Time for first neck reset

[vandenboom]

I know there's plenty of info on the site & OLF on neck resets. My question is more about the tools I use to remove the neck.
I have a mortise & tenon bolt on neck on a dreadnought. I used hide glue on the fretboard tongue and on the cheeks of the heel.
I don't have a needle that can pump steam into a fret slot, so was thinking about alternatives.
Do you think the following could work? Is it risky?

Firstly remove bolts & protect the soundboard either side of tongue with heavy cardboard.
Then sit a hot iron on the tongue & direct hair drier at the sides of the heel, alternating side to side. [I have learned once before not to let the lacquer get too hot or it blisters.] Give it a minute, & then start to jiggle the neck & get some movement.

Until a couple of days ago, I thought everybody applied glue in these two spots. Then I discover that Bob and lots of others don't use any glue in a bolt on neck.

I had a look at the FRETS site on neck resets. On their mortice & tenon bolt-ons, Taylor apparently glue the tongue but not the cheeks. For neck resets, they just remove the bolts, lift the neck very slightly to slip sand paper under it without actually "ungluing" the tongue. I'm a bit nervous about that. The guitar in question has a Cooktown Ironwood fretboard - very stiff with crazy grain - I wouldn't want to crack it by trying this, so I'd prefer to remove the whole thing.

Frank

[Allen]

Can you pop out the neck bolts and get steam into the mortise through them?

Also, I've got a very thin pallet knife (the type that you find in artist supply stores) that was very inexpensive. Would try using it to get under the fret board after heating to release the fret board.

As for heating the fret board up. I'd be making a cardboard mask to protect the top and covering it with Al-foil to reflect the heat, and then using either a heat lamp or heat gun to warm up the fret board.

[Localele]

While you are heating up the fretboard gently with the lamp heat up your knife with the hot air gun.Work it under the fret board and before you know it things will start to move.

[vandenboom]

Allen & Micheal - thanks so much. I did exactly as suggested and it was all over in a couple of minutes.
Steam in the bolt holes provided the start & let me free up the cheeks. Heating the fretboard with the heat gun, directing the steam tube under fretboard and using the pallet knife then freed up the rest.
Very happy & relieved.
Frank

[Allen]

Good news indeed Frank.