Official Luthiers Forum!

I need to remove the top and back from a guitar I'm working on. I've had limited succes before with this. I'm okay around the edges, but how do you get it off the blocks without opening up the center seam? I have difficulty with that....

Heat
I guess you knew that already but at the blocks I use a thin knife ( a pampered chef icing knife ) and a candle to heat that . You can heat the knife and work it into the joint , there is a knack but you will figure that out pretty quick

_________________
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

I've been applying the iron directly to the wood around the edges. You're saying to heat the knife instead?

Generally applying the iron directly to the wood directly over the blocks will cause the center seam to separate as it releases from the block making more repair work in the end. Like John says heat the knife. I have a selection of artist pallet knives that are stainless steel and work well for this.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

That will just shrink the wood, probably never to return to it's original state. Learned that lesson many years ago.

Could explain a thing or two...

Womp! Womp! Womp! (descending trombone!)
Epic fail, again. Jokes on me...

Wait, are implying I was taken when I bought my Pampered Luthiers Knife? I did pay twice as much as the Pampered Chef knife that appeared to be the same, but I figured this had to better, it's for luthiers after all!

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Todd,
To do pampered luthiers you first have to invite your luthier friends over to drink beer and smoke cigars and then trot out a lot of overpriced specialized tools that have limited uses, but are very nicely made and work well for what they do. Lie Nielsen and Stew Mac might be happy to oblige, as well as a few others.

If it's hide glue, even unheated knife will break the glueline if you're careful enough.

I heat the knife in a torch or alcohol lamp and slowly work my way around the body, if PVA is used. Be extra careful around the blocks.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com