Official Luthiers Forum!

OK folks, I'm in trouble.

The neck in the pics below has had a disaster.

This is the guitar that I'm building at the evening class and it is ready for finishing, neck glues on, fretted etc, BUT the nut on the truss rod has snapped off!!!

Now my first inclination is to finish away and see if it'll survive with light strings on.

IF this doesn't work and the neck starts to bow, I'll need to replace the truss rod. To get it out, the fingerboard will need to come off the guitar. It's stuck on with titebond 2 (the yellow stuff). If I make up a heating block from aluminium with slots for the frets I can heat it with an iron. My big worry is that the rosewood/mahogany neck will separate too......

Am I fearing unneccesarally?

Thanks folks!!

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Martin, if you have a heating blanket this should be a fairly easy task. Place some moist rags on your benck top and place the heating blanket on top. Place the neck with the fingerboard down and clamp the neck to the bench. So you have the fingerboard beeing heated by the blanket. After 2 or 3 minutes the fingerboard will start to come loose. Remove from heating blanket and check for movement...if its getting loose carefully pull it put and then clamp to a straight surfacce to make sure it doesn't dry out of shape.
Good luck!

_________________
Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

i would replace the truss rod now, rather than later. it is a much simpler and easier job when you don't have to worry about finish.

i would follow your original inclination and go with the dry heat. i would not want to expose the neck, or my heating blanket, to all that moisture. the aluminum is not really necessary, but may make the job go a bit faster at first. i would just use the iron though, and begin heating one end and work toward the other, heating and freeing the fb by stages. make sure you have several thinned down putty knives or palette knives available to be able to leapfrog them on each side.

and work out why the truss rod broke so you can avoid such problems in future.

Martin, I'm so sorry to read of this...I remember that neck you posted earlier last year, it's so beautiful!!

I really hope it can be saved. I have unstuck a fretboard from a guitar top before, and the most important thing I learnt through this was PATIENCE (don't ask me how I know this)

please let us know how you get on.

Michael, are you suggesting ironing right on top of the frets, or removing the frets first?

_________________
Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Good question!!!

I've bought a clothes iron for the job.

?5 so if it dies, it dies!!

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

i just work on top of the frets when loosening the fb extension to reset a neck and when removing a fb. the glue softens and releases quite easily. it almost seems as though the fret tang serves to help get heat into the board to soften the glue.

when doing repair work, removing the frets would add the cost of a refret to the job and would not be popular with clients.

cool thanks.

I'm assuming that I start at the soundhole end?

It looks like levering up the partially stuck fb from the nut end could damage the top?

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

yes, you start at the fb extension and work your way up. on the extension it is handy to make a heat shield up using some cardboard and alfoil to fit around the extension while you are heating it. this is absolutely necessary when working on a finished instrument, but you may be able to get away without it on an unfinished one. however, given that your iron will over hang the fb a bit it may be prudent to use one anyway.

Martin, I've done a couple of them. What Michael said.

thanks folks, I've ordered the replacement truss rod, so I'll let y'all know how I got on!!

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

I just did one of those the other day.
I heated it up dry and removed the fretboard.
Of course I don't need to use a heat blanket, I simply have to squint my eyes at it lightly.

/\ Handy for burning the 12th fret markers, eh??? Sam Price39085.5821990741

Thanks, Michael, for addressing my question about ironing right on top of the frets. Now, here's a follow-up Q: do you ever have a problem with the heat loosening up the frets themselves, and if so, is there a trick to dealing with that?

_________________
Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

never had the problem. if i did i would just wick in some ca.

Todd,

I have used aluminum foil, folded to the width ot the fingerboard, to distribute the heat to the wood between the frets. Don't know if it's necessary but it works for me.

Cecil

Thanks, Michael and Cecil.

_________________
Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

well I did this today.

The Iron is a $10 supermarket special set as hot as it'll go. Cardboard to protect the cedar.....



then a steel rule slipped in under the edge of the F/B



and worked along as the glue softened.



til after about half an hour (for once I took my time!!!).......



New rod put in.....



and fingerboard glued back on and clamped



an impossible task made a LOT easier by your help.

Thanks folks!!

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Awww, come on Martin, let us see the rest of this beautiful cedar/rosewood jumbo guitar!! It's unbearable only being shown bits of it!!!

Is that gold frets I see?Sam Price39091.6117708333

no, don't be daft, they're out of the same stewmac bulk tube as all the rest!!

as to a full body pic (oooh er!!) I'll wait til I've tidied up the glue splodges..... maybe tomorrow if I get a chance

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Nice one. I can't wait!! Sam Price39091.6139930556

Martin,

Cool ... or rather hot ironing dude

I hope you checked that this new truss rod was working fine in both directions before you glued it in.

_________________
Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

you know that thought never crossed my mind........

actually, yes it did!!

the original snapped just where the threads started on the rod......

Sadly Dyke didn't see it as a warranty issue and offer me a free replacement. Ah well, $50 / ?25 total for the truss rod in a guitar.......

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

glad it came off ok and you had a successful repair. but for some reason or another it looks as though your have a few loose fret ends on the fb extension.

yup, a few loosened in the removal process I'll need to push them back in & re-dress them. I'll prolly wick in some CA while I'm at it.

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick