Bakelite Rickenbacker repair

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 10 May 2005 11:09 am

After much research I was able to find the proper method for repairing broken bakelite Ricky's. I contacted Wayne Tanner in Texas, who has worked with Ray Montee and was a friend of Jerry Byrd; he explained how to repair these broken guitars. There is a product called Acra Glass you get from gud supply stores; there are 2 types, one in a green box and one in a red one. The only type that works is in the red box! You mix it like epoxy and glue the 2 parts together. He says that the guitar will break anywhere else before it will break there again! He also recommends it for other repairs, and said he fixed a gas tank on an old jeep 30 years ago- the repair is still holding!

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Sierra S8, Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 10 May 2005 11:21 am

I hope I never need it ... but it is reassuring to know

Acraglas

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 10 May 2005 at 12:22 PM.]

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 10 May 2005 11:23 am

I see it as an opportunity; people get broken ones and want to sell them, I am all over it since I know how to fix 'em. I can't afford good ones so this is a great option.

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Sierra S8, Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 10 May 2005 2:01 pm

Call me ignorant... but what is gud (gud supply store)??

.... J-D.

Billy Easton · Post by **Billy Easton** » 10 May 2005 2:18 pm

JD...
I think he means "good supply store". A quick search on the web comes up with Brownell's Acra Glass. The red package is a liquid form and the green package is the gel. It looks like it is used to repair firearms. Let me know if you find where we can get some.

Billy Easton
Casa Grande, AZ[This message was edited by Billy Easton on 10 May 2005 at 03:18 PM.]

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 10 May 2005 2:27 pm

Actually it's GUN supply store. Crap. The original use for this stuff is to repair gun stocks.

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Sierra S8, Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

[This message was edited by Keith Cordell on 10 May 2005 at 03:28 PM.]

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 11 May 2005 3:00 am

Let me know if you find where we can get some.

If you click on the link I provided above ... you can buy it direct ... in various quantities.

I ordered the "2 gun kit" ... I'm gonna coat the playin' edge of one of my "flatties" with it ... worth a shot (pun intended)

A "poor mans" Black Rajah flat bar ...

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 11 May 2005 at 05:34 AM.]

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 11 May 2005 5:53 am

Years ago when I used to do a lot of target shooting with high powered 22 caliber varmint rifles, we glass bedded the barrels and actions to improve accuracy. Most of us used "Acraglas". Sometimes we just glass bedded the actions and free floated the barrels. On my own 22/250, I bedded the barrel and action with 7 lbs. of pressure between the stock forend and the barrel.
I would think to repair Bakelite it would be better to drill an oversize hole in the two pieces of Bakelite then insert some kind of 1/2 inch diameter rod along with the Acraglas for added strength. The reason for the over size hole is to allow for proper alignment when fastening the two pieces of Bakelite together. You would need to fabricate some way of holding the two pieces together in perfect alignment while the glass is setting up.
I have not done Bakelite this way but have applied the technique to other projects and it worked well.
Good luck![This message was edited by Danny James on 11 May 2005 at 06:57 AM.]

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 11 May 2005 6:25 am

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/007084.html

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 11 May 2005 9:12 am

Anyone got a broken Bakelite Rick they want to sell cheap????

Bob Metzger · Post by **Bob Metzger** » 11 May 2005 1:58 pm

I have a Gub!

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 11 May 2005 2:22 pm

Gub!---I had one once but had to shoot it.

Howard Clark · Post by **Howard Clark** » 12 May 2005 7:00 am

With advice from Ray Montee and Bill Creller, who told me about the AcraGlas repair used by Wayne Tanner, I decided to try to repair the broken Rickenbacher. I ordered the AcraGlas in the red box from a local gun shop.

When the epoxy arrives, I'll document the repair with photographs and post them here.

Thank you one and all for your advice and interest.

Howie

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 16 May 2005 2:48 pm

I got my Acraglas kit today.

I don't have a broken neck (haven't told my wife I ordered a third furnace yet

But I'm usin' it for a different purpose.

I mixed it up ... nice stuff ... clear, syrup consistency (I got the Red ... not the gel).

I'm comparing it to JB Weld, Raycrete, PC7 and Devcon Plastic Steel .

I love messin' around with new stuff ( new to me, anyway) and ideas ...

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 16 May 2005 at 04:11 PM.]

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 17 May 2005 5:33 am

That red would make a nice dip for a Red Rajahacra Flat Bar????????

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 17 May 2005 5:37 am

It wouldn't actually be red, the red designation is referring to the color of the package, not the substance. Would be interesting if it would work on a flat bar though.

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Sierra S8, Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 17 May 2005 5:41 am

Yeah man ... its curin' as we speak.

I just brushed it over the "playin' surface" ... it was self leveling

The JB Weld did a real nice job too ...

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 17 May 2005 5:42 am

Sounds real cool, I might have to get some to salvage some flat bars I have that are rusty...

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Sierra S8, Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 17 May 2005 6:09 am

The Oahu is the Acraglas ... the Diamond grip is JB Weld.

The JB Weld was cured in about 24 hrs ... I sanded up to 1200 grit ... and ran it on a canton wheel w/plastic rouge.

I've played 2 nites with it ... not a single string gouge.

Sustain is a bit less ... but its essentially noiseless now

I'm lettin' the Acraglas sit for a couple days ...

JB Weld is the best so far ... I do wanna try Quiksteel though ...

It ain't Chuck Brattain's Red Rajah/Black Phoenix ... but it helps

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 17 May 2005 at 10:41 AM.]

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 17 May 2005 5:03 pm

Game over ... Acraglas a HUGE winner.

I couldn't wait ... 26 hrs of curin' was all I could stand.

No loss of sustain ... no loss of high end

Nothing but what I have wanted to hear since I started messin' with these things..

Completely noisless ... and not a scratch on it ...

If you are watchin' ... thank you Wayne Tanner, Ray Montee and Keith C.

These noisy flatbars ... ain't noisy no more

Hey ... so it smells of formaldehyde for awhile ...

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

Andre Nizzari · Post by **Andre Nizzari** » 17 May 2005 6:32 pm

Hey Rick, to bad I don't live close by, I'd come by and share some of them fumes with ya.

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http://www.andreandthenighthounds.com/

[This message was edited by Andre Nizzari on 17 May 2005 at 07:33 PM.][This message was edited by Andre Nizzari on 17 May 2005 at 07:34 PM.]

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 17 May 2005 6:48 pm

"to bad I don't live close by, I'd come by and share some of them fumes with ya."

Good thing, that stuff leads to huffin' toluene....