#1
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Tuning pegs mounting screws stripped
Hi, I'm new to the forum.
I dug out my Yamaha Red Label FG150 out of the closet after 30 years, after deciding to get back into accompanying my singing on guitar. A circa 1970 guitar, my first, appeared to be in good shape and the bass has actually improved slightly with age. I'm surprised to discover the FG150 has developed a cultish following despite it's tinny, reedy tone. I just noticed two of the tuners slightly pulled out of the headstock by string tension. When I tightening the mounting screws, the mounting screws on all six tuners turned without resistance. I removed one of the tuners and found the area around the screw holes were "soft" as if the area around the holes experienced some kind of rot or invasion of moisture. The screw heads were also corroded. The "toothpick" trick probably won't work: I'll need to drill out 12 sizable holes and pound a wooden plug into each hole, and where do I get new screws? Is my Yamaha worth fixing or should I let my Yamaha die a peaceful death? Should I use this to justify buying a nice new guitar like a Martin D28? Thanks. Last edited by rodmeister; 12-29-2010 at 04:10 AM. |
#2
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Try making a paste with some yellow Titebond and a little sawdust and carefully fill the holes with that. Stewart McDonald
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Hardware...st=3&xsr=24154 has replacement screws, but if you're a frequent customer at your local music store, they might give you a few.
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Roger Several Martins, 2 Guilds, a couple of kits and a Tilton (ever heard of those?), some ukes and a 1920s Vega tenor banjo Neil deGrasse Tyson — 'The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.' |
#3
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I have "unstripped" many with a toothpick and some wood glue.
Good luck.
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Steve |
#4
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Yep! Same here. And you can buy replacement screws at just about any home center type store. (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.) They'll be in the "small parts" drawers. Take an old one with you and match it up. They're cheap.
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Three Dreads - 2 Martins and 1 Yamaha |
#5
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Yep. Toothpick and wood glue! You'll want to predrill the holes when your putting it back together though. Those little screws are famous for breaking off. I use a 1/16" bit and a manual drill (made by Fiskers with a crank operation) to be safe. I never use a power drill unless I have to.
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Bryan |
#6
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While I've never done this type of repair to a guitar, I think I would drill out the holes and then epoxy in a short piece of hardwood (such as oak or maple) dowel. The dowels are readily available at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. Epoxy is available there also. All you need then is a drill and a drill bit and a few minutes of your time.
Once you've got the dowel epoxyed in place, simply drill a starter hole for your new screw and you're in business. This is a MUCH better fix than the old "toothpick" trick, IMHO of course. |
#7
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There is a product you can get at Menards which is a wood putty replacement that contains epoxy. You pull off a chunk and knead it until it is properly mixed then put it in the hole and leave it for about an hour. It will harden then you can put the screws back in.
The product is called Kwik Wood.
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#8
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Could you not just use a slightly larger diameter screw. If that didn't work you could still use the toothpick or dowel idea.
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#9
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Quote:
Second, it would mean obtaining larger screws which may not match the original color and look of the original bracket. I still think that the best way to do the job right and have the problem fixed permanently so that it looks just as good as new is do the epoxy/dowel job. It's not much more effort than doing it half-way and it will look 100% better, IMHO. |
#10
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Thanks for all the suggestions. The wood around the screw holes is soft. I think high humidity in my closet may have penetrated or started some kind of rot. The suggestion of drilling out the holes and plugging them with hardwood has the best chance of success.
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#11
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You might try posting your question on the DIY board at this site. There seem to be a lot of folks there who have experience with that sort of problem.
I've never attempted the kind of repair that you are describing, but wonder if there would be any problem with the dowel idea. If you were to make a plug with a dowel, you'd probably be drilling into the end grain (of the dowel) rather than across the grain. Would that be a problem? I don't know. |
#12
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Quote:
The second time was when I had to move the striker plate on my door jam on the door leading from the utility room to the garage. Since I was moving the plate only about 1/8" to 3/16" I needed to fill the two existing holes completely so that I could drill two new holes for the new screws to fasten securely into. In both of the above instances, drilling out the old hole and epoxying in a short piece of dowel rod worked perfectly. If anyone has doubts about how well the epoxy will hold, erase those doubts. I have (and still use) some golf clubs that I assembled with epoxy nearly 15 years ago. The clubs still work great......... provided I do my part right. |
#13
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If I use the toothpick method, how do I go about drilling a pilot hole after filling? Do I need a jig, or a drill press? I was going to get a small, hand powered drill to minimize my chances of doing any damage, but how do I make sure that I drill it straight?
Last edited by jacm81; 12-29-2015 at 03:41 AM. |
#14
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Quote:
Jeff |
#15
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Don't over think it. Just a little glue and a toothpick. Clean the hole a little with a very small drill bit using it by hand. Snip the small tip off the toothpick then coat the toothpick with glue and press it in there. Give it overnight to dry, then pre drill a tiny hole by hand again and install screw. You can even add a drop of glue onto the screw.
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Seagull Entourage Rustic Cutaway Yamaha FG410A Fender DG-14S/12 TF Ibanez GSR200 Bass Abilene Hot Rod Bass (found parts in trash can an resurrected) Peavey TKO Bass Amp Cordoba Concert Ukulele A few more things that I'll add soon |