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In my own instrument building, superglue is only used for non-structural work. Binding, inlays, finish drop fills, those kinds of things. Cracks in tops, backs and sides get hot hide glue, which also helps produce the least visible repair. Superglue residue really stands out under finish, plus...

It looks as if, in the figured (dark) part, the face cuts through a patch of reversing grain at nearly 90 degrees. Thus the dark spots on the face surface there are almost all end grain (curling back into long grain below the surface). End grain is a bunch of little straws which suck up finish...

Ooh, that's a lot of cupping! Where did it live before, somewhere really humid like the seaside? One problem you face is hysteresis - the wood moves, then moves back, as humidity changes. Each time it moves it then moves back a little less. I'd get a good big sponge in there, like a car...

Almost certainly the clock is now in a lower humidity environment than it previously spent its life, most likely a move to a (better) centrally heated house. One thing worth trying is to restore some humidity - a dish of water (or, better, a dish containing a wet sponge, just in case it gets...

Grain filling is for when you want a smooth and shiny surface. Think guitar, or a 150 year old dining table. For many woods, after smoothing you have pores (little holes, eg oak, mahogany) or deep lines between grain lines (eg ash). If you apply varnish or lacquer, it shrinks into those holes...

I bought my first house in 1987. When I sold it 6 years later, prices had crashed by 20%. But I had enough savings to make up the shortfall, and the bigger house I bought was also 20% cheaper, which meant I "saved" more than my loss on the house I sold. Still there, and now it's worth four times...

I'd use the heat lamp on the unfinished side, heat until the opposite side is hot to the touch. Then steam the non finished side or dribble warm water into the joint. After about 5 mins to let the glue reactivate it should wiggle apart.

Sawdust and glue will dry noticeably darker than the post. Wax restoration sticks are probably the best bet.

I use it as my main glue for musical instruments. Hot hide glue or HHG as it is known has no gap filling properties and needs close fitting joints. But it can stay stuck for centuries. Reasons to use it: 1. Reversible repairs. If a joint is knocked loose, some fresh glue reactivates the old...

I agree to start with a damp cloth and a little detergent. Any sticky patches will probably clean up with naphtha (lighter fluid), which should be safe on shellac or varnish - don't soak it, apply a little and wipe gently, it flashes off almost immediately. One it's clean you have to decide...

One important thing to think about is humidity. Wood expands and contracts (mainly across the grain) as humidity changes, and in a summer house you might get quite large variations in humidity. If you look at the end grain of your slabs you will get some idea about which directions it will move...

Not to put words in Adam's mouth, but I think he means moisture would still get in. The exposed end grain at the mitres will absorb moisture from the air when it's humid. If you cover the top, that will still happen but you create a still pocket of air inside the joint, which dries out slower...

And, back to online, get a QR code on those posters which links to the website!

Almost all customers will be local, so focus on what works locally. NextDoor and Facebook Marketplace are obvious candidates. And dont forget offline! I'd find out the local dog walking hotspots and pin up some posters.

If you scrape the soundboard footprint until you see no traces of the old glue, animal glue (HHG) will work well. The important thing is a good fit, no gaps. I've read of some luthiers using 315 gram strength HHG for bridges, but it gels really fast and you risk a poor joint. My bridges are...

Sanding is good to fit the contour of the top, but scraping can deal with final gaps. Also, a light scrape of both surfaces just before gluing gives the strongest joint.

PS there will be fan braces under the bridge footprint, just to make clamping harder. Your inside caul needs to cope with them.

A mass market guitar probably used a synthetic glue 50 years ago. A luthier build would be hide glue. Hide glue is what I always use for bridges. PVA or aliphatic can suffer from cold creep, when the bridge slowly moves closer to the nut. It's still attached, but the intonation suffers. For...

This one I cut off and bolted recently (though its bolted from inside, which means removing the fretboard from the top - hard to do without making a mess until you've had practice removing stuff). The cut looks good, and some lacquer in the joint made it near invisible.

It's easier than it first looks. Basically three steps: Glue the new bridge on in the right place. Cut the neck until it's held on by just the fretboard, and sand the heel until the strings will arrive at the right height above the bridge. Bolt the neck on securely. Frank Ford's frets.com...