Truss Rod Blues

[tpivette]

Thanks if you can suggest anything for this problem.....

OK so i have a 1978 Fender American Standard Strat.

I have just changed the strings to a different gauge and go to adjust the truss rod, i usually start at 10 thou relief at the 7th fret with a set of feeler gauges.

i move the truss rod a 1/4 turn, it doesn't feel stuck or binding and turns smooth, phew. I recheck the feelers, still the same gap, i give it another 1/4 turn and so on and so on.

After I have done a turn and a half i think "this cant be right", and then i notice that the little bit of dark wood that sits in the truss rod hole in the headstock has pushed out by a few mm.

a few questions on this;

This aint good is it? Is it the sign of something terminal ?

Can i just back it out using the truss rod then reglue it in place?

In the meantime I just went back to 10s and the relief/action is OK with that gauge.

[Woodenspoke]

I'm confused but that's normal for me. The rod thread should be constant and the nut moving forward not wood chips?

Clamp up the neck with a set of two wooden cauls and a large cross block between the two cauls, Two clamps to hold the cauls and block and one clamp on the center which will be tightened against the block to place the neck in a back bow. Tighten up the the rod nut to hold the back bow in place, and loosen the center clamp. If the back bow does not stay in this position you have a truss rod issue. Dont go nuts with the back bow either with this test.

If everything is fine you may want to use clamps to assists tightening the rod in the future and take the strain off the nut to agjust the neck, maybe 1 1/2 turns isnt enough on your strat? remove and lube the nut first.

Woodenspoke