Fretboard removal

[Dave Bagwill]

I've got an old neck/fretboard. The f/b is shot - I thought about removing the frets but don't think it's worth it - but the neck is pretty nice and I'd like to use it.
How to get off the fretboard is the question. The assembly is not attached to the body of the guitar, btw.

Any ideas?

[ken cierp]

A few years ago I had a restoration job on this rather old guitar -- The neck had a twist and the set was off by a mile -- I think it was repaired by some hack. Anyway, I needed to salvage the neck and the finger-board of course to keep it original (the key to added value of vintage and collectable items including guitars). So heat was not a good choice nor was the idea of yanking the FB off with a spoke shave which is a very common practice. My more gentle approach was to wedge the FB off the neck by causing the glue joint to fail without damaging the wood -- neck or FB. So I used wood instead of steel to create the wedging action -- specifically Popsicle sticks with a taper sanded on one end. Once started I continued to force the sticks in the tiny edge that was lifting -- after slowly progressing, sure enough the FB popped off. After scraping off the glue the neck and FB were pristine. I was able to plane the twist out of the neck and re-set the assembly as if using new parts -- Thank goodness, every once in a while a plan works!!

[Dave Bagwill]

Oh man, I live for that kind of solution. :-)
And I keep a hundred or so popsicle sticks around at all time for many uses - and here is another one.
Way cool, thanks.

[John Parchem]

… So heat was not a good choice nor was the idea of yanking the FB off with a spoke shave which is a very common practice. …

Ken,

I understand the reluctance to the spoke shave, but what was the reluctance you had with heat? I use heat when I want to save the part.
Thanks, John

[ken cierp]

Over the years (more then just a few repairs) at one time or another I have warp the finger-board or the neck or both applying heat. As a matter of fact I would say based on my experience that there is a high likely hood that the fingerboard will warp and be ruined. Then again, could be that I am a just hack?

[John Parchem]

Thanks Ken,
I have not removed a fret board, only a bridge and a set of bindings. I was not questioning your skills, only looking to understand your rational to help me apply it to other situations. Avoiding having the fret board warp is a good reason to try alternatives to heat when trying to save a part.