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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on August 12, 2016 at 2:43pm

I would use a scraper or putty knife and carefully scrape the worst of it off. If you sand it afterwards, you should be able to get most, if not all, of it off. Then just put a little more finish on it so that it matches, and you should be good to go.

I would NOT recommend you use any kind of heat, or it may melt, open up the wood grain, and cause the glue to soak in.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Wilkins on August 12, 2016 at 3:02pm

Thanks Dan. Yep, I'm gonna do exactly that. I'll scrape or use my sharpest chisel on it to get the worse of it off, then sand it smooth and put some more tung oil on it. I'm sure it will come out real nice. 

no heat! 

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Permalink Reply by Jonno on August 12, 2016 at 4:17pm

Hmm. That looks awfully like what happened to a neck/fretboard that I was prepping for build 5. Wrapping plastic round it would have caused oodles of moisture in between neck anf fretboard. It may never set properley like mine. I was able to pull the fretboard off with bsre hands after letting it alone for two days. It was a very wet week during that failed glue up. First time it has happened to me. That black stuff prob mould from plastic or leeching from frets

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Permalink Reply by Richard Wilkins on August 18, 2016 at 12:48pm

Haha! no the black stuff is actually my intended finish. Red Oak stained with minwax Ebony (2718?) and then sanded down to reveal wood grain and get a distressed look. 

I guess I was successful in making it look distressed!

:)

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Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on August 12, 2016 at 6:32pm

Explosives... takes the wood right off of anything...  Oh..

You can use a loose utility blade as a scraper, too...   Belt sanders work well...  I learned early on  to wipe off the excess with a damp paper towel... you have to finish sand anyway...

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Permalink Reply by Greg Thompson on August 13, 2016 at 1:35am

I think everyone has done this when starting out in wood working.
Too much glue is common. Like the others said, carefully scrape what you can and sand the rest. Ideally, you only need a thin layer of glue on both surfaces, let tack, then clamp. Experience will teach you. Wiping with a wet rag is a great thing to do if you have access glue. Also, try not to get a lot of glue near the edges, the pressure will force the glue outward. It's a learning process...

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Permalink Reply by Seenya on August 14, 2016 at 11:55am

I'd go with the scraper, too. You can make a tool out of an old chisel that will work more precisely though. Grind down the tip of the chisel until it's roughly 1/8" thick. (Go slow, you don't want to ruin the temper) Make sure it is square and clean. Lay it flat on the surface and bring the handle end up just a hair. When you push it along it will produce small shavings.

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on August 14, 2016 at 5:17pm

You may need to sand it off and refinish it and you won't be the first guy to do that. I just did because my lacquer blushed. 

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Permalink Reply by Fomhorach on August 15, 2016 at 12:45am

When you sand it back.. Don't go up and down the neck.. Put it between two objects at the nut and the heel.. take a full sheet of sandpaper.. stand over the neck.. and shoeshine the back..
You will be surprised at just how fast and easy his method is.

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Permalink Reply by JL on August 15, 2016 at 1:03am

I've had a little trouble with wiping away excess glue with a damp paper towel/rag, I end up seeing splotches when I stain/finish afterwards, seems the wet thins the glue and it soaks in next to the joint like a sealer.  So I just let the squeeze out bead up and leave it, makes it easier to scrape off after it's hardened. Or, I plan ahead expecting to go back to the bench top belt sander to clean off the squeeze-out and even the edges of the fingerboard and frets all at one time.

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on August 15, 2016 at 8:58am

When possible you should glue the finger board to the neck before you put on the finish. After you glue and wipe excess glue with a damp rag, wait a few minutes and use a small flat screw driver and really clean the glue line. When you clamp it leave room to clean the glue joint. Good tip on removing clearcoat with full sheet.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Wilkins on August 18, 2016 at 12:52pm

Thanks, I need to work on developing a good "order of operations". Next time I'll glue the fret board to the neck first.

Thanks again!

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