All Discussions Tagged 'steam' - FRETS.NET2024-03-29T10:20:17Zhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=steam&feed=yes&xn_auth=noTemplates or guides for drilling steam holestag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-09-03:2177249:Topic:1804952018-09-03T22:29:50.661ZBruce Ericksonhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/BruceErickson
<p>Since drilling holes in fretboards to steam necks off is such a common occurrence, are there templates with hole placements, or a list of placement, angles, etc,of these somewhere? Or is it 'just drill baby'? </p>
<p>Along the same line, pictures and dimensions of neck dovetails. I think I saw a discussion of this on this forum from a while ago.</p>
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<p>Forgive my naiveté. I'm new here. </p>
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<p>Bruce</p>
<p>Since drilling holes in fretboards to steam necks off is such a common occurrence, are there templates with hole placements, or a list of placement, angles, etc,of these somewhere? Or is it 'just drill baby'? </p>
<p>Along the same line, pictures and dimensions of neck dovetails. I think I saw a discussion of this on this forum from a while ago.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Forgive my naiveté. I'm new here. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Bruce</p> Order of operations for a Guild neck removaltag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-10-08:2177249:Topic:948092012-10-08T16:25:40.540ZMark Pollockhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/MarkPollock
<p>So, I picked up another project. This one is a Guild D35 from 1982, which suffered a shattered neck and some really, really bad epoxy and c-clamp based repairs. There is no way that this neck can be reassembled. I paid $5 for it, so it is a completely worth project, and any failures on my part will not break the bank.</p>
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<p>While posting about this on the Lets Talk Guild forum, a very nice gentleman offered to send me a neck he had sitting around. It's roughly the right era, and…</p>
<p>So, I picked up another project. This one is a Guild D35 from 1982, which suffered a shattered neck and some really, really bad epoxy and c-clamp based repairs. There is no way that this neck can be reassembled. I paid $5 for it, so it is a completely worth project, and any failures on my part will not break the bank.</p>
<p></p>
<p>While posting about this on the Lets Talk Guild forum, a very nice gentleman offered to send me a neck he had sitting around. It's roughly the right era, and the right shape. It has the tongue of the fretboard cut off, though, and might have a crack in the heel. (I should have it in hand tomorrow, but I have time to post today.)</p>
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<p>I'll be doing the work myself. I have done a few neck-resets, and should be able to pull this off.</p>
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<p>So, here are my thoughts, and I invite any alternative considerations that anyone might have.</p>
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<p>1. I would like to eventually put the original neck back on, that is, the original headstock and serial number. This would require replacing a fair amount of wood in the neck, adding some carbon fiber rods for stiffness, and dealing with a cracked fingerboard. This is not happening any time soon. But it is an eventual goal.</p>
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<p>2. The neck I'm receiving has the tongue cut off. I feel (and have read) that the tongue is an important part of the structure of a guitar. That said, this is a Guild, and therefore built like a brick shithouse. The amount of wood in that neck joint is impressive, especially around the neck block. While I intend to have a tongue there, I'm not sure that I need to have it integral with the rest of the fingerboard. I suspect I could get away with having them simply butted up against each other. But then I need to source or create a tongue. I don't really want to just cut the tongue off the other fretboard, but then again, it is nicely damaged by the headstock, so maybe I don't need to save it.</p>
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<p>3. If I want to save the original neck, I will need to remove the fingerboard at some point. Should I keep it on for steaming the neck joint, or can I remove it before dealing with the steam needle? I know I can remove it for much easier access to the dovetail joint, but I am concerned that the steam needle really needs that fingerboard there to keep steam in the joint, rather than allowing steam to just blow back out from the joint if the fingerboard is off. Anybody dealt with this? Any thoughts?</p>
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<p>I'm blogging the heck out of this (and other things), so there are lots of pictures towards the bottom of this page. <a href="http://summergarageluthier.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-stuff-new-stuff.html">http://summergarageluthier.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-stuff-new-stuff.html</a></p>
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<p>Thanks for reading that wall of text!</p>
<p></p> My neck reset/removal tips for general consumption. Approach with caution.tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2011-05-12:2177249:Topic:568682011-05-12T04:53:50.563ZMark A. Kanehttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/MarkAKane
<p>Some of these are copied from others, some I used my own pea-brain to figure out. After reading a recent post about a difficult neck removal, I thought folks might benefit from my past misfortunes and subsequent revelations.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here are some tips I employ on almost EVERY neck removal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>1. I made up a multi-nozzled air blower from machine coolant parts. It resembles the Medusa and elicits much conversation. I got a 3 hose coolant manifold from MSC and a bunch of…</p>
<p>Some of these are copied from others, some I used my own pea-brain to figure out. After reading a recent post about a difficult neck removal, I thought folks might benefit from my past misfortunes and subsequent revelations.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here are some tips I employ on almost EVERY neck removal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>1. I made up a multi-nozzled air blower from machine coolant parts. It resembles the Medusa and elicits much conversation. I got a 3 hose coolant manifold from MSC and a bunch of Loc-Line parts. The 3 arms each split into 2 with nozzles at each end: 2 for the top, 2 for the heel sides, 1 inside the guitar, and 1 at the heel cap. I use a compressor as the air source, buts it's a loud rig and I wear earmuffs. This contraption has saved me countless hours, hassle and the TIME associated with damaged finish, to the point I use it every time and highly recommend it to anyone in this business.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>2. To keep the finish from bubbling on the back of the neck, I have a couple of those gel-filled ice packs you get from the chiropractor (though mine came from a King Salmon shipment from Seattle; I love to smoke the wild-caught Pacific fish, there is nothing better in creation). I set up a neck cradle and lay 2 packs down it's length, then put the neck onto the cold gel pack. (I also use them any time I'm concerned with overheating a guitar regardless of the repair). They have saved my bacon (and the fish).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>3. I set up my shop vac to suck steam out of the truss rod opening in the headstock. I have a right angle fitting that I can attach to the headstock with big rubber bands, then I attach the vac hose to that and suck away. This adds to the din.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>4. I have modified a Stew Mac vice (the $135 one) with all manner of rubber caps for the exposed bolt heads, felt strips for the sharp corners etc. to make it completely guitar friendly, a VERY necessary step if you want to avoid neck dings. Read that part twice. This thing is heavy, and is bolted securely to my bench. It's so stable and has such grippy jaw faces that I will clamp the neck from about the 7th through the 11th fret, with the body suspended above the bench about 2-4 inches. I tighten it such that the whole shebang doesn't move a jot. I also manage to install the steamer needle, a neck removal jig, the cold packs, the steam-sucking headstock thingy and the compressed air blower nozzles all in one convoluted, noisy conglomeration. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Now comes the slick part:</span> as I'm steaming, I can apply pressure to the sides, pushing and pulling gently so as to rock the body around the neck joint. If it's a Guild or other guitar with a wide heel, I work a very thin, 1" wide scraper between the heel and the side. The solidness of the clamping makes manipulating the body a joy, and I can work both sides till I see steam escaping, though usually by the time any steam comes out the removal jig is pitching in. Martins come apart with relative ease, others vary, esp. Gibsons with a straight dovetail (God help you). Tread lightly while pushing/pulling!! BTW, I've already loosened the fingerboard extension before all of this other hoopla ensues.</p>
<p>I really like it when I've got the compressor, the steamer, and the shop vac going all at once, and then a customer walks in. They often go slack-jawed, especially and hopefully if it's their guitar. Me with blue Mickey Mouse earmuffs, and the steam and noise and jumping around for a good vantage point on the action plus the pushing and pulling leaves an impression. Sometimes I crank up some Iron Maiden for effect.</p>
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<p>Some of this may seem like overkill (like the Iron Maiden...maybe) but I've learned the hard way that it's better to be safe than sorry. It should go without mentioning that I don't do this with Taylors.</p> neck reset on 60's Harmony flatoptag:fretsnet.ning.com,2009-10-12:2177249:Topic:198052009-10-12T12:47:12.117ZJeff Berdollthttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/JeffBerdollt
Hi gents,<br />
<br />
I'm a French beginner amateur luthier and need to reset the neck of a H165 (all mahogany). My problem is that when I drilled the hole ove the 15th fret to inject the steam I sort of got nowhere ; I mean I have the feeling that I just drilled the neck block.<br />
I expected to reach a space in between the dovetail and the neckblock?<br />
What should I do?<br />
<br />
I already faced that issue on the same guitar type and it took me a lot of time and steam to pop up the neck, and at the end I had the neck…
Hi gents,<br />
<br />
I'm a French beginner amateur luthier and need to reset the neck of a H165 (all mahogany). My problem is that when I drilled the hole ove the 15th fret to inject the steam I sort of got nowhere ; I mean I have the feeling that I just drilled the neck block.<br />
I expected to reach a space in between the dovetail and the neckblock?<br />
What should I do?<br />
<br />
I already faced that issue on the same guitar type and it took me a lot of time and steam to pop up the neck, and at the end I had the neck heal with a bow (due to heat and steam)... I don't want to reproduce this.<br />
Thanks for your advice.<br />
Jeff Correcting "rising tongue" on a 1966 Precision Bass before refrettag:fretsnet.ning.com,2009-08-15:2177249:Topic:180382009-08-15T13:45:08.383ZBill Rodrickhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/BillRodrick
Hi all, this is my debut post on this very helpful forum and this may well have been discussed before in detail; if so, I'd appreciate it if someone could direct me to the appropriate thread(s)!<br />
<br />
Common problem: my '66 P-Bass has the old "rising tongue", beginning around the 13th or 14th fret, i.e., it's possible adjust the rod for a near-flat board from the nut to the 13th fret or so, where the "kink" is located. The problem is a bit worse on the E side. I've been setting the action for easy…
Hi all, this is my debut post on this very helpful forum and this may well have been discussed before in detail; if so, I'd appreciate it if someone could direct me to the appropriate thread(s)!<br />
<br />
Common problem: my '66 P-Bass has the old "rising tongue", beginning around the 13th or 14th fret, i.e., it's possible adjust the rod for a near-flat board from the nut to the 13th fret or so, where the "kink" is located. The problem is a bit worse on the E side. I've been setting the action for easy playability up to that fret, but beyond there, of course, there is little else beyond buzzing when set up this way.<br />
<br />
I've refretted a number of guitars that had this problem to a lesser degree, and have always simply radius-sanded the board flat before refretting, but this bass is in excellent condition apart from this and I'd like to keep it as undisturbed as possible. In addition, being a '66, it has the "veneer" board rather than a thick slab of rosewood, and one would have to sand right through the board at the heel of the neck in order to flatten it that way.<br />
<br />
I've considered a compromise in which I radius-sand the heel end of the board just a bit above the 13th fret - as much as I can without decreasing the board's thickness too noticably - and then install the largest/widest frets I can find from the nut on upwards, followed by somewhat shorter/narrower frets onward to the heel, figuring those smaller/narrower ones would retain more of a crown after leveling and crowning. In this approach, I'd be trying to "make it up in the frets" to a large extent.<br />
<br />
However, I know that steaming is a common - and controversial? - approach, and am intrigued by Dan Erlewine's Bass Player article on <a href="http://www.bassplayer.com/article/work-your-bass/nov-05/14412" target="_blank">compression-fretting a vintage P-Bass</a>, <i>after</i> using a <a href="http://www.bassplayer.com/pop-up.aspx?content_id=49246" target="_blank">neck heater</a> on it. I'd prefer to try Dan's approach, but - and this is the main question - can anyone point me to a source for a neck steamer/heater? LMI used to carry one; I've been unable to locate one elsewhere. Barring that, does anyone have a good approach that doesn't involve using a specialized heater?<br />
<br />
Thanks so much in advance for any help...<br />
Bill Rodrick Frank Ford's Espresso Neck-Steaming Rig with Krups Model Numberstag:fretsnet.ning.com,2009-05-06:2177249:Topic:133502009-05-06T06:44:04.768ZDan Gibbshttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/DanGibbs
Howdy All :)<br />
<br />
I just thought I'd share my copy of Frank Ford's Neck Steaming tip that is located here from ack in year 2000:<br />
<a href="http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/NeckReset/00028Reset/00028reset01.html">http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/NeckReset/00028Reset/00028reset01.html</a><br />
<br />
I did the legwork to find out what model espresso machine he was using in the tutorial. It is a Krups "Espresso Mini Type 963/A or Type 963/B". I bought this one at the local…
Howdy All :)<br />
<br />
I just thought I'd share my copy of Frank Ford's Neck Steaming tip that is located here from ack in year 2000:<br />
<a href="http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/NeckReset/00028Reset/00028reset01.html">http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/NeckReset/00028Reset/00028reset01.html</a><br />
<br />
I did the legwork to find out what model espresso machine he was using in the tutorial. It is a Krups "Espresso Mini Type 963/A or Type 963/B". I bought this one at the local Goodwill store for $3.49 and when I was done, I can still use the machine to make a cappuccino!<br />
<br />
He states, "a few minutes plugging the coffee section", you can either get the complete machinewhich comes with the "steam cap" that plugs off the coffee section or you can still order it from the Krups.com website for 2 or 3 bucks if it doesn't come with your unit. It sits right in the twist-in coffee filter holder and makes it easy as pie.<br />
<br />
To remove my neck, I put in 2/3-cup of water (kitchen measure, not espresso coffee measure) and that was enough to steam-off a poorly-repaired (by me in '87) neck reset where I used a heapin-helpin amount of Elmer's Wood Glue.<br />
<br />
The tubing I used is from Home Depot - "Watts Clear Vinyl Tubing 3/8"x1/4" #42143420". It was about 4 or 5 bucks for 20'. I can in no way endorse use of this tubing for anyone else...it worked for me just fine twice - once to remove a fingerboard-extension filler and then to remove the neck. It was active for a total of about 20 minutes over two separate sessions days apart. In this short time, it never melted and is still fine. If I were to use it more, I would get the high temp hose that Frank says he uses.<br />
<br />
The steaming tip is just our run-of-the-mill football/basketball air-pump inflator tips - $2 for a 3-pack at the local Walmart-type store. I also got the hose-clamps there too - 4-pack for $4.<br />
<br />
I made the "water-trap" from the idea in Dan Erlewine's Guitar Repair Book. His diagram shows an Erlenmyer flask with a I/O rubber stopper. I'm a cheapskate hillbilly so I used what I had around. It kept about half of the water I put in the boiler from going on the guitar so I would say it worked :-D<br />
The inlet and outlet tubes are two 1/4" thin aluminum pipes from a broken wind-chime - again, hillbilly engineering.<br />
<br />
Be sure to look at the picture in this post - it has details and text right on the photo.<br />
<br />
Well, that's about it, I think the whole she-bang cost me under $20 and accomplished what I needed it to do. Any questions, just ask :-D<br />
<br />
Enjoy,<br />
Dan Gibbs :)