broken fingerboard locator pins

[Denny Boyce]

I glued a fretboard to a neck earlier today (a new guitar) I used 60 min. epoxy and was planning on waiting about a half an hour before pulling out the locator pins. I use sewing machine needles. Well, I received the unexpected phone call talked too long, spaced out, got hungry, ate lunch, kicked back a little, then went to make sure that the afternoon sun wasn't hitting the guitar. Saw the pins were still in and panicked! I pulled first one out, but the last three broke off level with the fretboard.
Does anyone have an idea on removing them or perhaps driving them a little further.

Thanks, Denny

[Barry Daniels]

User a soldering iron to heat them up. This will break the glue bond. Then try to grasp the end with needle nose pliers to extract them. If you can't get a hold of them then you should probably leave them alone. I don't see much benefit in driving them deeper. You don't want them coming out of the back of the neck. But if they are in the fret slot you may want to push them down just far enough so the fret can be installed.

[Steve Senseney]

I use the thin paper clips for the locating pins. I leave some above the surface so that I can grab them, or heat them.

Since they are not as brittle as the needles, they don't break as easily.

[Denny Boyce]

Thanks for the help. I've got them to move down a little. Just a little more and they will be clear of the fret tang.

[Clay Schaeffer]

If they are located in the fret slots I would try to find a piece of metal of the same thickness and try to snap them off at the bottom of the slot.