Thread: Removing a graphite rod?

I recently had to remove an epoxied CF rod from a steel string. I got a heat gun on the neck to soften up the epoxy. I then got a really thin painters pallet knife down one the sides of the rod (heated the kinfe on the gun first). Once sides were free I got a screwdriver under one end of the cf rod and levered the thing out....easy!! If one end of the CF rod is protuding clear of the heel then grab it with a mole wrench and pull it thus.

If you try and rout the thing youd better have about a dozen cutters on hand, CF is hard sh*t.

Yep, heat'll do it every time!

On metal fittings, it's really easy, just bung a soldering iron on the bit you want to remove. Carbon isn't such a good conductor of heat though!

Good luck!

P

Imagine you work for the ATO while youre doing the job and youll have that sucker out in a Jiffy.

Thanks guys.

This is humbling sh*t.

I reset a DB neck, replacing the mortise cheeks completely, got it fitting like a finger in a bum, glued it in beautifully, did a beautiful repair job on the button and inlay ... and then discovered that the scale length of this bass is three inches longer than it should be. A virtually unplayable 44". So THAT's why it was a bargain price when i bought it with no strings. WHY I didn't measure the string length before, i'll never know.

Now I have to remove the beautifully glued neck again (tapered mortise seven inches long and an inch deep) do a spline graft to shorten the neck, or graft the scroll onto a new neck.

Is there no way of moving the bridge to compensate for extra scale length??

I'm wondering how you've ended up with 3" extra on your scale length. Did the previous owner stick another neck on it or something???

Just remembering all the short sighted mistakes I've made. your not alone bloke.

This is not a bass I made, but one I bought un-strung with serious structural probs. I removed top, replaced bottom block entirely, restored the arching with heat and weights, made an overlay belly patch for reinforcement, made a new bass bar (soundboard brace for you guitar guys) and replaced top. Then I decided to reset the neck cos the old one was crooked off to one side, and glued in with epoxy. I cut out the neck and rebuilt the cheeks of the mortise and chalk fit the neck and glued in my graphite and glued in the neck. But I didn't check the scale length!

44" ?? In the olden days they made basses this big because with gut strings the sound is better. But they are almost unplayable for modern styles. Yes I could try to set the neck deeper in the mortise and cheat the bridge up a bit. But that looks dumb, and those two things would only get me to maybe 42.5".

I am having some success with the palett knife and the heat gun loosening the sides of the rod. I don't know whether I'll be able to lever it out of the slot though. I'll keep you posted!

Thanks for your advice. It was a long, hot and difficult job but I got it out and the neck is still intact. But the graphite rod is trashed.

Now for the hard part ...

I rarely re-use a rod Ive pulled out. Glad you had success with the operation Matthew.