Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi All,
I got a neck a little too thin near the 2nd fret when carving, worried it will have issues and dont know how i could fix. The fretboard has some nice inlay and i would like to use it again. would it be best to cut it off the neck then scrape down the mahogany to the board or use heat to remove it? I dont want to mess up the inlay with the heat if it would. Inlay is held in with Black CA glue and ebony dust.
thanks,
Scott

how thin is it at the 2nd fret?
heat will be your friend but you need a good heat source.
I use a heat blanket but even a cloths iron can work keep it moving . The glue will break bond about 145f
so take your time and don't force it.

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

You'll want a heat source - not too hot of course. I use a travel iron which is small, and doesn't get rocket hot like steel irons. Violin makers knives, or the like to open the joint slowly and carefully. Work from one end to the other. Clean up both with cabinet scrapers.

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I just did this with a guitar my nephew was building. He went too far too so I ran it off my bandsaw then planed the bottom flush, very quick and easy.

Thanks all. John, I got it down to just under 19mm at the second fret. It’s 19.6 at the first fret

If you are scrapping the neck anyway, you could saw it off as JF mentioned, and then use a heat gun to soften the glue to remove the remaining wood on the back side of the fretboard. Toasting the remaining neck wood is better than risking the inlays.

Thanks all. great advice.