Martin fret board removal

[Colin Lyall]

Hi. I am really battling to remove the finger board on a Martin d18 circa 1972. I don't know its full history but it appears non heat or water soluble glue used. it won't budge with heat and pallet knife. I have carefully sawn from the soundhole to the 15th fret but the last bit from 15th to 14th seems to have encountered a steel bar or something (can't see). saw blade not making headway at all. I don't need to remove entire finger board as I'm going to pop the neck off. if I having trouble with the fingerboard then what if the neck joint is not water soluble and won't steam out? thoughts?

[Mark Swanson]

You don't need to remove that fingerboard section at all, just drill a hole through the 15th fret slot and into the neck joint for your steam needle to go in.

[Colin Lyall]

but I'm taking the neck off. I must separate fret board from body. as I said - I have sawn along from sound hole towards 14th fret and the last 10mm seems to have encountered a steel bar or something that blade cannot cut. I already have drilled into joint cavity under 15th fret in preparation for steam.

[Mark Swanson]

You may be hitting the truss rod, a non-adjustable one. If you can loosen the fingerboard at each side of it, that will only leave a little in the center that will probably release with the steam.

[Colin Lyall]

ah! ok. I thought that as there is no visable rod that it doesn't have a rod at all. thanks, I'll let off some steam - so to speak.

[Michael Lewis]

I'm curious why you sawed the board instead of using heat and putty knife. It can be a it difficult at times to work the joint but generally I use the heat from a 120V indoor spot light and a thin blade putty knife.

I can't imagine sawing the joint without marring the surface of the top.

[Colin Lyall]

Hi. Like I said in my first post - the glue is not responding to heat. It's very strange. I have removed a few finger boards before with no problem. If it was some cheap nameless guitar I could understand but a Martin? Weird. It does not look like it has been redone in the past either. I'm worried that the neck joint is also not going to let go under steam. I'm going to have to be very careful with the force I apply to the heal. As far as the top finish goes I am not too concerned as it needs a new finish on the top anyway. It's already blistered and crazed and not in the best condition. I love it tho - and it's time to get it playing again. Although I have built & repaired a few guitars I am by NO means a know-it-all and advice is most welcome!

[Michael Lewis]

If you go to the Martin website you can find a list to compare the serial number and date the guitar for certain. Before about 1965 everything was hot hide glue and after that it is aliphatic resin (wood glue like Titebond). Hide glue is more difficult to release than the aliphatic resin glue because it doesn't get soft when it gets hot. How much heat have you applied? It needs to be plenty hot and for long enough to transfer through the fingerboard to the glue joint.

I'm working on a mid 60s Epiphone (Kalamazoo made) that had the neck reset at too steep an angle and glued with what I think is a hard epoxy, as it softens a little with a LOT of heat. It will not come out in one piece, so this one will get a new neck.

[Colin Lyall]

Thanks Michael. My Martin is 1972 model. I use a domestic iron to apply heat. I protect the body with an asbestos mat. I'll try applying the heat for longer. Hopefully it will do the trick.
Thanks!

[Mark Swanson]

Getting a little moisture in there will help too. Dry heat doesn't work as well, on hide glue you always need heat and moisture.

[Michael Lewis]

'72 issue should be aliphatic glue, which should easily soften with heat, though it takes a few minutes for the heat to penetrate the fingerboard.

[Mario Kessels]

It took me half an hour to 45 mins once before the neck started giving on some neck reset. problem of course is you want heat and moisture at the right spot, but only there so you dont affect the surrounding area.
My best guess is keep trying with enough patience and at some point the glue will get soft.
sometimes the hot knife does not work ( eg with a bridge) while after enough heat with a blanket or cloting iron it suddenly does.