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Well, I was up way too late last night and happened to ruin a neck/headstock I was working on. Since this particular headstock had a really nice zoot top with veneer layers underneath, I was wondering if it is possible to save the overlay? It's glued on with Titebond #1. Are there any good suggestions on how to save the headplate veneers?   

Thanks!

John

should come apart with heat and moisture.

John, use the wifes iron with a thin piece of cloth over the veneer. crank up the heat and use a spray bottle for a little bit of moisture, now get the thinest knife you have (a puddy knife is to thick by the way) and start to work the veneer off the headstock. Go slow and all should work out fine.

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John, I've had good luck seperating Titebond using a blow dryer and thin pallete. It does take a while. John Hall also gave me a great tip. Once you have a slight seperation work dental floss into the space and work back and forth as you continue to heat the joint.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

I listened to Bob Benedetto and made the headstock on one of my guitars tapered because it looks "elegant"

Well it also makes it so the tuners I bought are "not long enough"

I was just going to cut it off because the neck is a much bigger investment than the veneer. If the neck is a goner, by all means try to slip it off of there. Probably be good practice. Your wife's best clothes iron and a hot thin knife is the way to go.

remember, that plate is very thin and cracks easily with heat, so check every 5-10 seconds for the heat, and use the water to moisten that wood so it won't crack.

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"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

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Never cracked a headstock yet unless I pried too hard. Heat does the trick as the glue will unbond at about 180 degrees. the worst glue is gorilla glue and the easiest to pop is elmers white.
   Heat ( about 1-3 minutes is all you need ) as the heat penetrates the glues will release the off it comes. Dont force it m just reheat or use dental floss and hot water.
john hall
PS if you know it is tite bond a touch of vinigar will act faster to kill the tite bond ( akaline base)

[QUOTE=highdrawlicks] If you are planning on trashing the neck, just set up a fence on your bandsaw just a little wider than the thickness of the veneers you want to save. Then slice off the overlay veneers, leaving a little of the peghead stock on the veneers.
[/QUOTE]
That's a really good idea if he's going to trash the neck.