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Hi Folks

I have a few necks that I want to save the truss rods from.
What are some methods that can be used to remove the fingerboards(Titebond)from the neck?

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"Practice enough till the results aren't hopes but expectations" forum member Peter Havriluk

If you don't care about the fretboard, pull those frets out, put an iron on a slightly damp rag or paper towel, and have some fun. The heat and moisture will release the glue. Just separate it with a knife.

An iron ON the frets will also heat the glue enough to loosen it. Most wood glues start breaking down around 180 degrees. Just work your way from one end to the other.

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

Thanks, I was wondering how they released the neck extension when doing a reset,
Mike

Is the water a must or will it just help it along?I guess what I am asking is can I remove it dry?

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"Practice enough till the results aren't hopes but expectations" forum member Peter Havriluk

Some people use special sized heating blankets as well, no water really needed

I did this recently to make a non accessable truss rod accsessable... just place an normal cloths iron atop the frets and work your way down with a pallet knife.

G.

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www.leddingtonguitars.com

Since you brought up the fingerboard extension area: As when removing a bridge, be mindful that runout can lead your pallet knife to dig into the top, as opposed to skimming the surface. I try to keep my knife at a 45 degree angle, switching from one side to the other (bass and treble), without crossing the center seam. Done properly, the piece will release gently, leaving the top nice and tidy, ready for scraping and easy clean up. Once the fingerboard extension is clear, I slide a piece of paper beneath it to prevent the glue from grabbing as I work my way up toward the nut.

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George :-)

I find leaving the frets in actually help conduct the heat to the bottom of the board, where you want it. I have custom-sized heat blankets that work, slowly, but find that an iron works faster.


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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com

A nice sharp axe would be the fastest way

Ed

But controlled removal would be great practice!

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Using a 250 watt heat lamp and cardboard shield lined on the out side with foil, shiny side out/up is pretty common these days. Never leave it unattended.....

What I really wanted to comment on is that jumping through your sphincter to remove a fret board is not good practice for much of anything. In the world of professional Luthiers removing a fret board is very few and very far between with even decades going by never needing to do this.

If you enjoy disassembling guitars to recover parts go for it but this is about as useful a learning experience as sawing off a dowelled on neck and resetting it. It will never be done on a time and materials basis by a pro because the economics are not there.

You got that right, Hesh. I know an instructor who has been at Red Wing for a long time who turned the neck of a 60's Les Paul into charcoal because he went home for supper and forgot until about midnight. He lucked out..... no one ever came to claim the axe because the client was old and passed away.

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

I take a chisel and split the neck from the back. Then throw the neck away and keep the fretboard and truss rod for future projects

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