How to break glue bond?

[Pilgrim]

I'm actually trying to work on the Aria bass I got that's the predecessor of the Hi-flyer.  It appears that when I re-glued the top half of the fretboard (it was loose) I may not have gotten out all the old glue.  As a result, one side of the fretboard is just a bit higher than the other and there is a tiny gap between the rosewood and the neck on that side.  I may or may not be able to live with the result.

I used Titebond to glue it - can heat or other measures be used to soften that glue?  I think it would be wisest to remove the freatboard and re-glue it - although I really am not that enthusiastic about the idea.

I will archive advice received for the possibility that I'll have to remove the fretboard......sigh.

[Dave W]

Original Titebond should release with heat alone.

[Pilgrim]

I was holping that was the case.  I recalled that the Hon. Dr. Bassman gave that me that advice, so I did use Titebond.

Are we talking heat-shrink-gun hot, or blow-drier hot, or heat-lamp hot? 

[Dave W]

Take care because a fretboard is relatively thin and the glue joint is long. I would use heat gun (paint stripper) and heat sections of the glue line while heating the blade of a putty knife at the same time to gently insert and separate the boards. By using a hot knife blade you won't have to heat a thin board as much. That will lower the risk of warping or heat damage.

[Bass VI]

Are we talking heat-shrink-gun hot, or blow-drier hot, or heat-lamp hot?

Heat guns can be tricky, might be too hot and you can scorch things ( finish and the like ) Stew-Mac make a fingerboard heating iron
 http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Neck,_fingerboard/Bridge_Heater_and_Fingerboard_Iron.html

that you heat on a hot plate and concentrates the heat on a four or five fret area, once you have a section loose you can move up or down the neck until you work the whole fingerboard loose. I've got one and it works quite well. I also notice the price (?) I think mine was about half that!

You could also try an electric iron, use a stip of aluminum to distribute the heat, not exactly sure what setting to use....let's see, rayon, linen, rosewood, wool? I think a medium setting would be fairly safe, adjusting as needed to soften the Titebond.

BTW a very thin putty knife ( very thin ) or one of S-Ms' seam knives will help alot too.

Good Luck as always,

Scott ( BassVI )

[drbassman]

Gee, I get busy for a few nights and look what I miss!  A hot iron, like Stew-Mac sells, would probably be safer.  The thin knife also is a good bet.  I'd be afraid to use my heat gun for fear over overheating things.

Of all the things I've done, this is still something I've not had to tackle.  Let us know how it goes. 

[rahock]

Yeah, the heat gun is a great tool but I'm not so sure that would be my tool of choice for getting glue to release. It would be way to easy to bubble up any finish or release glue in the surrounding area
Rick

[Pilgrim]

I'll take another, closer look at the situation this weekend.  If I'm forced to take on this repair (not sure yet), the Stew-Mac tool looks like it has one significant difference from a carefully adjusted and temperature-checked conventional iron: it's radiused to fit the fretboard. Of course, that gives the cheapie in me some ideas.

[hollowbody]

One trick I use to get the Titebond or white glue off of the disassembled pieces is to mix up one part ammonia to two parts water and apply it to the pieces.  Usually I'll dampen a paper towel and lay it over the pieces until it turns white and then I use a razor blade to scrape it off.  Sometimes I use it in conjunction with heat and squirt minute amounts under the fingerboard with a needle bottle ahead of my palette knife.

I then to clean up the moisture ASAP to prevent the surfaces from warping.

[Pilgrim]

Very cool!  I'm stockpiling this info....

[Pilgrim]

Just found this directly related thread, complete with pictures, on TB...thought it might be helpful to others...

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=517907