Need some Deore hub advice
 

I want to replace an old school Deore 7 speed hub. It is one of the 130mm versions. There a lot of NOS 135mm version on ebay. Other than the axle width, is the flange width wider or the same as the 130mm version? I can always shorten the axle to fit in the frame. Spreading the stays isn't an option. Thanks

Tim

Flange spacing should be pretty close to the same. I assume you're asking because you plan to reuse the spokes? Even differences of 3-4mm are irrelevant here, for spoke length, given that the difference between drive-side and non-drive-side spokes is usually ~2mm.
Anyway, yes, you can get away with what you want to do, and it's not even "getting away with" which would imply that it's not fully safe. It's fully safe.

Actually, I wasn't going to reuse the spokes. It is a good idea though as far as money savings goes. There seems to a glut of old Shimano Uniglide 6 speed hubs and Deore 7 speed hubs on the market now. Some of the 7 speed are in 130mm, most are in 135mm spacing. The 6 speed versions look nice but would need a new cassette hub body to be useable. Most cassettes are Hyperglide not the Uniglide available on the 6 speed version.

Tim:
Just how often do you change avatars? Portis is the only other member who is even close to you. :D

Tim

I don't change avatars that much. (Actually, I just realized I've had 15 since getting on BF. They're all here. Which is rather less impressive than this picture.)

Reusing spokes is a good idea if you're changing the rim but keeping the same hub. Then you just tape the new rim to the old and move the spokes over. Spokes should really be used only in the same orientation as they were before, because they're already stress-set into that configuration. If you're reusing the spokes with the same rim and a new hub, just keep careful track of four sets of spokes: left and right leading and trailing spokes.
Also, only reuse spokes if the previous wheelbuild was a good build and not too loose on the non-drive-side (which would put the spoke heads under repetitive stress and make them more likely to fail at the elbow).