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Hello All,
Just an informal poll here for the repair people. What temperature do you usually bring your heating blanket up to when removing a fingerboard (glued on with traditional wood glue: LMI FG or Tite-bond)? If you are using our TC temperature controller, please let me know, but anyone who uses any sort of heating blanket and who tracks the temperature can chime in. Thanks!
Chris -Luthiers Mercantile Int'l

Chris: I use a heat lamp rather then blanket.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

A very timely thread for me - I need to remove a fingerboard from a bass, and was planning on using my bending blanket for heat. I use an RTD for a sensor, so I can place it right on the wood for best accuracy. I have a couple questions:

1) what temperature does West System epoxy release?
2) will my bindings and purfling on the fingerboard release as well (glued with CA)?
3) is it safe for sections of the blanket to be free or does the entire blanket need to contact some material to prevent burnout?

Thanks!

Tom,
Have you taken any temperature readings when using the heat lamp?
Chris

Pat,

1) WEST softens at about 150º, according to Gougeon Bros. It doesn't soften much, in my experience, and it's nice and gooey and a total pain to remove completely. Good luck and don't use it again when you might have to release the joint. There are better, more forgiving adhesives.

2) Probably not. CA is pretty heat resistant.

3) I'll let someone else answer this and be really interested to learn the answer.

I use about 250 to 275 .If you can pull frets that makes it work even better. I find about 3 minutes for the heat to penetrate. I think you can see we all have our favorite temps but I think 220 to 275 should be pretty safe.
I used to go full power until I ran across a fretboard with "pearloid" dots . LOL I thought I fried the heater , got a new one , fried out another dot , then realized what it was .
Patience is the key here . I also like to use pallet knives to work under the fretboard.. It doesn't hurt to heat the knife either. Let us know how you make out,

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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

Thanks, guys! Yeah, I suppose I should have used something other than epoxy to attach the fingerboard. It was the epoxy leaking into the truss rod channel and seizing the threads that caused the problem in the first place.

I'll let you know how it works out.

Chris: No ,sorry no temp readings. I just go by feeling with the hand and trying to work in a pallet knife at the glue line and a gentle lift of the board if it is free of the top. You also have to be careful to insulate the top with something like corregated cardboard covered with tinfoil. Heating with the lamp seems to give a very even heat.Must confess I have never tried to use a blanket. Also I do very little repair work.But it works for me. Almost forgot,a bit of a tweek on an unglued thrust rod may help to start the board to lift enough to get a edge under the board.
Tom

_________________
A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!