Fretboard removal

OK, I guess I can't put it off any more, so next job is to remove the fretboard. I'd made a few spreaders/scrapers out of broken hacksaw blades. I simply ground off the saw edges, and linished off the paint. One of the spreaders was then ground along down one side to a sharp knife edge so it would easily cut through the glue.

The neck was mounted in the neck block and heat from a domestic clothes iron applied. I used a medium high heat and left the iron to sit on the fretboard for a minute or two before attempting to insert the scraper. Luckily the fretboard had already started coming away from a portion of the neck, so I had a starting point for inserting the scraper. I gently pushed the scraper right through to the other side of the neck and then applied a gently rocking motion to ease through the glue. I was able to release the glue an inch at a time and slowly 'walked' the scraper down the entire length of the neck whilst moving the iron to heat up the next few inches of fretboard. The whole process took under 20 minutes from start to end, but I'd psyched myself up to having to do this in 2 or 3 sessions. I didn't want to rush it.

Fretboard removed I rewarded myself with a cup of tea.