Freeing seized-up Sperzel tuners

[anotherbob]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Successfully freed up the frozen Sperzels. Disassembled as much as possible. Naptha bath. Penetrating oil. Turn Turn Turn. Naptha flush. Injected some petroleum jelly before reassembly.

[Wade Hampton]

Hooray!


whm

[Black-n-Nan]

Originally Posted by Glen H

It’s YouTube and shows removing the backs of tuners with what looks like either a spot of double stick tape or a magnet thing. Hard to tell and I don’t speak Russian.

And one of the figures of Monopoly game which perfectly matches the size.

Sorry for Russian link, I thought it’s clear from the vid.

[maxtheaxe]

Small suggestion...there's a penetrating oil called "Break-Free" that seems to be favored by gunsmiths. It should flow into any tiny gaps, like around the shaft, and might soften and lubricate any solidified grease and/or galvanic corrosion.

Slather some of this stuff on and let them sit overnight...see if that works.

OR...order a set of Gotohs and Bob's yer uncle!

[Wade Hampton]

Nah, Bob has finished the job, thanks. He took the suggestions he found here and used them to restore the Sperzels to full functionality, which was the entire reason for asking and doing the work in the first place. He's not going to replace them with Gotohs or Grovers or any other brand of tuners - the guitar will remain completely stock.

Bob also created an account, chose a screen name and posted in this thread, which is a first for him. He's read threads on this forum many times in the past, as I occasionally forward links to him of threads that I think he'll find interesting.

So Bob and I both thank you for your help. My only regret is that I've been too busy to get over to his shop and look at the Sperzels while they were disassembled: since he's finished the work, he's not about to take them apart again just to satisfy my curiosity!

Thanks again,


Wade Hampton Miller

[Bruce Sexauer]

I am hoping to learn whether or not I was right about how to disassemble a Sperzel.

[Wade Hampton]

I’ll ask.


whm

[Bruce Sexauer]

Thanks, Wade.

[Wade Hampton]

You’re welcome. As it happens, I got a text from Bob just moments ago. He wrote that he’ll post in response tonight after he gets home from work.

whm

[anotherbob]

I didn't try try to pop the tuners completely apart because they were the original "CF Martin" Sperzels. They would be easy to replace, but not with "Martin" stamped on them. With the buttons and spacers removed that shaft slipped nearly half way out and I was able to get in there with a syringe loaded with penetrating oil. The old lube that came out was like an orange clay. (I suspect the button shaft would have slipped all the way out but the rolled pin Sperzel uses to fix the tuners in position acted as a stop.) At any rate, success.

I have a couple of pics but but I'm not sure how to upload them to the forum.

Thanks again, Bob

[Wade Hampton]

Bob, post the photos to a photo sharing site like imgur and then put a link to them in your next post.


whm

[Bruce Sexauer]

Penetration oil being more of a solvent than an oil, I hope you repacked with a proper grease.

I was wondering if the button popped of as I suggested, and it sounds like it may have.

[anotherbob]

Bruce, yes I, again with a syringe, shot some petrolium jelly into the tuners before closing them up. With the buttons and spacers removed the button shaft would have slipped all the way out, but I think the small rolled steel pin Sperzel uses acts as a stop. I'm afraid if I'd pulled them out I might have damaged them and had to go shopping for new ones. All this being said, I'm a fan of Sperzels. They seem to be well made out of solid material.

[Howard Klepper]

Bob, I have used Sperzels on a lot of guitars and I can't see how the rolled locator pin would keep anything from being removed. It does not go through the tuner housing.

When you say you removed the "button," are you referring to the knob that you grip for tuning? And is what you are calling the "button shaft" the shaft that that knob goes on the end of? Bruce is using "button" to refer to the round black plastic disc that seals the tuner body. Did you remove that disc? And did the shaft that the string wraps around push out through the hole that the black plastic button covers?

[Bruce Sexauer]

Howard is correct, if there is a misunderstanding as it appears. I thought I was pretty clear in my first post in this thread.The button I refer to is the disk that retains the driven gear in the housing. If it works like the rotomatic it conceptually resembles, the housing is actually the bearing for the driven gear which fits it nicely, and after the "button" cap is removed, the shaft and gear slide right out. Unless it is different and has a retainer clip or some such.