Starfire bass snapped strap button screw fix?

[lungimsam]

Was replacing my Starfire bass strap button with some Dunlop Dual Design strap locks and while removing the original button screw, after a couple turns of the head it snapped. I guess it’s a good thing it snapped now if it was that brittle versus on stage but the problem is how do I get the snapped screw out there’s no purchase with pliers. Thanks for your advice.

 

[BradHK]

It looks like it sticks up just above the surface. I would try to cut a thin slot in it with a dremel or something similar and use a flat head screw driver. Cover all of the finish around the screw with tape to prevent any damage if you slip or something. If that does not work you may have to resort to drilling it out but that’s not fun.

 

[gjmalcyon]

If there's enough of the screw above the heel I'd try vise grip pliers ONLY if I could get them to lock on without marring the heel cap.

You could also try a screw extractor - known as EZ-Outs.

 

[Minnesota Flats]

If the screw shaft is still standing proud of that heel cap (as BradHK suggests) I'd probably try a small set of Vise-Grip pliers:



making sure the tips of the jaws will clear the triple body binding before you attempt to rotate them a full 360˚ while gripping the screw (so you don't mar the binding).

Using an "easy out" would probably not work since it's such a small diameter screw and is probably not made of particularly hard metal.

 

[lungimsam]

There is no space to grab onto it.
I might try slotting it and use a screw driver. Thanks for the good idea.

An easy out or screw extractor would require me to fill with a dowel. No biggie, but does anyone know if I would risk breaking the binding while drilling in the extractor?
That would open another can of worms I don't want to open.
Maybe I will just install the strap button on the body just behind the binding area like Gibson does theirs.
Aaaarggghh!!
I will try the slotting and screw driver trick and see if it works or just crumbles.

 

[Brad Little]

How to use a screw extractor:

 

[wileypickett]

If you use a Dremel cut-off wheel to cut a slot in the exposed metal, use the smallest diameter wheel.

You can reduce the diameter further by using the cut-off wheel to cut metal you don’t care about, as the cut-off wheel will wear down with use.

Once it’s worn down to a sufficiently small diameter, then cut your slot.

(I did this to cut off the excess thread on a truss rod, which was extending proud of the truss rod cavity, and preventing the truss rod cover from lying flat. With the diameter of the cut-off wheel reduced by using it to sever the links of an old chain, I was able to cut the end off the truss rod without touching the sides of the cavity.)

If you’re careful, any slight marring of the heel will be hidden by the new strap button.

I also like to use felt or leather washers between the heel and strap button to prevent the SB from chewing into the heel cap. These are usually larger than the strap button, which means you can further hide any marring.

 

[Minnesota Flats]

How to use a screw extractor:

Those are good to know about, Brad: thanks. I have a couple of different extractor types but none exactly like those. I've mostly used mine to extract broken off automotive studs.

 

[lungimsam]

Upon further inspection, the binding damage around the screw hole (you can see in pic) is cracked up so much already and will not provide a stable footing for the new strap button even if I get the screw out. It may have been moving already, and I was unawares, and maybe led to the cracking and screw being so ready to snap, as it did.

Looks like the only 2 solutions to allow for a dependable footing for the button will be:
1. Use a screw extractor or cylinder type extractor, and then drill a dime sized hole thru the binding and wood (to completely remove the cracked up binding) and then dowel it perfectly and then sand it flush, which I would have to give to my luthier friend to do, cuz I don't think I have the tools to do such a precision match in dowel size, etc. I am also concerned since it is so cracked up already the drilling may tear out more of the binding, which becomes a whole bigger job to fix.
2. Or, I could just leave it as is and install the new strap button just behind it, on the body edge of the neck heel like Gibson does (pic below).

 

[davismanLV]

Here's a vid of my preferred placement and a quick tutorial on installing a strap button. No other location works for me.

 

[davismanLV]

And here, Tony Polecastro gives you another version of the same placement. That's where the strap pin goes.

 

[Nuuska]

Small trephine to remove old screw - then dovel and new screw.

 

[SFIV1967]

Small trephine to remove old screw - then dovel and new screw.

Yes, but that will definitely destroy the neck heel cap.
Better to do the following:

1) Use a fine center puncher and carefully punch a hole in the center of the remaining screw.


2) Now drill a fine hole (max 1,5mm diameter) in it, about 2-3 mm deep maximum

3) Get the smallest possible screw extractor bit (online or from a good store) and unscrew the thing.



Don't rush anything.

Ralf

 

[Nuuska]

Ralf - you're right in that trephine would make a hole in the endcap - but only 4-6mm in diameter - that would be completely covered with new strapbutton. So I would not use the word "destroy" . . .

 

[SFIV1967]

Ralf - you're right in that trephine would make a hole in the endcap - but only 4-6mm in diameter - that would be completely covered with new strapbutton. So I would not use the word "destroy" . . .

O.k., agreed. But since one need to buy a tool anyway I would go with "my methode" first and get such an small extractor tool. I used your methode for screws broken in hard wood in the past with success. I'm just afraid the thick poly lacquer will probably break further when using your tool if it is not really sharp with small enough teeth.
Ralf

 

[Nuuska]

Totally agree - and like you wrote in post #13 - "don't rush anything"

It so depends - your method works fine as long there is enough material above the surface to flatten it for the center punch - otherwise trying to drill a hole might be mighty tricky. I had the strapbutton srew on my strat break 1-2mm inside the wood and nothing like flat - so I ended buying a trephine set - worked fine for me.

 

[lungimsam]

If it was a wooden surface it would be so easy to fix. But that binding cap under the glossy finish (and the binding around the screw is all cracked up anyway so maybe just put the pin Gibson style in the body near the neck heel.
Later I can discuss refin and binding repair and extraction/ hole fill with luthier.

Is it possible to score the glossy finish at the cap seams and then remove the whole binding cap and replace with a strip of wood?

 

[SFIV1967]

Is it possible to score the glossy finish at the cap seams and then remove the whole binding cap and replace with a strip of wood?

All possible but poly lacquer is tough to repair. So I would still try getting that broken piece out first before I would drill a second hole in the guitar...if you are succesfull nobody would see your repair, you would just redrill the hole and use a stainless steel screw one size larger for the new strap button.

And that broken out area can be refilled step by step with thick superglue, just put a teflon stick in the hole when doing it.
Or even better you use a Dremmel and rout the area around the broken pin and use a washer under the new strap pin to fill it. It already looks like most areas around the pin are bloken anyway. If you rout the area you can use the repair which wileypickett described above.



Ralf

 

[Midnight Toker]

How to use a screw extractor:

IMO, a must have set for any handyman. This us what I would use first. But in this case, I would first carefully drill a small hole w/ a metal bit in the center of the broken strap burtton screw to give a pilot hole for the burnisher tip of the extractor.

And if the extractor bit doesn't pull it, since you already have a pilot hole in the center of the screw. Then I would just keep drilling out the center of the broken screw to the depth of the new screw you plan to replace it with. Start with small bits and work your way up in diameter size, gradually reaming the hole until you don't see any metal. Then fill it w/ a good 2 pt epoxy wood filler and let it cure. Then redrill a hole dead center w/ a bit just a size under the thread width of the new screw. Then screw in the new one. W/ the new button on it, no one will ever know there was ever a repair done. No new holes, no repositioning of the button. Everything will be exactly where it's supposed to be with zero physical blemishes.

 

[davismanLV]

What Toker says may help you. If you can center punch or make a tiny point and drill in cleanly. Then drill down and excavate it. I understand that you're trying to keep this same position for your pin, which is not original. So just try Tokers plan. And remember, if the defect is too big.... wait, this is a Guild acoustic? Lacquer finished? Not sure if i got that yet.... but mostly the pin and the felt will cover that. If not you can drop fill the defect.