AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Order placed for some 3mm OD tubes. Then I can cut and file some teeth.
AHG octave mando build
- Thread starter AcornHouse
- Start date
GardMan
Enlightened Member
Is the broken bit left in the hole concave or convex? Will the repair be hidden under the tuning machine?
I think anything you try will have some risk involved... but if the broken off bit has a CONCAVE surface, I would think it would act to (more-or-less) center a drill bit while drilling the screw bit out. It looks to be about 3/64 dia... If I had a really good drill press, I might try to slowly and carefully drill the screw out, starting with the smallest drill bit possible. If the fates are smiling on you, you might end up with a hole sufficiently small for your new, larger screw. If not, or if the bit has wandered and your hole isn't quite true, true it up with a slightly larger bit, and plug the hole with a plug made from scrap matching the back plate of the head stock (IIRC, the late Frank Ford's frets.com site described how he used brass tubing to make custom plug cutters), then re-drill for a new screw. The grain and pore structure of that wood looks like you could make a plug near invisible, and completely invisible if its covered by the plate of the tuning machine.
Good luck!
I think anything you try will have some risk involved... but if the broken off bit has a CONCAVE surface, I would think it would act to (more-or-less) center a drill bit while drilling the screw bit out. It looks to be about 3/64 dia... If I had a really good drill press, I might try to slowly and carefully drill the screw out, starting with the smallest drill bit possible. If the fates are smiling on you, you might end up with a hole sufficiently small for your new, larger screw. If not, or if the bit has wandered and your hole isn't quite true, true it up with a slightly larger bit, and plug the hole with a plug made from scrap matching the back plate of the head stock (IIRC, the late Frank Ford's frets.com site described how he used brass tubing to make custom plug cutters), then re-drill for a new screw. The grain and pore structure of that wood looks like you could make a plug near invisible, and completely invisible if its covered by the plate of the tuning machine.
Good luck!
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
It’s completely under the tuner plate, as long as I keep the hole small. Trying to hit the embedded piece, concave or convex, with any bit that small is bound to start flexing and moving. Not to mention the difficulty in securing an angled headstock attached to an instrument to a drill press table. When I make the hollow bit to drill out around it I’ll make a guide plate that I can clamp to the headstock.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
- Messages
- 13,656
- Reaction score
- 3,086
- Location
- Philly, or thereabouts
- Guild Total
- 11
Can you drill touching the side of the screw and push the broken part into the newly adjoining hole?
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Ima just gonna wait for my hollow tube. It’s the same way used by the expensive StewMac kit and the larger woodworking store varieties. Just smaller.
Nuuska
Enlightened Member
A hollow drill - trephine - I got a set for my strat neck strap screw - worked wonders. The hole will be slightly larger than outside diameter of the screw. Once the screw is out you can fill the hole and start anew. Luckily in your case the tuner plate hides the crime scene.
But then - while living in MN - I learned that indians working on their masterfull handworks deliberately left some little mistakes there - in order to not insult the perfectness of the almighty
I bought this set from eBay some years ago - price was somewhere 30-50€ incl VAT + shipping.
Blade size is outside diameter - wall thickness about 0,5mm
But then - while living in MN - I learned that indians working on their masterfull handworks deliberately left some little mistakes there - in order to not insult the perfectness of the almighty
I bought this set from eBay some years ago - price was somewhere 30-50€ incl VAT + shipping.
Blade size is outside diameter - wall thickness about 0,5mm
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
I won't be able to cut any side holes I'm sure. But I can just cut the filled bit off and throw away. Or maybe try to burn the wood out if I'm feeling frugal. (If,A hollow drill - trephine - I got a set for my strat neck strap screw - worked wonders. The hole will be slightly larger than outside diameter of the screw. Once the screw is out you can fill the hole and start anew. Luckily in your case the tuner plate hides the crime scene.
But then - while living in MN - I learned that indians working on their masterfull handworks deliberately left some little mistakes there - in order to not insult the perfectness of the almighty
I bought this set from eBay some years ago - price was somewhere 30-50€ incl VAT + shipping.
Blade size is outside diameter - wall thickness about 0,5mm
)
Nuuska
Enlightened Member
I won't be able to cut any side holes I'm sure. But I can just cut the filled bit off and throw away. Or maybe try to burn the wood out if I'm feeling frugal. (If,
Am I missing something?
A trephine is hollow drill bit that fits around the broken screw - just like the tube you have ordered - drill deep enough and you can pull everything out - clean the hole - fill it - drill right size hole for new screw.
I never suggested any side holes . . .
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
In the set you show, there are holes in the shaft, presumably to clean out the wood.
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Well, hey, thanks YouTube feed algorithm.
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Success!
Got the pipes in today, filed 4 points with a small triangular file, cut it short, drilled a hole in some scrap wood as a drill guide (otherwise it would skate out of control!), and, after clamping the guide down and setting the depth, drilled, baby, drilled!
I had to reset for a slightly deeper hole, but it finally came out in the bit, leaving a small discreet hole to fill.
The screw tip is still in the drill "bit". Even a smaller drill bit couldn't push it out. A nice souvenir.
Got the pipes in today, filed 4 points with a small triangular file, cut it short, drilled a hole in some scrap wood as a drill guide (otherwise it would skate out of control!), and, after clamping the guide down and setting the depth, drilled, baby, drilled!
I had to reset for a slightly deeper hole, but it finally came out in the bit, leaving a small discreet hole to fill.
The screw tip is still in the drill "bit". Even a smaller drill bit couldn't push it out. A nice souvenir.
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
"But Chris" I hear you ask, "how are you going to plug that hole? They don't make dowels that small!"
Easy peasy. Grab a dowel, oak in this instance, and chuck it in the lathe and turn to fit. (Yes, walnut would have been nice, but it will be covered by the tuner anyway and it was at hand.)
Easy peasy. Grab a dowel, oak in this instance, and chuck it in the lathe and turn to fit. (Yes, walnut would have been nice, but it will be covered by the tuner anyway and it was at hand.)
The Guilds of Grot
Enlightened Member
If it's covered by the tuner, why waste the time filling the hole?
<Ducks>
<Ducks>
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2009
- Messages
- 23,240
- Reaction score
- 18,983
- Location
- NJ (The nice part)
- Guild Total
- 112
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2009
- Messages
- 23,240
- Reaction score
- 18,983
- Location
- NJ (The nice part)
- Guild Total
- 112
I wouldn’t dream of shoving toothpics into one of your masterpieces, though I’ve done it on an S300.
<blue-footed boobies>
Last edited:
Opsimath
Senior Member
You guys and your birds are quite entertaining!
The Guilds of Grot
Enlightened Member
Ah crap! Forgot you still needed to screw into something! D'oh!!!!!
<Swans>
<Swans>