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hi, i have a bolt on bass neck that i would like to replace the fingerboard on, what would be a good way to remove the existing finger board ? thanks james

You can buy a heating blanket to heat the fingerboard, but I just used a regular clothes iron. Heat the fingerboard with the iron to soften the glue and work an artist's painting knife or a thin putty knife under the fretboard to loosen it up.

It's easier with a heating blanket, but like Alan I done several with a clothes iron before I got a blanket. Since you're replacing the fingerboard it will be easier than worrying about not damaging it.

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Heat the board to about 120F or where the seam knife will insert with little force. Start at the extension and carefully insert an offset seam knife between the fretboard and the top let the heat release the glue. Don't try to force the glue loose. I use plastic tooth picks inserted behind where I have separated to keep the glue from re-adhering. The damage you want to avoid is having the top and neck wood tearing off with the fretboard. This is where allowing the heat to release the glue and forcing your way with the seam knife is important.

Rip the frets out and plane it off ..... or at least plane it thinner (less than 1/16) .. then put the heat to it, I have used a clothes iron, and the remaining 'veneer' will easily come off ....

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Gee Tony, that would work Very well too.

Here's a post I made a couple years ago on how to remove a fretboard

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yeah .. it does Rod .. or this ... a student inlayed a marker at 6 .... so we actually took the neck to the jointer and tore off most of the Fb that way, inlays and all .. really fast !!! Then heated up what was left and scraped off the remaining glue.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

thank you all for your input, i will get at it on tuesday with with an iron & knife, thanks again.

I would think that the epoxy some use to attach the Fingerboard would require a lot more heat than other glues. How does one remove an epoxied FB. I hope I never need to do this.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
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epoxy will release with heat as well ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Actually, epoxy will release with slightly less heat versus HHG or titebond.

The link in my first post shows me removing a fretboard attached using epoxy.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Thanks for the info Rod, I was wondering about that as I epoxied my last 2 fingerboards.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
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hello, a piece of cake, i took the fingerboard down with a few passes on the jointer, mainly to flatten the surface for my iron, heated it up and once i got my knife under a portion of the fingerboard i was able to heat & peel the board right off. awsome! thanks, james