Callier-Scollard Violins
Craig Scollard

50 E. Green St. Suite 142
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 795-2870

Mon, Tue, Wed 10:00-1:00.
Thu, Fri, Sat 2:00 to 5:00

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Bass Center Seam Repair: Magnet-Cleat Technique for Efficient Fixes

This is a decent college school bass where the lower part of the senter seam became unglued. I could get the seam to move around a little so I knew that I could easily get hot hyde glue worked into the seam. Here is a  picture of the clamping of the seam and then where I placed the cleats. The cleats were fished in through the ff holes using a wire and a magnet. The second photo shows the magnets holding the cleats until they are dry the next day..

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Here is the process of using magnets to install cleats from the outside.

  1. Trying to find the top center seam is a little tricky when you are using a mirror, so I usually place some magnets on the center line.
  2. Positioning the magnets is fairly simple. Just hold one magnet inside the ff hole with your finger then place a magnet on the outside, then slowly drag the outside magnet into place.
  3. In this case I want three cleats. I place the magnets in the two outer position, then I know that first cleat that I glue in will be in the center of those two cleats.
  4. Cut the three cleats to the correct size.
  5. Drill a small center hole. This hole is just slightly smaller than the stiff metal wire you will use to position the cleat. Have all of the edges of the cleat finished.
  6. You may need to bend the wire so when you put it through the ff you can get it in the correct place.
  7. Soak the cleats in water so they are flexible.
  8. Slip one magnet onto the wire but about 8 mm away from the cleat.
  9. Push the stiff wire into the hole of the cleat but leave about 3 or 4 mm of the wire protruding.
  10. Try to adjust the rotation of the cleat on the wire so that when it's in the correct location the grain is perpendicular to the grain of the top.
  11. Put an adequate amount of glue onto the cleat.
  12. Slip it into the ff hole.
  13. Use an outside magnet to help steer the wire and the cleat into position.
  14. Once it's in the correct position take the tubing and push the magnet onto the cleat and then continue pushing until the cleat is on the top.
  15. At that point you have an inside magnet and a outside magnet with the cleat being pushed onto the top.
  16. One at a time add a couple of magnets on the outside.
  17. Pull the wire out of the cleat.
  18. There you have, it a cleated crack without taking the rop off.
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