Aidan63 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 I've taken the fretboard off a Squier with plastic inlays, I laid a steel ruler on the frets and the iron on that as per a Youtube how to video and it worked fine, I started at the nut end (removed the nut first) and the board lifted there (jazz width neck) after 5 mins with the iron just enough to introduce a thin steel scraper, it took about 45mins to lift the whole board off. The inlays didn't come off, I think that's the point of the ruler indirect heat conducted to the frets and radiated to the board Worth noting that Squier with skunk stripe the truss rod is actually under the skunk stripe even though the fretboard is also glued on the truss rod isn't actually against the fretboard but with a neck through I'd guess it will be under the fretboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 I have first to make my surgical incision along the side to separate the finish. I want to do as little damage as possible as refinishing is without doubt not in my skillset. The only straight edge I own I converted to a notched straight edge for fretwork so I may have to order one in. Slight delay at the start of this project to gather necessary bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 34 minutes ago, stewblack said: I may have to order one in Have you got a ruler like the ones at school, just to score gently to get the line and gradually go a bit deeper 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 15 minutes ago, Reggaebass said: Have you got a ruler like the ones at school, just to score gently to get the line and gradually go a bit deeper 🙂 I do have shorter ones but I had envisaged needing something longer maybe? You think it'll be ok going at it in small runs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, stewblack said: I do have shorter ones but I had envisaged needing something longer maybe? You think it'll be ok going at it in small runs? I would have thought so, the first one will just score the lacquer to get the line and then go slightly deeper each time, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 The steel rule isn't used to score the lacquer. It's to 'walk' the gap up as you progressively soften the glue up the fretboard and to stop the lifted board re-seating and re-gluing itself behind you. The reason you want something like this is that the rule is less than a mm thick and so will be lifting the fretboard less than a mm at the glue line. Any more and you risk breaking the board. You could bet away with a 6" one but a 12" one would be easier to hold. In my picture: ..the fretboard is 5 or 6 mm away at the nut - but that is because the fretboard is bowing. Look at the front edge of my steel sheet and imagine this is a steel ruler (just behind the 6th fret and you can see that the board is only lifted by the thickness of the steel (about 0.5mm). At the 6th fret, it is still fully glued down. So I am heating the 6th fret area and I will walk the edge, pulling left then right towards the 6th fret line, to get the steel to cut through the softened glue under the 6th fret position. And so on towards the 7th and all the way up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: The steel rule isn't used to score the lacquer. Sorry Andy, I thought the rule was to be used to score a line along the fingerboard/ neck join 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 Andy I'm not talking about removing the board. The finish goes right around the neck. I need to slice it, hence the scalpel. @Reggaebass is quite right I'm talking about that work at the side where fretboard meets the neck. It's been suggested I warm it to soften it then cut with a scalpel that way the finish shouldn't crack and split off everywhere. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowla Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 5 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: ... Don't use two sided razor blades - you WILL cut yourself badly ... OK - you got a LOL from me there! 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowla Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 34 minutes ago, stewblack said: Andy I'm not talking about removing the board. The finish goes right around the neck. I need to slice it, hence the scalpel. @Reggaebass is quite right I'm talking about that work at the side where fretboard meets the neck. It's been suggested I warm it to soften it then cut with a scalpel that way the finish shouldn't crack and split off everywhere. There's a YT video of someone removing the neck binding. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 1 hour ago, Reggaebass said: Sorry Andy, I thought the rule was to be used to score a line along the fingerboard/ neck join 🙂 1 hour ago, stewblack said: Andy I'm not talking about removing the board. The finish goes right around the neck. I need to slice it, hence the scalpel. @Reggaebass is quite right I'm talking about that work at the side where fretboard meets the neck. It's been suggested I warm it to soften it then cut with a scalpel that way the finish shouldn't crack and split off everywhere. Sorry back @Reggaebass I've completely lost track of this. Not an unusual situation for me, mind you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 On 11/05/2020 at 22:37, Ricky 4000 said: Seriously though, is there a cheap way to remove a 'polo mint' of the wood around the snapped rod? On 12/05/2020 at 08:57, Reggaebass said: You could possibly cut some more of the wood out to expose the rod with a Dremel , but it would depend on how much wood is there behind, it may break away when you tighten the nut . I think if you’re careful and take your time, you will be able to remove the fretboard and see what the next plan is 🙂 It might be wisest not to remove any wood in this area. The clearance hole and access point for the truss rod already weakens the neck. As far as I know you can't reinforce it with a volute after either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 3 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: Sorry back @Reggaebass I've completely lost track of this. Not an unusual situation for me, mind you I offered some advice on a different thread before this one was started, I think that's where the confusion has arisen. I'm pretty sure the entire neck, fretboard and bindings are all lacquered over as one so suggested cutting through the lacquer with scalpel following a straight edge to try and minimise cracking and splintering of the lacquer. Hopefully after it's all back together the join line could have superglue wick'd in and polished up for an as near as possible invisible, and more importantly unfeelable join. As you've said previously, none of this is guaranteed to work, and probably wouldn't be advisable unless there's no other choice, which it seems there isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 Evening all. I wangled use of a garage and an iron, seemed silly trying to heat the thing outside in today's subzero temps. First of all the bad news. Even with extreme care and a brand new scalpel the finish cracked. It's old and brittle, but I'm content that can be sorted later. Not going to think about it right now. Now the good news. My tendency towards 'bull at a gate' repairs did not rear it's ugly head. I spent 3 1/4 very painstaking, careful hours on this. I warmed the neck... I made a surgical incision... Then tapped in my blade.. Heated some more then followed with my kitchen pallette knife... Continued in this vein chasing the blade down with tiny taps on the knife, as @Andyjr1515 said - mm by mm and slowly slowly this started to happen... I did not do this... As I surely would have done without Basschat. I really forced myself to slow down at this stage... B Big smile when this happened So on to the next stage, which i have just walked away from as I suffer from Chronic Fatigue and I'm tiring, and well, you know. I need to clean out the rout the rod sits in before I can get at it. Made a start, scoring the wood with my blades then gently tapping out little bits. The chisel was too big, I actually made more progress with one of those cheap tiny screwdrivers you fix spectacles with! Going to need advice on the next bit. I know what I should do. I should fill the hole, plane it flat then rout a new hole. I have not the tools nor the skill so I will need to pop the new trussrod into the existing hole and then.....what? Anyway that's for another day just packed up my temporary work station. Bass in a hard case, fretboard gently clamped (and padded) in the jaws of a workmate to keep it straight. The main thing is, on day 2, I can see this... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Good work. I'm surprised how thick the fretboard seems to be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Wow, look at that. It's come off really cleanly by the looks of it. As you say, the finish can be sorted later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Absolutely top job stew, I like the use of the kitchen pallet knife, good thinking 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said: Good work. I'm surprised how thick the fretboard seems to be. I thought that when I saw it. A lot less fragile which is helpful but it all looks to be under control anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 It also looks like the binding and the inlays are fine as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 Yeah I nearly scored below the binding as I assumed the fretboard would be slimmer. But I could see where it joined. Amazed at how delicate and slender the neck is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, Reggaebass said: It also looks like the binding and the inlays are fine as well. Yep, no disasters today. A good day. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowla Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 That fretboard removal was very uplifting! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, stewblack said: Yeah I nearly scored below the binding as I assumed the fretboard would be slimmer. But I could see where it joined. Amazed at how delicate and slender the neck is. All the more reason not to remove any wood near the nut. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si600 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 (edited) Nice work, well done on taking the plunge. Nice looking jumper as well 🙂 Edited May 13, 2020 by Si600 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Turgh Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 That’s a brave move! Really glad it went to plan! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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