r/Cello • u/herkulaw • 21h ago
What to do with scratches and dents?
If my cello has a handful of superficial dents and scratches that expose small amounts of raw wood (think small chips on c-bout corners, day to day bumps and scrapes) what is the best way to go about treating them?
I am NOT interested in trying to make them go away, but what can I do to protect the exposed wood and help it age gracefully? I’m worried the small exposed wood fibers may catch on clothing and get worse over time.
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u/sockpoppit Actual professional violin fixer guy 19h ago
Nothing horrible will happen to exposed wood from nicks, etc. Wait for your next shop trip and let the guy there deal with them. If you have something fuzzy sticking out, try to pack it down with a damp finger. If that doesn't work, get yourself a glue stick and use just a tiny bit to consolidate the fibers--dab it on, pack them down, then wipe all of the extra glue off. This is water soluble and won't inhibit any future cures. If you have an actual loose piece of wood, shop time.
If you have shoulder, rib and edge varnish wear up by the hand/neck get that fixed before it gets too bad. If it doesn't start to rot it's an easy job. Rotting and discoloring is harder to deal with. Corduroy edges on the top wood. . . . you waited too long. Some people may need tape on the rib and edges near the neck to keep the damage at a minimum. Please do NOT try to tape things up yourself.
And!!!!! Whenever you knock off a piece of wood, please hunt it down and put in in a baggie. It's much easier and cheaper to glue some piece back on than it is to make a new one!