Neck Heat Press Device?

[Jeff Perkins]

I want to obtain a neck heat press device like the one in the pictures in the link. Does anyone know  where to buy one? Or, does anyone know where to find plans to build one?

Heat Press Pics:

http://s323.photobucket.com/user/klangfix/library/guitar%20neck%20h...

[onewent]

Does the moist towel effect the finish?

[onewent]

BTW, I bought one of Scott's (now deceased) aluminum presses and have had great success with it on the old truss-less Stellas/Regals etc that I work on.  Poplar seems to hold well, mahogany less so, more spotty.

Scott included a CD with all the instructions and techniques spelled out in great detail.

Tom

[Werther Ellerbrock]

Would you consider sharing the CD? Or maybe selling a copy? It'd be great to learn more about the techniques used with a heat press. Thank you.

[onewent]

It's text only, I can upload it here when I get a minute .. Tom

[Werther Ellerbrock]

I'd be most grateful if you do. Thank you!

[Thomas Beltran]

Hello onewent - were you able to extract the text?  I would be interested in it.  It sounds very interesting. 

In the 1970's, I bought an Overholtzer heated mold.  The mold itself is heated with an element that is something like an electric charcoal starter.  It is not long enough to completely heat the extreme ends (neck and end blocks) of the side, without a very long wait, so the element should be the same length as the neck.  The separate heated waist caul uses something like a Tempco cartridge heater.   Both heating elements use a bi-metal conduction thermostat.  My guess is that one could easily make a press with a solid aluminum bar with two or three cartridge heaters/ thermostats, or a square tube and the charcoal starter type heating element/thermostat. 

[onewent]

I sent you a 'friend request' through this site .. Tom

[Werther Ellerbrock]

Hello onewent - Hoping I can get a copy of that text too, please. Thanks in advance.

[onewent]

Here's the info I received from Scott years ago when I purchased his press.  I may as well share it publicly since Scott has passed a number of years ago and the presses are no longer on the market.  Scott was very free with his vast knowledge and I'm sure he'd appreciate the world knowing his thoughts on heat pressing guitar necks.

Tom

[Thomas Beltran]

Hello Tom, and thank you for the instructions, very helpful.  Attached are the two pages you sent, but converted to a two-page pdf file, which for me (and maybe others) is a bit easier to use than jpg files.  

[onewent]

Thanks Tom, and here's a pic of my set up when I use the press.  I cut a few notches in 2x4s to hold the press upright, avoiding having to clamp it into a vise, which I found both precarious and awkward.  This set up keeps things stable and accessible.  Oh, and the black panel is BBQ flat black spray paint, I had to do that to get an accurate reading from the laser-type thermometer...it wouldn't read well on the natural aluminum surface  .. Tom

[Werther Ellerbrock]

Thank you so much for sharing Tom!

Best regards, Werther.