Regluing a Fingerboard | Full Fingerboard Removal and Reinstallation Process

Regluing a fingerboard is a straightforward repair in principle, but it requires careful preparation and alignment to ensure a clean, stable joint. The old glue must be completely removed and both surfaces brought back to a nearly perfect fit before any glue is applied. Once the surfaces are properly prepared, hot hide glue is used and the fingerboard is positioned and secured with controlled pressure, making sure it remains precisely centered along the neck. With careful clamping and attention to alignment, the fingerboard can be reglued cleanly and set up for final fitting.

Fingerboard Regluing Steps

• Remove old glue: Completely clean all old glue from both the neck and the fingerboard to ensure a proper bond.
• Check surface straightness: The next day, verify that both surfaces are nearly straight, with the edges just slightly higher.
• Mark and correct high spots: Identify areas that need adjustment and plane or scrape them down until the fit is very accurate.
• Prepare for gluing: Heat the hot hide glue and lightly wet both the neck and fingerboard surfaces.
• Apply glue: Wipe off the excess water and apply hot hide glue evenly to the surfaces.
• Position the fingerboard: Align the fingerboard carefully and determine where the nut will be positioned.
• Secure with rubber bands: Wrap strong rubber bands from the nut area toward the body to apply even pressure along the length.
• Check alignment: As you apply pressure, make sure the fingerboard remains precisely centered on the neck.
• Clamp the neck end: Use a clamp at the end of the neck where the rubber bands do not reach.
• Add additional clamping if needed: If the fingerboard tends to drift, add another clamp near the nut to hold it in position.
• Glue the nut: After the fingerboard has set, glue the nut in place the following day.

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This cello fingerboard presented a subtle alignment challenge. The rubber bands brought the upper portion into perfect position, but as it approached the body it consistently wanted to drift slightly to one side. Normally the rope technique is enough to center everything cleanly, but in this case it remained just a bit off. To correct this, the rope method was applied from both sides, allowing the fingerboard to be brought into precise alignment along its entire length.  

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How to reglue a fingerboard? Removing and re-gluing a fingerboard requires patience, precision, and careful preparation to ensure proper alignment and long-term stability. This process begins with safely removing the fingerboard using a combination of heat, steam, and a thin blade. Once separated, the neck and fingerboard are carefully cleaned, leveled, and straightened if needed, as was necessary for this particular warped fingerboard. After prepping the surfaces, the fingerboard is reattached using traditional hide glue and secured with strong rubber bands to maintain perfect alignment during drying. The final steps include cleaning up any excess glue, checking alignment, and reinstalling the nut.

• Remove fingerboard: Carefully separate the fingerboard from the neck using a combination of heat, steam, and a thin blade.
• Protect neck: Place a damp paper towel folded to cover just the neck, then set the fingerboard back on top and wrap the assembly with cellophane.
• Remove ebony shards: The next day, gently remove any loose ebony fragments from the neck surface.
• Clean old glue: Scrape off the softened glue from both the neck and fingerboard surfaces.
• Epoxy repair: Once fully dry, glue any loose ebony pieces back onto the fingerboard using clear epoxy.
• Level neck: The following day, check the neck for flatness side-to-side and carefully scrape down any high spots.
• Level fingerboard: Check and level the fingerboard as well, ensuring it is flat side-to-side.
• Straighten warped fingerboard: This particular fingerboard was heavily warped, so it was clamped to a steel plate and gradually heated with a heat gun, repeating the process until it stayed flat.
• Prepare glue and hydrate:Heat the hide glue and lightly moisten both the neck and fingerboard, wiping away any excess water.
• Align fingerboard: Mark the neck for proper fingerboard alignment before gluing.
• Wrap with rubber bands: Start wrapping strong chained rubber bands at the nut, making a few wraps while checking alignment side-to-side and at the nut mark.
• Continue wrapping: Work your way down, continuing to check alignment as you approach the heel of the neck.
• Secure heel area: Ensure alignment remains accurate at both the nut and heel before wrapping back up to the scroll.
• Clamp over body: Apply one clamp to secure the portion of the fingerboard that extends over the body.
• Clean excess glue: The next day, use a damp paper towel to remove any glue squeeze-out.
• Reattach nut: Glue the nut back into position as the final step.

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