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#1
02-05-2021, 08:39 PM
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shriveled up kluson tuner knobs...
I did something that was probably more fun than useful today...
My 57 Country Western has new kluson-like tuners. The PO left the old ones in the case...  I kind of polished them up with nevr-dull. They were all real hard to turn, so they got some action with my DeWalt drill and some WD-40 and some Tri-Flow. They turn easily now. I got some "vintage" tuner knobs from stewmac. I watched a couple of videos about replacing the knobs. The guy on the stewmac video was like Bob Vila, he had a tool for everything. I decided I liked the "Hello! Welcome!" guy... So I boiled my knobs and heated my tuner stems and free-hand pressed the knobs on. I boiled them for different amounts of time in an attempt to figure out how to keep from causing a stress mark in the knob, but to no avail. I built my house my self: nothing's really plumb or square. I don't think all the knobs are plumb and square to the tuners, either  ... One of the "old" tuners is a replacement, you can see it on the front row. At least it says "kluson" on it, the new ones on the guitar don't say anything on them unless it is under the escutcheon... I might see what they look like on next time I change strings... I wish I knew of some cool open-gear tuners that were drop-in replacements... -Mike 
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#2
02-06-2021, 07:46 AM
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Well, I'll be... I knew there was such a thing as "single line", "double line" and
such distinctions on kluson tuners, but I didn't know what it meant... it looks like there's probably "no line" kluson's currently installed on my country western, "single line"s came on it, and someone installed one "double line" on it at some time in the past...  Plus... I figure if I had a drill press like the Bob Vila guy on the stewmac video, I could have matched the knob-hole to my post size and avoided the stress marks. The stewmac knobs are thinner than the knobs that are on klusons. Maybe the "hello, welcome" guy has the thicker knobs maybe made from a different plastic, that's why he can just boil his and they go right on... ? EDIT: and I just checked my 52 cf-100... no lines... -Mike Last edited by hubcapsc; 02-06-2021 at 06:34 PM.
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#4
02-06-2021, 08:24 AM
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I have several guitars that had old crumbly tuner buttons, which I replaced with the same buttons you bought from Stewmac.
I ended up with exactly the same stress lines on the buttons from the posts.
__________________
Neal A few nice ones, a few beaters, and a few I should probably sell...
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#5
02-06-2021, 08:25 AM
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Quote:
do a better job of knob installation I better stick with the nice new looking "no lines" that are on there now... What I did yesterday was fun, but I guess just a learning step... -Mike
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#6
02-06-2021, 04:48 PM
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The gun he used to heat the shafts looks like a heat shrink gun.
Bob
__________________
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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#7
02-06-2021, 05:20 PM
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The Stew Mac cream and ivoroid buttons (flat face) are IMHO more appropriate for prewar Waverly strip tuners. They are polyester, which is not softened much by heat (thermosetting not thermoplastic). The way I install those on a Kluson style 'eared' post is to Dremel a slot on each side of the hole so that they slip on, then glue them with CA or epoxy.
Stew Mac's white buttons are roughly the correct Kluson shape (concave face), but they are pure white and a bit puffy. I call them 'marshmallows'. They are thermoplastic, and for many years were the only game in town. I have yellowed them with tinted lacquer, amber shellac, or a permanent marker. The slot in those should be drilled or routed a little larger in the center, so that they don't bulge out when you heat them and press them on a Kluson shaft. IMHO, the best replacement buttons for Kluson are Antique Acoustics, available from Elderly in cream color. Those are also thermoplastic, and can be installed by boiling them, or by heating the shafts with a soldering iron. Last edited by John Arnold; 02-06-2021 at 06:09 PM.
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#8
02-06-2021, 07:41 PM
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IMHO, the best replacement buttons for Kluson are Antique Acoustics, available from Elderly in cream color. Those are also thermoplastic, and can be installed by boiling them, or by heating the shafts with a soldering iron.
Holy Cow, $4 each... the "hello, welcome" guy must have had $10,000 worth of those things in that gallon baggie  ...Anywho... thanks for the info, if I could boil them and get them to "melt on like butter" like in the video it would be great! -Mike
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