Thread: Delaminating Banjo Neck

Tom, thinking in cross section terms, has the neck opened up into sections pivoting on the finger board? This would imply the finger borad is flatter in that area. Or has it just dried out and shrunk in that area perhaps because it is where your hand is most often and the finish has become thin. These would probably be important facts in working out how to fix it.
Dom

Hi Tom, I think the best way to repair it might be to dismantle the whole neck and reglue it back together. Thats a bit tricky in this case though coz of the veneers on the back of the head.
It is possible to get hide glue to soften and restick, although thats tricky too. If you can figure out a way of applying good clamping along the edges of the neck- the thick card tubes from inside bolts of fabric can work to make curved clampes for finished necks, cut into thirds and glued to a piece of wood to give it strength-
If you could set up a good even clamping pressure along each side of the neck and then apply heat and a bit of moisture to the joints that are opening, perhaps with a hair dryer, you might be in luck and the glue might soften and alow the whole thing to be squashed back into postion.
It would depend on ther not being any dirt or other impediment inside the joins to keep them apart ( a rusting truss rod for example)
Dom has a good point about the fretboard, so you may have a better chance of success if you take the fretboard off first. That might also give you the chance to get the truss rod out and also gett at the joins from the other side to make sure they are clean.
Might work!
Jack

Tom the problem is not the truss rusting which in turn will force the timbers apart. The first picture gives a hint of this perhaps.

Regards Mike.