This Chinese bow came into the shop for a routine rehair, but the construction of the frog made the job a little uncertain from the beginning. The frog was made with a solid composite core sandwiched between two simulated white mother-of-pearl faces. I warned the customer that there was a possibility the frog could come apart during disassembly, although this construction was still preferable to some older frogs made almost entirely from real abalone or mother-of-pearl. Sure enough, after removing the ring and sliding out the slide, one entire side of the frog separated from the core. Before the bow could be rehaired, the frog first had to be carefully realigned, glued back together, and repaired so the slide would fit and ;function properly again. - Remove the Hair: Cut out the old bow hair, leaving approximately four inches of hair at the frog.
- Remove the Ring: Carefully remove the metal ring from the end of the frog.
- Remove the Slide: Carefully slide the mother-of-pearl slide out of the frog.
- Inspect the Damage: During disassembly, one entire side of the frog separated from the composite core.
- Dry Fit the Frog: Carefully position the separated piece against the core to make sure everything can be properly aligned before gluing.
- Protect the Stick: Protect the bow stick from glue and accidental damage while repairing the frog.
- Glue the Frog: Apply glue and carefully position the separated side back onto the composite core.
- Prepare the Ring: Coat the inside of the metal ring with a thin layer of Vaseline to prevent it from becoming glued to the frog.
- Align the Repair: Install the ring temporarily to help hold the pieces in their proper alignment while the glue cures.
- Clean the Repair: Carefully remove any excess glue squeezed out around the repaired area.
- Allow the Glue to Cure: Leave the repaired frog undisturbed for a full day before removing the ring.
- Test Fit the Slide: Remove the ring and check the fit and movement of the slide.
- Correct the Slide Groove: The repaired side did not have a proper groove for the slide, so carefully create a small groove just large enough to hold and guide the slide in position.
- Rehair the Bow: With the frog repaired and functioning properly again, complete the bow rehair in the normal manner.
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Note: Normally I avoid epoxy for instrument and bow repairs because it creates a permanent bond that can be difficult to undo. In this case, however, with an inexpensive synthetic frog that had already separated, epoxy was the best choice for making a strong, permanent repair. Before applying the epoxy, I carefully dry fitted the separated piece to make sure it could be aligned perfectly. I then protected the bow stick and coated the inside of the ring with Vaseline so neither could accidentally become glued to the repair. The ring was used to help maintain the proper alignment while the epoxy cured, and any excess glue was carefully cleaned away before it hardened. The repaired side should now remain securely bonded during future rehairs, although the opposite side still has its original construction and could eventually develop the same problem. |
