressed with Thin n’ Finish. My initial concerns that the GluDry might displace the setting finish or cause spotting were entirely unfounded, as the adhesive nearly immediately hardened, transparent and smooth. I also had none of the frosting I experienced in my uncured attempt that I needed to buff and polish out.
MasterGlu is the wood adhesive formula meant to address repairs such as setting inlays, bindings, refretting, and other true and permanent repairs to an instrument. MasterGlu is sold in 2 oz. bottles and comes in two formulations, MasterGlu Thin and MasterGlu Ultra-Thin with varying levels of viscosity.
MasterGlu Thin, the thicker of the two, was noticeably thinner and easier to apply than generic purpose cyanoacrylates like Krazy Glue, and had a way of seeping into the right area without needing too much manipulation. I used it to tighten up a couple of loose appointments on an old beater acoustic, securing the pick guard and securing a loose jack. The glue dried transparent and smooth and didn’t swell out beyond the application area as it dried. MasterGluUltra-Thin was noticeably less viscous and worked well in invisibly securing loose binding on the aforementioned acoustic.
Conclusion
GluBoost turned out to be an easy, affordable solution to the problem of minor instrument repairs that I had avoided addressing the last couple of decades. A semi-steady hand and some time with their instructional videos resulted in like-new repairs and a more playable instrument. Finding out, after the fact, that GluBoost is used by companies like Reverend Guitars gave even more credibility to the long-term effectiveness of their formulas. -HC-
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Chris Loeffler is a multi-instrumentalist and the Content Strategist of Harmony Central. In addition to his ten years experience as an online guitar merchandiser, marketing strategist, and community director he has worked as an international exporter, website consultant and brand manager. When he’s not working he can be found playing music, geeking out on guitar pedals and amps, and brewing tasty beer.
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