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Hi guys and gals, it's my first time here. I'm currently working on a caster style bolt-on neck electric guitar, and just prior to gluing the fingerboard onto the neck, I accidentally dripped a few drops of grease on the wood (Bike chain grease), and it's immediately stained the wood. Even after wiping, dark areas of residue can be seen (Wiping also spread the stain quite a bit..).

The neck is hard maple, and the fingerboard is gaboon ebony. The glue I will be using is HHG, and since its water based, I'm afraid it may be affected by the grease stains.

Is there any way I can clean off enough of the grease stains that it won't affect gluing? I know acetone is used to remove oils from oily woods like cocobolo, however the neck blank i'm using has proved to be very unstable (bending/warping when cut or shaped), so I'm afraid an evaporative substance such as acetone might displace enough water on one side that the neck takes on an ugly bend. I've also got a lot of mom's make-up face-oil remover wipes, lol

Anyways, any ideas, guys?

Thanks ahead, Sam.

Naptha. It is an oil base solvent so it won't raise the grain and shouldn't swell or warp your wood. A heavy grease like this might be tough but I accidentally go mineral oil soaked all the way through a back set and a few treatments with naphtha did the trick. I would apply a liberal amount and try to gently scrub off what you can to get the heavy stuff but try not to spread it around too much. Then you can just keep applying it and letting it flash off. Eventually it should dissolve the grease and take it with it when it evaporates.

Edit: Also, if you are worried about the stability of the neck, know that HHG will introduce a lot of moisture when you glue the fingerboard.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

If the wood is not stable, do not build a neck with it.

Read that over a few times.

Now think of all the reasons to continue using that piece of wood. After each argument to soldier on, read the above statement again.

Thank your lucky stars that you spilled grease on it and go buy a new piece.

Steve

K2R spot remover will remove the oils. Spray it on let it dry, scrub off, May take multiple applications. This is an old trick used when I flew RC Aircraft. The balsa would sometimes get soaked with fuel containing castor or synthetic oils. This would usually remove the oils and allow to re-glue and or seal the wood.
MK

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I'm outside looking in, just farther from the window than most.

Another vote for naptha. I was doing a refret today and the f/b had some really deep divots. I tried to fill them with CA and rosewood dust, when I went to level the repair they popped right out. I figured the owner had "fed" the f/b with some lemon oil or one of those great fretboard products. Anyway, I cleaned the board with naptha, soaked a little thin CA into the wood in the divots and then redid the fill. They are good and tight and the f/b looks better too.

However, I'm 100 percent with Steve - if the neck isn't stable its firewood. At least throw a couple of CF inserts on each side of the truss rod.