Woodenspoke

Besides that it has been established it was a bad idea, I just want to point out what you wrote above. First if your friend is the expert going from that statement find a better friend as it is impossible to just reverse an existing HS without making a new headstock or doing a chop job and adding enough wood to re shape it. I think what is missing is a basic understanding of guitar building or woodworking in general. So it may be cheaper to just buy the new neck because when you finish making a mess on this one it will not be worth what it is now thats for sure, even if you manage to somehow pull it off..IMO

Any solvent on the Pickups will ruin them, at least any that will dissolve the lacquer. maybe its only the pickup rings you are referring to in which case rip them off and buy new ones. You can use a stripper around the chrome plated parts. Honestly I would cut everything out using a razor blade sand the body down fill any marks, cuts or holes and paint it a solid color

HVLP's are good for everything. Most guns come with tips specific for solvent paint use. I suggest you get a good gun if you are serious and like the Job done with the least amount of fuss. Finex is a good brand and is cheap. As for a compressor a good 120V unit is a hard one. I always suggest people find a non oiless unit (a motor and belt uses oil). They are quieter and put out more air and last longer. If you are serious look to see if you can add a 220 outlet in your house rather than settle, Your money outlay is certainly in the proper range for a 60 gallon unit if you shop wisely. If you cant do a 220V unit try looking on Craig's list and see what comes up. I saw a 7HP 120V craftsman a few weeks ago with a 60 gallon tank,but it was oiless. priced under $150. You can live with the noise for that price. As was just mentioned in a recent post you only need a touch up gun with a small cup, that will also save you money. Guns also come with different air requirements so shop wisely. Gravity feed gun is suggested..

Its just wood, nothing more, with a few issues that can be overcome using the right tools.. I mean even a razor blade with the edge ground dull makes a good scraper to clean edges against light woods. Its not a big deal really just another step.

I got around this by sanding and sealing the maple first when I did my 'duke and maple V . kept the dust from getting into the maple like a champ. If I were to use it as a FB , I'd do it on a maple or mahogany neck , something with more contrast to it. Thanks again for the advice. I dont under stand how you seal and not sand half a joint. If the FB is a darker wood you have no issues if you use it as strips in a light colored neck or a topper on a light colored body only scraping will allow you to clean and level the joint without it looking like red dye seeped into the other side. even yellow glue will pick up the red color. Try wiping a Padauk board with any solvent and see what you get on the rag..

I think it is time to take a few pictures and contact the manufacturer. Check the belt with the original and see how far off it is. It may be your machine takes a different belt as there were several generations of this machine. I am not saying there was but it is a possibility. The manual would give you a detailed breakdown of the belt part number. Remember these people live to help you so dont be afraid to call them and ask questions..

I dont remember Padauk being more toxic than any other wood. The problem with that statement is different woods effect people differently. With me Ebony always makes me sneeze and may not do the same for others. And yes you should limit your exposure as has been mentioned regardless. Yes its heavy but it does not fall in the excessively heavy category. My issue with Padauk is bleeding into lighter woods such as maple when you sand. So if you are using it with maple it will be a pain to clean and using a scraper is the way to go. It also bleeds when using solvents which again will stain other parts of a guitar. Also makes your shop look orange from the dust and tends to clog filters in dust collectors. Other than all of that its a good wood for a neck

seal the wood first or you will stain the maple no matter what you use. I would go with epoxy, it can be tinted with any dry color powder.. No saw dust; it is usless.. Wood filler fills wood pores and will not work like epoxy will to create a solid line.

Then I have no other ideas other than to reverse the belt regardless of the arrow. I will assume the belt is either so badly made nothing will work or is too big. You should not be able to max out the right side ever, you would rip the belt apart it would be so tight. Who made the belt Delta or did you go for price and buy a third party belt?

I think you have right however the right side is still too close together. If it tracks to the right making the distance between the two rollers on the right further apart will send it left. Think of the two rollers as making a funnel shape. Big end (rollers wide) makes the belt travel to the small end(rollers closer together). The belt seeks lesser tension. I suggest you increase the distance on the front right roller (bolts) further out and try again. If that does not work move it even further out. So keep the tension on the left to a minimal and keep expanding the right rollers further apart. As you expand the roller the pivioting motion will tighten the left side so keep backing that side off with each adjustment. Once it is close you can do fine adjustments with the long adjustment screws. So right now the rollers are further apart on the left or motor side so it tracks right. Or maybe the belt is wider on the right side. If I look at my pictures the left rear side is not as far out as the right rear or it looks that way.. I think you need to continue but make larger changes on the right. Eventually you will come to the point of equilibrium where the rollers are adjusted for the belt which may not be a perfectly aligned and parallel to each other and the tension is just enough to not slip under load. I would expect the rollers to look like the top of a V or funnel when you are close. Honestly it does not matter how off the rollers seam as it will not effect the machine. Also expect to have to adjust the belt (fine adjustment) after you start using it as it will stretch a bit. Keep going

Makes me think of all the guitars I have seen I want to smash..you know who you are..

This is the only thing that confuses me about your post. What is the driver roller? The only adjustments there are on the rear non roller motor side are the hex bolts. Is that what you are talking about? The feed belt motor is driving only one roller (the drive roller) that moves the belt and your stock. This is the out feed side of the machine. On the open end of the machine this drive roller is adjustable with two bolts in the picture below. This creates a third adjustment point in the process. Normally this does not need to be adjusted but it may need adjustment and is the first step to fixing your tracking issue. It could be way off. The plate the bolts attach's to is slotted which allows the drive roller to move closer or further way from the machine. The motor side is fixed and cannot be adjusted (not pictured). The idler or feed side roller is adjusted using two long Allen screws (hex) and two plates. Adjusting one side will also increase tension on the other due to the pivoting motion it creates. Also note there are screws and plate which are adjusted for the rough tension in the belt shown below. The Allen screws should not be fully extended and are for fine or final tension tracking adjustments only. I suggest you back off the Allen screws and slide the idler roller tight against the belt using hand pressure and the four straight head screws. These normally need to be made loose to slide on a new belt. Note positions of screws in the picture and compare them to your machine. I will assume the previous owner has screwed up the belt alignment in all aspects, going from your other post and current adjustment issues. You have to get the machine back to where it needs to be. Again start with the drive roller making sure it is even (parrellel) to the table then follow my suggestions above. If all of that fails PM me with your email address and we can discuss it in more detail. Honestly it should be straight forward once you have the drive roller alignment set right.

I would also add because its cheaping out. manufacturers use this all the time on $200 acoustics not hand made instruments..

I started with a sears 12".. Ugh That was 20 years and 4 bandsaws ago..It cut curves in wood thats all I can say about it..

First get detailed and adjust the drive roller non motor side so the drive roller is perfectly aligned to the edge of the table. Perfectly without the belt installed.. with the belt installed adjust the rear or non drive roller evenly until it just starts to tighten both sides of the belt. then tighten the motor side of the non drive roller so its starting to get tight, but not too tight. Then add enough pressure on the non motor side until you can drive the belt and the belt flat on the table. This pivots the roller and adds additional pressure on the motor side. Drive the belt on the lowest speed setting See which side it tracks too. If it goes right ( away from the drive side) tighten that side slightly. Keep going until it straightens out. If it does not track after continued adjustments then adjust the front roller out 1/8" using the two bolts on the non drive side. Contine to go bak and forth front a then rear adjustments If the belt tracks to the left or toward the drive side then loosen the drive side. If that does not work you need to close the distance between the front and rear roller on the non drive side (move them closer together using the two bolts on the drive roller). If the belt is not the problem its your adjustment method. remember this is a 3 point adjustment not two..

Sears not so good but its free..how can you complain

Can you send me your crystal ball...He he

yeah you are back again..He he I will assume the belt is a splice connectin and not an over lap meaning it can go both ways. Reverse the belt to start. Then expect to make adjustments over time as the belt streches this is normal. Eventually it wil track without any adjustments. Dont expect the belt to be perfect either thats why I said reverse it. If it continues to track way off have it replaced

Sand paper on a flat block

No it does not look right. As was said why do you need a pre stain treatment, we are not working with blotchy wood like pine.You said it was ash right To even give you a hint to figure out what to do , rather than give us some nonsensical list of every step. You could show us or describe to us what you are attempting to do and someone can describe to you how to do it.

First a picture would be easier or anyone who wants to respond. IN general you can cut out a patch on the outside with tapered edges (tapers in) and glue in a new piece of wood. Or you can add a wood patch on the inside to cover the hole then you can replace the outside wood as that will be glued to the patch. If its a small hole and painted you could just make a tapered dowel to plus the hole

I think your too late. He is hell bent on buying the wrong tool. Some people have to learn the hard way I am afraid. I think I will coin a new phrase MFTP (Money Flush Tool Purchase) which will go with my old stand by, POJ (Piece Of Junk)..

I can just say that given your answer you have no clue how this is done. Let me say again each fret is custom made I will assume with a very expensive die (thousands of dollars per fret) and a huge press. Your belief that you can duplicate this system in a home is just not realistic.. Did you expect to just bend the fretwire into any shape you want? I do not know who invented this system but I have never seen any information posted on the web.

I would say if your spraying the finish no if you plan on wiping on a finish you may consider a spray can sealer such as shellac. The act of wiping across a dye is the issue. If your spraying make sure the first coat is a light one so no runs..

First you would need a cnc router to cut the fret slots then you would need the special frets. Good luck with that... Also I never figured out how you can bend a string and not change the note when it hits a dip or bump on those frets. Honesty the fenton tuning system seems like a better solution