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Thread: Carbon Fiber rod removal

  1. #1
    Registered User rockies's Avatar
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    Default Carbon Fiber rod removal

    Has any one other than myself ever faced the possibility of having to remove a carbon fiber rod from a neck ? I believe it may have been epoxied in but not sure. I know the rod can't be routed or machined, at least I don't think so. Any advice, comments etc welcome. Thanks
    Dave
    Heiden A, '52 Martin D-18, Taylor 510, Carlson Custom A with Electronics

  2. #2

    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    Whoa, can you tell us more about the situation?

    CF can certainly be routed with carbide tooling, or even ground out with an angle grinder. Of course you'd want good dust collection with a HEPA filter, a well-fixtured part, and a well-fixtured tool to do that.. not exactly a freehand job. Depending on the situation, you could jig up the neck on a crosscut sled and remove the CF on a table saw (using an old worn-out carbide-tooth blade). If you have a friend with a Bridgeport mill, that'd be a nice way to go about it, too. Or better yet, a horizontal mill with a saw arbor.

    If it's epoxied in, you will need to get the epoxy very hot in order for it to start to get gummy. If it's cheap Home Depot epoxy, it might be possible. If it's high-quality epoxy, it will get gummy pretty readily, but won't actually release until you get up well past 200 degrees F (at least according to the heat deflection under load tests done by West System).
    There are solvents that can break epoxies down, depending on the composition of the resin, but they are seriously nasty chemicals and you don't want to mess with them.

  3. #3
    Registered User Jim Baker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    I don't see why you can't rout it out. You can saw the stuff so you should be able to rout it. I'll be interested to hear how it goes.
    You could try heating it to soften the glue also.
    Jim Baker

  4. #4

    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    If there access to the end of the CF, I would try heating it with a heat blanket as hot as I dared, then try to work a blade under it and work toward the other end. If you have a chisel the right size that you are willing to sacrifice, or you could grind a file to a sharp end, that may help to pry it out. Heating the tool might help as well.
    CF destroys blades, carbide or otherwise, if you go the table saw route, definitely use an old blade that you are will to toss out when you are done. If you are going to mill it out I would expect to use several carbide end mills, it dulls them equally fast. CF sands & grinds very easily. As Marty mentioned an angle grinder might be a good way to go, or, if you can get to it with sandpaper on a stick that may work, but would be very slow & tedious. The edge of a file of the correct thickness might work as well.
    Controlling the cut, regardless of how you go about it, might be the biggest problem, I'm guessing you don't want to chew up the slot.

  5. #5
    Registered User rockies's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    The mandolin was apparently a restore, neck was bowed and was planed or sanded flat. Then I think it was decided to stiffen it with a CF rod. The slot was either not routed deep enough or adhesive (epoxy ??) didn't let the rod go all the way down. Any way it ended up with the rod proud of the neck surface. I bought the mandolin as a winter project and have to either remove the rod (preferable) or put a wood layer on top of the neck around rod (not preferable). Or one other option to machine upper surface of the rod down below neck surface and put a wood filler over it (also semi preferable). Thanks you all for the ideas.
    Dave
    Heiden A, '52 Martin D-18, Taylor 510, Carlson Custom A with Electronics

  6. #6
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    Curious as to why you want to remove it? Has it distorted or otherwise damaged the neck/fingerboard? I have used carbon fibre square hollow section tube on my last 2 instruments and have not epoxied them in, but rather have simply routed the slot to a tight fit for the tube then glued in the usual filler strip to hold the tube in place tightly, clamping the neck and the filler strip tightly till the Titebond dried. Maybe whoever put the rod in your instrument has used the same technique, and so the rod might be easily removed?

  7. #7

    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    If there is enough CF in the neck to hold it straight, I would just sand it level to the surface of the neck shaft and put the FB back on.
    Depending on how far the CF protrudes and how deep the fret slots are, you could slot the bottom of the fretboard and use the CF like a locator key.
    Last edited by Joe Mendel; Sep-29-2013 at 1:50pm.

  8. #8
    Registered User AaronVW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    I'm with Joe. I would just sand the CF down flat and put the fretboard right on top of it. Some others with more experience may chime in here but I don't think that it would be absolutely necessary to remove the CF to below the surface of the neck and cover it with a wood strip before gluing the fretboard.

  9. #9
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    I agree also. Just finish the CF down flat with the neck surface (safely, of coarse, with good dust collection and respiratory protection).

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    And I agree also (also..). If you have, for example, a Dremel with a router base that has an open end like the StewMac one, just put a cutter in it flush with the bottom of the base, start on the body end of the neck and just walk on down, milling it flush to the top of the neck. Wear a really good respirator. CF is not good on your lungs.

  11. #11
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    Quote Originally Posted by John Kelly View Post
    Curious as to why you want to remove it? Has it distorted or otherwise damaged the neck/fingerboard? I have used carbon fibre square hollow section tube on my last 2 instruments and have not epoxied them in, but rather have simply routed the slot to a tight fit for the tube then glued in the usual filler strip to hold the tube in place tightly, clamping the neck and the filler strip tightly till the Titebond dried. Maybe whoever put the rod in your instrument has used the same technique, and so the rod might be easily removed?
    You posted the reason just as I was posting my question to you, so apologies for seeming to ask the obvious!

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    This is something like the tool Dale is talking about.
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    Austin Clark
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  13. #13
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    Austin, that's the exact base I was referring to. FWIW, I have taped my Foredom shaft in the same place as yours.

  14. #14
    Registered User Steve Sorensen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    Carbon fiber will destroy all metal bits (I learned this the hard way on my band saw. . . .) The sanding suggestion is easy and works well. Again, proper dust collection and dust mask are essential.

    Steve
    Steve Sorensen
    Sorensen Mandolin & Guitar Co.
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  15. #15
    Registered User amowry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carbon Fiber rod removal

    The Dremel reinforced cutoff wheels work well for CF. You could just drag one at an angle along the bar to carve it down flush with the neck.

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