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I glued the sides to my neck block and after it dried found that on the back side of the neck block there was a huge gap which I deemed unacceptable. How do I safely separate the joint? I used Peruvian walnut for both the neck block and sides if that matters.

Thanks in advance,

Ian

I think the repair guys are going to say heat.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Regular clothes iron works well. Test on scrap so you know how hot to get it without scorching the wood, only needs 130 deg or so. Also, an iron from the local thrift store might be give you a safety margin if marital harmony is a issue.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Haha thanks guys, marital harmony is NOT an issue at all. I got a concave curve so I'm going to see if I can get my bending iron to work at that temp, is it ok or helpful at all to wet the joint beforehand? It may help prevent scorching the wood, right?

Success! Thanks guys!

Glue joint worked just great the second time round. So happy!

I'm glad to hear that heat worked for you.

Another way to get Titebond apart is with acetic acid (vinegar). It chemically attacks the glue and breaks it down. Plain water is so slow that the wood often goes to mush before the glue has let go, but the vinegar speeds things up. It works best on thicker joints. Use a stainless steel knife to pry with: iron and vinegar is the traditional recipe for black stain, and it sure works!