Hi guys,
I'd like to preface this post by saying I'm an idiot sometimes.
I've just glued a finished fret board to a finished neck and need to remove a lot of hardened woodglue from these "finished" pieces. I'm guessing one or two of you may have had experience with this problem.
This build has been an enormous learning experience and I've just learned that putting a lot of glue on the neck to "make sure it holds reeeeal good" isn't a good idea.
And wrapping the neck and fretboard with plastic wrap isn't the best idea either.... and I probably did a lot of other things wrong as well.
Anyway, do any of you have suggestions on how I can solve this problem without wrecking the neck I've been working on for weeks?
Humbled,
Rich
Replies
When possible you should glue the finger board to the neck before you put on the finish. After you glue and wipe excess glue with a damp rag, wait a few minutes and use a small flat screw driver and really clean the glue line. When you clamp it leave room to clean the glue joint. Good tip on removing clearcoat with full sheet.
Thanks, I need to work on developing a good "order of operations". Next time I'll glue the fret board to the neck first.
Thanks again!
I've had a little trouble with wiping away excess glue with a damp paper towel/rag, I end up seeing splotches when I stain/finish afterwards, seems the wet thins the glue and it soaks in next to the joint like a sealer. So I just let the squeeze out bead up and leave it, makes it easier to scrape off after it's hardened. Or, I plan ahead expecting to go back to the bench top belt sander to clean off the squeeze-out and even the edges of the fingerboard and frets all at one time.
When you sand it back.. Don't go up and down the neck.. Put it between two objects at the nut and the heel.. take a full sheet of sandpaper.. stand over the neck.. and shoeshine the back..
You will be surprised at just how fast and easy his method is.
You may need to sand it off and refinish it and you won't be the first guy to do that. I just did because my lacquer blushed.
I'd go with the scraper, too. You can make a tool out of an old chisel that will work more precisely though. Grind down the tip of the chisel until it's roughly 1/8" thick. (Go slow, you don't want to ruin the temper) Make sure it is square and clean. Lay it flat on the surface and bring the handle end up just a hair. When you push it along it will produce small shavings.
Too much glue is common. Like the others said, carefully scrape what you can and sand the rest. Ideally, you only need a thin layer of glue on both surfaces, let tack, then clamp. Experience will teach you. Wiping with a wet rag is a great thing to do if you have access glue. Also, try not to get a lot of glue near the edges, the pressure will force the glue outward. It's a learning process...
Explosives... takes the wood right off of anything... Oh..
You can use a loose utility blade as a scraper, too... Belt sanders work well... I learned early on to wipe off the excess with a damp paper towel... you have to finish sand anyway...
I would use a scraper or putty knife and carefully scrape the worst of it off. If you sand it afterwards, you should be able to get most, if not all, of it off. Then just put a little more finish on it so that it matches, and you should be good to go.
I would NOT recommend you use any kind of heat, or it may melt, open up the wood grain, and cause the glue to soak in.
Thanks Dan. Yep, I'm gonna do exactly that. I'll scrape or use my sharpest chisel on it to get the worse of it off, then sand it smooth and put some more tung oil on it. I'm sure it will come out real nice.
no heat!
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