How to safely unstick shirasaya?

[Brano]

During the last shipment, the tsuka on the shirasaya was unstuck  during transport (in fact, I don't even know if the nakago case is called "tsuka" for the shirasaya)

So I googled and cooked rice glue

It holds really well  

The problem is that after gluing nakogo does not fit into the tsuka (about 1.5 cm is missing)

It probably pushed part of the rice glue in, dried and created an obstacle - I have no other explanation

Over the weekend I will produce a tool / scraper with which I will try to clean the glued joint from the inside

If that doesn't work, can anyone advise me how to open tsuka without damaging the wood?

 

Thank you in advance

 

Brano

[Ray Singer]

The best approach I think is to send to a sayashi for repair. Suggest reaching out to John Tirado for assistance opening the tsuka, cleaning out the current glue and reattaching the assembly.

[SAS]

Steam. After you clean it out, redo the rice glue, keep it out of where the nakago goes, and fit the nakago while the halves are clamped, then remove the nakago and clean it of rice.

[Brano]

Thanks Ray.

Thanks for the idea, Steve. There is no glue visible inside the first half, even in strong flashlight light, but there is obviously a problem somewhere.

[DoTanuki yokai]

Try fitting it before u glue it again to check if there is a Problem. Maybe u will have to wait untill the Wood gets more dry ?

 

Like Steve said u can hold the Tsuka above boiling water and the hot steam will losen the glue.

[Dave R]

The glue dissolves in water, I do it with shirasay and koshirae all the time when repairing and refitting. Rice glue is in theory weaker than the wood, but in practice I have found that to not be always the case.

 

 You do have to watch for warpage, so I split the piece after a soak, dry with tissue and clean all the glue away.. and then bind with a strip of cloth and leave it for a matter of days.

 

 Your problem may just be swelling due to the moist glue, so frankly I would hang on for a few days and see if that makes a difference....  (There is always a possibility that it never fitted, and that's why it bust)