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Hi folks,

Another first-timer question for you all (since I have never done this before

I took my neck stock out of the clamps yesterday after gluing the scarf joint and to my great disappointment, I had a terribly noticeable problem. I laminated a strip of IRW before and found that is was about .012" of center - leaving me with .025" of misalignment (see picture). It is quite noticeable to me and I want to fix it. I used LMII's instrument makers glue. So, 2 questions:

1) How to you unglue this joint? (I looked in archives and couldn't find much except to use Mom's iron and a palate knife)

2) Is LMII's instrument maker glue the best for gluing your neck blank together with, or do you want to use something a little "less reversible" so that it won't come apart if you have to ever take your FB off? (didn't see anything about that in latest Tip De Jour). In my case, it seems prudent to make it all reversable

Thanks Guys!!!
justin

Cut through the joint with a bandsaw or handsaw, cleanup the joint and reglue. The LMI glue is fine for this joint.

Head plate should cover it in the front, and a veneer on the back should cover the back of the headstock.

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Matt Jacobs

"Don't tase me bro"

Yes, it won't be noticeable on the front, but the mis-match will appear in the back of the neck, maybe 1 inch down from the nut. This scarf joint is one where the smaller piece that is cut of the head stock is actually glued on top of the other neck piece so the scarf joint is mid-neck, not in the head stock. So, it will be very visible.

Is there a way to un-glue it as opposed to sawing it apart? I need to know how to unglue in general I think...

Thanks for the responses guys!!
justin

Let's see there is Mom's iron..... Or a heating blanket.

And you could use a heat lamp or heat gun taking care to insulate the surrounding areas with something heat reflective. In all cases a pallet knife or two will be helpful too.

If it were me I would do what Barry suggested and cut it off and clean it up and re-glue - seems easier to me.

Or you could do a back strap like Howard Klepper where it runs several inch's down the neck....

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Even with a backstrap, the misalignment can show at the top end of the headstock.

Saw it. Practice opening glue joints, if you want to, on something else.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

thanks for the advice guys.

Saw I will. AND then true it all up a bit better this time before gluing. I kind of thought it might be a bit of a big joint to be un-doing. I'll practice ungluing things later maybe - I'm sure there will be a plethora of good opportunities for this .... aka many more mistakes.

Next time you clamp it, try the technique I detail here:

http://home.asparagine.net/ant/blog/?p=139

It allows you a clear view of the laminations throughout glue up, and holds them firmly in place. I've used it to do laminated scarfed necks, and the laminations have been spot on.

thanks setch!

That technique looks way easier than what I did. I'll give it a shot.

Hey Setch nice work and an equally nice link and page!

Thanks!

I'm guessing you fond the post I meant to link to, but just incase, it should have been this one:

http://home.asparagine.net/ant/blog/?p=121

Yeah, but I liked the title of the other one better.

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Aoibeann