Conference napalm::guitar

    
    	You may find something that will help in the fingernail polish
    dept of say, a CVS. I've seen a product advertisement "Hard As Nails"
    maybe they have "clear"?
    
    	JJJ

    I've used a clear acrylic nail polish - I think it was Revlon. 
    You can rub it with 600 grit sandpaper to break the gloss (unless
    you like the gloss).
    
    Lately, when I need reinforcement, I use Krazy Glue.  It's a lot
    stronger and harder than nail polish.  I put just a thin coat on
    the part of the nail that extends past the flesh.  If the glue is
    fresh, it works great, but that stuff has a very short shelf life
    (that's why it's sold in such small quantities) so I try to buy
    it someplace where they sell it fast.
    
    Krazy Glue and the other cyanoacrylates are also great for repairing
    damaged nails.  I've rescued some pretty hopeless looking nails
    that way.
    
    Just don't sniff it.
    
    Bob
    

    I regularly used "Hard As Nails" when gigging...
    
    The only "problem" was the 'clear' had a very high gloss, and I
    was forever explaining why I had nail polish on...
    
    Edd

    WHAT ???  Did I read Krazy Glue ??
    Krazy glue has cyanide in it !!!!!
    There is a nail polish for guitarists out on the market. Check the
    music mags. and guitar mags. It comes in a low gloss clear finish and
    does well in preventing cracks.
    
    Better than Krazy glue !
    Please DON'T get offended. F.Y.I. only !!!
    
    Fred 

    Always use 400-600 grit sand paper to file the nails.  That would
    prevent the nails from cracking.
    
    I have used LEE NAILS polish which works well for playing flamenco
    guitar.  Lately I have been using olive oil which makes the nails
    little soft yet very strong so I could play both flamenco and classical
    guitar.  Best time to apply the olive oil is at night before you
    go to bed, use a piece of cotton ball and apply it to your nails.
     Let the oil soak to your nails over the night, you can wash it
    in the morning.
    
    Foods with high calsium like milk or jelly are very beneficial to
    growing stronger nails.
                          REGARDS;
                          HOSSEIN

    re: .4
    
    I'm not offended, and I should have mentioned that the stuff is
    poisonous if you get it in your blood stream.  That's why I only
    apply it to the tip of the nails.  
    
    The folks who really should be concerned are the ones who routinely
    coat the FINGER tips of the fretting hand with cyanoacrylate glue
    (Krazy Glue, Super Glue, etc.).
    
    I tried Lee Nails once, about ten years ago.  Maybe they've changed
    it, but, at the time, it was more trouble than it was worth to me.
    You can actually sculpt a nail, but the stuff is (was) pretty brittle
    so the nail had to be thick and I didn't like the way it sounded
    on the strings.  
    
    There are some other things you can do to strengthen nails.  Diet
    is important and some people benefit from taking a gelatin protein
    supplement.  It helps to avoid soaking your nails in things that
    dry them out, like alcohol, gasoline, soapy water, etc.  (Wear rubber
    gloves.)  Also, Revlon makes a protein application that soaks into
    the nails.  It won't make healthy nails any stronger, but if you
    have trouble with cracking, chipping, etc., (I sound like a commercial)
    it can make a big difference.  I think it's called Wonder Nail.
    
    Bob
    

    I've played bass guitar for several years, ya wanna talk about
    nails?
    
    I used clear nail polish for awhile, I ended up painting all my
    nail (I skipped the toes) so they all looked glossy.  People noticed
    less that way.
    
    After a while (about a year), my nails got harder and I've never
    had a problem again.
    
    So my advice is manicure them as short as you can get away with,
    maybe even have a professional do it, and bide your time until your
    nails get harder.
    
    And stay away from Midnite Rouge.  It's SOOOOO tacky. :^)

   
    Once your nail is broken, you can use a ping-pong ball 
    to make a fake nail that works pretty well until your 
    fingernail grows back out.
    
    Cut a crescent shaped piece out of a ping-pong ball and glue it
    to the underside of the nail tip.  Then shape it like you would
    your natural nail.  This won't work if your nail broke off too short
    because there won't be anything left to hold the fake nail.
    
    It sounds kind of weird, but you may want to give it a try.
    
      frank
      

    Another trick my classical teacher showed me in college was, when
    the nail cracks, take a (very) small piece of tissue paper, wrap
    it around the crack, seal the whole mess with glue (at the time
    he recommended a cyanoacrylate and it always worked well for me),
    then file and add another layer of glue.  The fibers in the tissue
    help to strenghthen the bond.
    
    Steve
    
    P.S.  Seems like a lot of the Lee Nails-type stuff is cyanoacrylate
    	  these days. . .
    

    warning.. warning..
    
    	I once used a false nail kit to repair breaks. It was a sort
    of bonded resin mix that you painted over your existing nail and
    then filed into shape. This was the worst thing I could have done.
    As the resin compound eventually lifted off the nail it took off
    a small layer of nail with it. Consequently I had terrible problems
    with broken/cracked nails for months until the nail completely regrew
    from the quick. Apart from this it was also a completely different
    colour than natural nails and looked extremely odd.
    
    	Not recommended, your nails will end up thin and weak for ages.
    
    Gavin.

    Another warning.   Watch out for you cigarettes with ping pong balls,
    as they explode & burn something nasty if met with flame/heat.
    
    Jay Tashjian