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OK, in Bill's book it says you have to cut down the tail block, but not to touch the neck block.

The neck block for my OOO-28 kit is 1/4 inch too tall. Seems like a lot of sanding if I glue it in as-is. My sides are 3 and 1/4 inches at the neck, and the neck block is 3 and 1/2 inches. It seems like I could cut at least 1/8 (maybe 3/16) off the bottom of the neck block and still have plenty to allow for sanding to fit the taper of the top and back once it is glued on.

Also, my neck block has some sort of extension into the body. Not sure what the purpose of it is, I guess just to support the truss rod? In the Kinkead book and the Cumpiano book their neck blocks don't have this extension so I'm wondering if it is really needed?

That's a Martin neck block, the extensions go over the top plate brace (you can see the cut outs where it goes over perpendicular) and the truss rod extends thru the center portion. Are you building a Martin style guitar? If so keep the parts as they are. The dowel holes on top are for a Martin style top and assist in lining the top up for gluing. Different builders use different techniques, I make my sides slightly higher profile, cut the bottoms of the blocks level to the sides and sand in the radius which brings my side height down where I want it. Others may do something completely different.

The back has a radius top to bottom, so that if you cut the back of the block to size the front edge of the neck block will be too low. I myself glue it in has delivered, make a roughed in line for the radius of the back and then plane the neck block closer to size to minimize the sanding required. I still leave enough to sand it with a radius radius disk or a radius bar.

Look how Ken uses his radius bar to rough in the line on the neck block.

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/contourfixt.html

You can cut that overhang off. It is more of a glue cawl that any support. It was a feature added in the 90's

OK, I'm going to cut that overhang off as John suggests, seems like you'd want the top to be as free to move as possible (consistent with strength) to get the best sound. I'm also going to trim the bottom of the block some - leaving enough to shape to the radius of the back.

Thanks,
Rick

Let yourself about a weak 1/8 on both sides to allow for final trimming once glued in

On the last kit I got from John Hall, he had the neck block trimmed on the bottom, at an angle which matched the curvature of the back perfectly. it made sanding and fitting much easier. thanks for that, John. now I'm making my own, but I make them just like that one.