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Topic: 1955 Fender Stringmaster D8... Ouch! |
Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 21 Apr 2015 5:36 pm |
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Picture worth thousand words...
I was tightening the plate down after putting glue and toothpicks in the holes... I thought it would strip before it did this, but *no*, the screws gave out. I was using a pretty powerful electric screwdriver.
What's the answer... this?
http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Types_of_Tools/Routers_and_Bits/Bits/Guitar_Screw_Rescue_Kit.html
Think I'm going to get just the extractor, I have a drill press, and I can get hardwood dowels.
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Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 21 Apr 2015 7:08 pm
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| Were these screws that were included in some other guitar parts? Because a lot of those seem to be... almost like chrome-plated zinc potmetal stuff. Guitar tuning machine alignment screws into maple guitar necks? - ouch. I just throw them out as a matter of course, and go stainless. I live in a fairly rural area, with a great dusty, dark hardware store - two aisles of screws! "The screw problem" is pretty widespread among builders of all kinds of stuff - "Chinese steel" is like the punchline for a really bad joke. |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 21 Apr 2015 7:13 pm
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| David Mason wrote: |
| "Chinese steel" is like the punchline for a really bad joke. |
I've actually had decent luck with *some* Chinese tools... others, not so much. These, of course, were original mid-50's Fender. I'll go back with something better, of course... this is the weak link in Fender Stringmaster tone, these screws loosen up and your tone goes way south. Lesson learned... be careful, you don't want to have to extract them!
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Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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Tim Russell
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 21 Apr 2015 7:22 pm
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Stephen,
Thanks for posting that link to Stew-Mac for the tool. I found a demo of it on youtube -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mvNpCJLBNw
A tad pricey, but I suppose it's worth it to do a professional job. I've never broken a screw off like that in an instrument, but I have drilled out & dowel plugged many holes on guitars. |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Posted 21 Apr 2015 8:44 pm
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Stewmac's tools are great, but if you just need the extractor, you can get one for less at Woodcraft http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/124210/Screw-Extractor-14.aspx
Alternatively, You can use a piece of brass or stainless tubing from the hobby store and make your own extractor. Just cut a short length and file some teeth on one end and chuck it up in the drill press. Its only good for a couple cuts, but easy enough to file new teeth and or make another. Just be careful to not over tighten it as the thin wall tubing collapses pretty easily. If you make it long enough so that the end bottoms out up in the drill chuck, then hand tight is usually enough.
_________________
Some misc pics of my hand crafted steels
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steve takacs
From:
beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
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Posted 21 Apr 2015 9:33 pm Ouch
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| I feel your pain there, Stephen but I know you will get it sorted out. stevet |
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Dustin Rhodes
From:
Owasso OK
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Posted 22 Apr 2015 5:45 am
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| David Mason wrote: |
| Were these screws that were included in some other guitar parts? Because a lot of those seem to be... almost like chrome-plated zinc potmetal stuff. Guitar tuning machine alignment screws into maple guitar necks? - ouch.. |
Yep. Fastenal is your friend. |
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D. Scheindlin
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 10:45 am
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| I'm looking for some stainless oval head screws for mine to replace a couple that are missing. Are they #5? I can't seem to find any #5 stainless, oval head, phillips screws... |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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D. Scheindlin
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 11:36 am
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| Thanks - so those are #6. Is that in fact the same size used on Stringmaster control plates? If so, then my problem is solved... |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 4:40 pm
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I'm assuming that they are the same as the four big ones... the smaller screws should be the same as the pickguard ones. The Deluxe doesn't have the four big screws, so its tone suffers some... but it uses larger screws (5/8? 3/4?) all the way around. I'll post back when I get my guitar fixed.
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Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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D. Scheindlin
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 8:18 pm
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| Let us know how it goes! |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 8:38 pm
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I was also going to mention someone told me that the '55's were known for a bad batch of screws... pretty plain to me now! Wish I'd known that before I started the project... anyway, hope this is now common knowledge.
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Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2015 6:12 pm
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Here's what I ended up buying...
http://darrenriley.com/store/fender-screws-oval-head-5-x-1-nickel-0015610049/
... they are bigger than what I posted before... no shank, with #5 instead of #6 body. These should have a little more 'oomph' to them, I'll try to not warp the plate! More after they arrive...
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Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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D. Scheindlin
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2015 7:41 pm
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| The ones you posted earlier from fender's web site are bigger #6, vs #5 on Darren's... |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2015 9:14 pm
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You're right! 1/64" bigger, looks like...
http://www.wlfuller.com/html/wood_screw_chart.html
We'll see how they compare to what's in there... I do like the non-shank thing, with threads all the way down... should grip better. Most important is how the heads lie in the counter-sink on the plate. The #6's were listed as strap-button screws... these are bass bridge screws... I'll post back when they arrive.
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Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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rodger_mcbride
From:
Minnesota
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