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I'm looking for advise on getting an epoxied-on neck off a guitar body cleanly. This is a flamenco guitar with a "bolt-on" (not bolt-off) neck. There is a separate foot block inside the guitar body with the neck attached via splines which fit into mortises in the foot block and guitar heel. I use a threaded brass insert in the heel and a temporary bolt through the foot block to pull the neck tightly to the guitar body while the epoxy in the mortices and in the body/heel joint sets up. I remove the bolt (while I still can!) before the epoxy gets too hard.

The new neck will be attached in the same fashion. The old neck is expandable so I'm not complicating matters by trying to salvage it. My concern is how to remove all traces of the old neck so I have clean surface to attach the new neck to. And, yes the guitar has been finished so I don't want to screw that up removing the old neck. How would you do it?

Thanks,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

it isn't easy.
I have run into this. I cut the fretboard at about 3 frets up the neck. Now I can drill from the top and work a hot knife in the joint.

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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

Reason # 28 why i don't use epoxy except as a last resort.

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Brian

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

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

John,

I am less worried about the fretboard than getting the neck off leaving the surface of the body where the heel joins clean so I can attach the new neck.

Brian,

Me too.

Thanks,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

I don't think it's going to come off clean. It's going to require some refinishing work but even most normal neck resets do to some extent require cleanup. If I understand your description correctly it sounds like you have two mortise and tenons that fit into the foot block. That's a pretty complicated joint with a lot of surface area and I imagine the tenons are fairly thin.

I don't know if steam in the traditional sense will work there as it's so convoluted. You could maybe drill several steam holes and keep moving between them. After that loosens up a bit you can work a hot knife into the sides and protect the finish with some flashing.

I would use an oscillating tool(HF sells a cheap one) with a thin saw blade and cut the neck off. With a little luck you could reuse both the body and neck. Tape the body to help preserve the finish. If you make a new neck a slightly wider heel would cover the old heel's footprint.

Any more thoughts?

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

First thing I would tape off all areas at risk with a couple layers of tape. I would carefully saw through the fingerboard close the to attachment point but still over the neck part. I would then cut as as close to the heel/neck off you feel comfortable cutting. I would then take an angled pneumatic die grinder with a 3" 32grit pad and grind off 95% of the remaining heel. I would then change to a slightly higher grit and grind off the remaining. Now if the edges of the heel are glued, I would surgically grind those off as well. If they aren't glued then should just fall off. If they are glued and you have to get into the sides, then I would make a new neck with a slightly wider heel. Depending on how well the fingerboard is attached I would probably heat and remove it with the methods mentioned above. Now thinking about it, you probably don't have to do the first part of this. I would still remove the fingerboard second just because you can come at it from neck joint which is hidden. Your choice to remove the remaining bits of the neck joint or make a bolt on butt jointed neck. This is the route I would take, I think.

-Rob

With the bolt on butt jointed neck you can hide the mangled part of the remaining neck with the heel cap and shoulders of the neck joint.

Follow my post
by removing the fretboard , you can drill some hole at the joint or just saw the thing off and chisel it off . I have removed epoxied necks by using a hot knife , A torch and a spatula will do about the same thing

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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

+1.

This is unquestionably the way to go about it. As Clay says, with any luck you might be able to re-use both the neck and the fretboard .

The only thing I would add is that after taping the sides where they meet the neck heel, you should then stick on a thin metal protector with double sided tape to give added protection against any finish disfigurement from the oscillating blade. You can make one (or two) from an aluminum drink can, the aluminum is only .004" thick, so it is easily cut and shaped with scissors.

I'd remove the fingerboard with a heat lamp and a thin knife. Once removed I'd hold the guitar in a troji or similar and handsaw the neck off. I would then carefully remove the remains of the neck, epoxy and splines with a carving chisel. I would then sit down with a imperial russian stout and devise a way to never use epoxy on a guitar neck joint.

Tim

Thanks to everyone for your input.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

There should be a luthier cop and warning on epoxy about this stuff.
90 days for the first offense.

_________________
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