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How to remove a nut with to much glue?
- Thread starter bigou
- Start date
A firm whack to the side if the nut with a rubber mallet should dislodge it without damage.
If it breaks, it's just a nut.
Good luck!
If it breaks, it's just a nut.
Good luck!
I've successfully used a soldering iron to heat up heavily glued nuts to ease the removal. Not sure about the shim, maybe use a nut slotting file and just file it away(?).
Chisel or file.
Both are rather specialized tools because of the width of the slot. If the nut is captured (inset) like a Fender style nut, the chisel or width is approximately 1/8". StewMac makes a file with safe edges that will fit the slot. A chisel can be made by grinding a small throwaway file. If the nut is at the end of the fingerboard, a wider tool may be used as long as it is narrower than the bed.
A couple of caveats: Files are somewhat safer to use than chisels. But care must be exercised to keep the floor of the slot level. It is very easy to create an arc in the floor. If using a chisel work from both sides to eliminate chip out at the side of the neck.
Both are rather specialized tools because of the width of the slot. If the nut is captured (inset) like a Fender style nut, the chisel or width is approximately 1/8". StewMac makes a file with safe edges that will fit the slot. A chisel can be made by grinding a small throwaway file. If the nut is at the end of the fingerboard, a wider tool may be used as long as it is narrower than the bed.
A couple of caveats: Files are somewhat safer to use than chisels. But care must be exercised to keep the floor of the slot level. It is very easy to create an arc in the floor. If using a chisel work from both sides to eliminate chip out at the side of the neck.
the "worst case" fix (like the thing is surrounded with squeezed-out epoxy) is to get a thin x-acto saw, saw the thing in half lengthwise, collapse the two sides in, and chisel out the remnants.
i've never had to do it, it's a dan erlewine trick i saw.
i've never had to do it, it's a dan erlewine trick i saw.
Prudence dictates care should be taken recommending acetone to be used in guitar repair without knowing the specifics of an instrument. Acetone, which is the base of most lacquer thinners, will dissolve a nitrocellulose finish very quickly. Even casual contact of a second or so will cause a blemish.
if the finish or paint does not touch the nut, a quick tap with a hammer and small block of wood will get it out. if the finish touches the nut, it may chip. after its out then sharpen the edge of a screwdriver like a chisel on some sandpaper and shave it (glue ect) off down to the wood. do not chisel and take out chunks, you want it flat. johnny a.
Watch out on whacking the nut. Be careful of your whacking angle and approach. One time I was trying to jostle a stuck nut free and I apparently tapped too hard on this inset Fender-style nut and cracked the rosewood off behind it (toward the tuners) down to the level of the bottom of the nut. Luckily I was able to reglue it without any visible marks and it was a crummy bass to start with. Lesson, consider yourself learned.
You have a lot of good info here;but you got to use it wisely.
A whack w/ a dead blow hammer CAN ruin your fret board and do more harm than good. Acetone generally can make a serious mess and ruin a finish. The most prudent method would be to FIRST determine what sort of glue was used.
IF the glue is a "white glue/wood glue" type then steam would loosen it appropriately enough so that a pair of hemostats could get a good grip on the nut and gently slid it out. The steam would also soften the remaining glue so you could remove that. If a Cryan-type was used there is a standard solvent-removed specifically for that. If a "plastic-model" glue was used; steam will help quite a bit as that is not to potent on wood.
REMEMBER that a nut rests in a channel that is essentially the end of the fret-board. You can totally ruin a neck with any inappropriate force not completely IN-LINE with the nut. Use a small wood block (1/2"x1/2" x4" long) as a direction chisel to drive as small a focused force as possible IN-LINE with the length of the nut when the glue has softened. Steam is also damaging if use to much (looses fret-wire, etc) - Focus that steam and use it sparingly; just at and ABOVE the nut. but steam is the least damaging in the long term to finish. You do not want to go scraping with metal tools. Use hard wooden tools or even Popsicle sticks may work for a one time deal.
If you know that exact glue was used that would be really helpful as there are specific methods of dealing with glues and wood for this specific purpose!
If you do have exact info - PM me. I have put in and taken out quite a few nuts and am happy to help to the best I can.
A whack w/ a dead blow hammer CAN ruin your fret board and do more harm than good. Acetone generally can make a serious mess and ruin a finish. The most prudent method would be to FIRST determine what sort of glue was used.
IF the glue is a "white glue/wood glue" type then steam would loosen it appropriately enough so that a pair of hemostats could get a good grip on the nut and gently slid it out. The steam would also soften the remaining glue so you could remove that. If a Cryan-type was used there is a standard solvent-removed specifically for that. If a "plastic-model" glue was used; steam will help quite a bit as that is not to potent on wood.
REMEMBER that a nut rests in a channel that is essentially the end of the fret-board. You can totally ruin a neck with any inappropriate force not completely IN-LINE with the nut. Use a small wood block (1/2"x1/2" x4" long) as a direction chisel to drive as small a focused force as possible IN-LINE with the length of the nut when the glue has softened. Steam is also damaging if use to much (looses fret-wire, etc) - Focus that steam and use it sparingly; just at and ABOVE the nut. but steam is the least damaging in the long term to finish. You do not want to go scraping with metal tools. Use hard wooden tools or even Popsicle sticks may work for a one time deal.
If you know that exact glue was used that would be really helpful as there are specific methods of dealing with glues and wood for this specific purpose!
If you do have exact info - PM me. I have put in and taken out quite a few nuts and am happy to help to the best I can.
Yeah, he'll know if it's glued in really well when a firm whack will also dislodge some of the adjacent wood.
