Very Nearly About Sailing November 2022 - Using JB Weld to fix a door handle and a bass guitar

Slightly odd one this month. I wanted to show how fixed a 'rounded' Allen Key socket using JB weld on a Truss Rod on one of my bass guitars. I lost the footage of the important bid. So I used the same principle to fix a loose door handle. Then finished the bass guitar which meant taking off the fingerboard.

[@Ken-jh4bt]

Many years ago I used JB weld on the outer block casting of a tractor engine. I believe it had cracked from insufficient glycol on a rather cold night. It's great stuff. I had not thought before of using your casting technique. It should be the perfect solution for many applications.

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

Funnily enough, the first time I ever cam across this stuff was to fix a problem with a core plug on an engine block. That was something called Bellzona (I think) - very similar to JB Weld, but much more expensive. I think the trick to using it for 'casting. is to ensure you can get the thing that you are using as the 'void' mould out. One idea might be to use something like expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam?) and then melt it out with petrol (gasoline) afterwards. Hope you are well. Cheers, Paul

[@sailingvesselsouthernlady447]

I’m always impressed with JB Weld. It just doesn’t seem to be able to repair stuff I’ve used it on…but it does work!

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

Tom, I know what you mean. It seems a bit 'magical' and I never really trust magic. It takes a very long time to cure completely and I wonder if that is partly why it is so strong. I have seen people use it to fix cracks in gearboxes etc - I'm not sure I'd trust it that much. Hope you are doing well. Cheers, Paul

[@MichaelBriantcom]

Thank you for the JB Weld tip... Will get some - My nephew who is in IT says if you have one copy of of a file you don't have a copy... Minimum of 3 to be sure... So I now have a pack of external hard drives and can't find anything! Michael

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

Michael, I am ashamed to say that I used to be a Systems Engineer with a very large computer company. The rule is that the first time you don't follow your own backup procedures...it will go wrong. And it did. JB Weld is amazing stuff. I never quite trust it because it seems too good to be true. But people use it for all sorts of critical projects. Not as easy to use as good old West Systems Epoxy and fibreglass. But for metal work jobs, its's great. Cheers, Paul

[@Scruffy1000]

Hi Paul, In your last video you said you were going to repair the truss rod on your Bass, little did I know what was in store! I have to say it’s a desperate man that takes a kitchen knife and a mallet to a guitar neck ! good work though and thanks for showing the ‘naked’ truss rod and exactly how it works. I’ve been playing guitar for as long, if not longer, than you and never fully realised how much bend was in a rod…. handle with care. Just a thought on using the iron, this would probably only have worked to soften ‘animal’ based glues, ( and I’m not talking ‘Gorilla’ glue here!), your neck was probably stuck on using a modern PVA, again hats off for having the guts to attack the ‘board… good job! Ps: can’t wait for the Christmas Special…… errr….. maybe 🤔 All the best, Richard

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

Good point about the glue. I was worried about what glue might have been used. Double bass fingerboards are stuck on with hide glue so that they can be more easily taken off. I checked out a few KZbin videos and they all seemed to use an iron - so I just copied. This was a very odd design of truss rod. I looked on a few forums and it seems that G&L just fitted whatever they thought would work at the time. And yes, it doesn't take much of a turn to really bend the truss rod - I had no idea. Cheers, Paul

[@sailingmoonshadow3169]

I have to admit I'd not heard of JB Weld before but I'm definitely going to pick some up for the boat. I'm setting off on an Atlantic crossing at the beginning of January and it's bound to come in handy at some point...

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

As far as I know, it's been around for decades under different brand names. I was quite surprised at how well it worked. It does take a long time to cure. And I'm sure it's not suitable for everything. I have a box that is specifically for 'running repairs' - A variety of epoxy putty products (particularly the ones that can cure underwater), flexible (rubber like) epoxy (Kintsglu), plus other glues, adhesives, sealers and fibreglass substitutes - plus very strong waterproof tape. Having some webbing that can be saturated in some sort of flexible epoxy (West System make one) is quite useful. I made a new sail batten on day 1 of my trip round the South UK simply by coating some webbing with a strange fibreglass tape. The trip sounds very exciting. Cheers, Paul

[@riffs66]

Inexplicably interesting to watch 😂

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

Ha, thanks. I did fear that some proper musicians might watch this video. To be honest, I would never have done that with my old 62 reissue jazz bass. It was just too tempting to have a go at the G&L. Fixing a truss rod is one of those things we are warned against - that's like telling a child not to touch a hot plate. The other thing we are never supposed to do is fiddle about with the sound post on a double bass. Check out the last few minutes of the June 2020 video if you want to see how that works. Cheers, Paul

[@svbarryduckworth628]

I think you put the true fear of god into those other guitars by forcing them to watch you operate on their wayward brother. That was a brilliant move and should work wonderfully to keep future problems from happening much less often in the rest of your herd of stringed instruments. If this hasn't worked then you might have to get out Martin Luthier's little blue prayerbook for more extreme instrumental behavior modifications.

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

I'm not sure what they fear most - that I'll do DIY on them, or pick them up and actually play them. The red guitar is about 30 years old. I had it expertly set-up (not by me) about 20 years ago and it hasn't needed touching since. I think like most things, I can get 80-90% there on a DIY basis But you can't beat a true craftsperson with a lot of skill and experience. As with my double bass, I was happy to make a new bridge and adjust the nut, soundpost etc whilst in lockdown. But then spending many hundreds of pounds to get a true expert to re-do the work was totally worth it. Cheers, Paul

[@svbarryduckworth628]

A true craftsman is an artist but it seems those are a dying breed these days in many fields. Sometimes it feels like one must search to the end of the universe to find one and then only manage to get on the end of a long waiting list for their services. I've found that it is often DIY or put it away in the back of the closet. On our sailboat we DIY everything because it takes less time and effort even when it takes multiple tries to get things right. I can screw stuff up myself but at least it only costs parts and supplies. I have also noticed that most "marine professionals" don't want to repair anything anyhow -they instead will simply install a whole new product rather than fix things. That is something I can do myself as well. Personally I take a lot of pleasure from fixing something that is broken after taking it apart to find the problem. J-B Weld is an awesome product for rebuilding parts. I've even had good results in tapping threads for fasteners into it and using it for repairing engine cases and covers that have broken or cracked.

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

Yep, I agree with everything you say. I have always fixed things rather than replace them (or at least tried). I've forgotten where you are based, but there is a TV program on the BBC called The Repair Shop that is becoming very popular in the UK. Basically people take in old objects (instruments, paintings, clocks, anything) and a team of craftspeople show how they can be fixed. Hopefully more and more people will start to fix things rather than throw them away.

[@jeanmulligan4168]

Glue is never strong enuff

[@verynearlyaboutsailing8114]

Indeed. Either that or it is much too strong and sticks to things you don't want it to. I think most people would be horrifies to find that the wings of the aeroplane they are on are basically glued together - a bit like an Airfix kit. Cheers, Paul

[@jeanmulligan4168]

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 yes concordes nose used an araldite mix

[@mikeperry8144]

I like this content mate keep going !! You should research 'promosm'.