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taking fingerboard off a lammed neck....
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Author:  martinedwards [ Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:55 am ]
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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!!


Author:  peterm [ Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:07 am ]
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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!
Author:  crazymanmichael [ Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:31 am ]
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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.
Author:  Sam Price [ Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:45 am ]
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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.

Author:  Todd Rose [ Tue Jan 02, 2007 5:38 am ]
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Michael, are you suggesting ironing right on top of the frets, or removing the frets first?
Author:  martinedwards [ Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:29 am ]
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Good question!!!

I've bought a clothes iron for the job.

?5 so if it dies, it dies!!
Author:  crazymanmichael [ Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:49 pm ]
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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.
Author:  martinedwards [ Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:52 pm ]
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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?
Author:  crazymanmichael [ Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:08 am ]
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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.
Author:  Jimmie D [ Wed Jan 03, 2007 3:15 am ]
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Martin, I've done a couple of them. What Michael said.
Author:  martinedwards [ Wed Jan 03, 2007 3:57 am ]
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thanks folks, I've ordered the replacement truss rod, so I'll let y'all know how I got on!!
Author:  C Kent [ Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:42 am ]
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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.
Author:  Sam Price [ Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:58 am ]
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/\ Handy for burning the 12th fret markers, eh??? Sam Price39085.5821990741
Author:  Todd Rose [ Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:39 pm ]
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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?
Author:  crazymanmichael [ Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:30 pm ]
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never had the problem. if i did i would just wick in some ca.
Author:  Cecil [ Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:06 pm ]
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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
Author:  Todd Rose [ Thu Jan 04, 2007 3:02 am ]
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Thanks, Michael and Cecil.
Author:  martinedwards [ Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:34 am ]
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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!!
Author:  Sam Price [ Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:39 am ]
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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
Author:  martinedwards [ Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:42 am ]
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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
Author:  Sam Price [ Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:43 am ]
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Nice one. I can't wait!! Sam Price39091.6139930556
Author:  Dave White [ Tue Jan 09, 2007 7:18 am ]
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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.

Author:  martinedwards [ Tue Jan 09, 2007 7:25 am ]
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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.......
Author:  crazymanmichael [ Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:24 am ]
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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.
Author:  martinedwards [ Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:48 pm ]
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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.
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