Broken screw options

[greens]

I recently got an unfinished Tele neck from Musikraft and I had them include Klusons to save me the trouble of drilling the holes for the tuner screws, since I was planning to buy Klusons anyway. Unfortunately, the tuners came installed, the screws were in very tight and unlubricated, and as I was removing the tuners the head of one of the screws snapped off and the shaft is now stuck in the hole. There is nothing left to grip. This is the screw at the end of the line.

I've seen the Stewmac kit that lets you cut it out and then plug the much bigger hole you've just made. Is that my only option? Am I crazy to think maybe I can just drill through the shaft of the screw with the help of a guide? Or just leave it in there if the tuner is stable enough with only one screw holding it in?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Joe Desperado]

Most of us would use the small tube process where as you cut the wood from around the screw using a tube with teeth filed into it. I bought brass tube from a hobby shop for this.

It would be pretty difficult to drill that screw out to remove it any other way.

 

[gitmohair]

Send it back. Yes, you might get that screw out with some effort/expense but without the skills/tools/and likely some luck (none of which I'm guessing you have, given the question) it may not end unduly well. You ordered something you didn't get, so a return shouldn't be/have been (till you had a go, but until you did you wouldn't have known about the lubelessnes (is that a word?) a legal problem (practical issue, maybe, but that's a different matter). Have you advised the supplier? What did they suggest?

Otherwise, yes, it's fixable. There are very many people in this forum better qualified than me to offer suitable advice, however.

 

[greens]

Most of us would use the small tube process where as you cut the wood from around the screw using a tube with teeth filed into it. I bought brass tube from a hobby shop for this.

It would be pretty difficult to drill that screw out to remove it any other way.

Thanks. Would you say this is a variation of what Dan does here:

Guitar Screw Rescue Kit - StewMac

Extractor and plug cutter for damaged guitar screws. A StewMac exclusive.

www.stewmac.com

 

[efstop]

Thanks. Would you say this is a variation of what Dan does here:

Guitar Screw Rescue Kit - StewMac

Extractor and plug cutter for damaged guitar screws. A StewMac exclusive.

www.stewmac.com

That is ridiculously expensive for a one time use, so yeah, buy a small brass tube and cut teeth on one end.

 

[Who]

That is ridiculously expensive for a one time use, so yeah, buy a small brass tube and cut teeth on one end.

Most of us would use the small tube process where as you cut the wood from around the screw using a tube with teeth filed into it. I bought brass tube from a hobby shop for this.

It would be pretty difficult to drill that screw out to remove it any other way.

Agreed. Use a file on the brass rod to make teeth.

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www.amazon.com

 

[Joe Desperado]

Yes. Just fine one as small as possible and still fit over the screw shaft. Sometimes running the drill in reverse will catch the screw and unscrew it as well

 

[CB91710]

^^^^ Bingo.

It is essentially the same as what Dan is doing, but results in a much smaller hole that needs to be plugged for the new screw.

 

[LtDave32]

This from

Agreed. Use a file on the brass rod to make teeth.

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www.amazon.com

View attachment 611671

This. As the boys already said, this is yoir best bet. Get to the hobby / model craft store, get s length of 1/8" brass tube. Also a piece of 1/8" hardwood dowel. Get an inexpensive set of needle files too.

 

[greens]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I got the generic brass tube from Amazon and the stewmac guide. Noob question - what is this tool called?

 

[Joe Desperado]

That’s just a plain old wood chisel. Needs to be very sharp to use it this way

 

[greens]

That’s just a plain old wood chisel. Needs to be very sharp to use it this way

Thanks. Is that my best bet for the task?

 

[Joe Desperado]

As small as that diameter is, you can probably cut the plug very close to the correct length and then sand it flush by hand.

 

[mistermikev]

I recently got an unfinished Tele neck from Musikraft and I had them include Klusons to save me the trouble of drilling the holes for the tuner screws, since I was planning to buy Klusons anyway. Unfortunately, the tuners came installed, the screws were in very tight and unlubricated, and as I was removing the tuners the head of one of the screws snapped off and the shaft is now stuck in the hole. There is nothing left to grip. This is the screw at the end of the line.

I've seen the Stewmac kit that lets you cut it out and then plug the much bigger hole you've just made. Is that my only option? Am I crazy to think maybe I can just drill through the shaft of the screw with the help of a guide? Or just leave it in there if the tuner is stable enough with only one screw holding it in?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I've been in this situation a time or two... tried to drill out on my drill press but even with the bit loaded way inside the chuck... it would slide off and make a hole next to it. did have limited success with flatteing the piece with a file (if there is any sticking out) and getting a bit to drill into it a little way... then trying to use a reverse bit to rev it out but not enough to grab. I've read of ppul using jbweld and welding to another piece of metal... but the one time I tried it - no worky. if anything protrudes: one that that has worked for me is to take a dremel and a very fine cutting wheel and making a slot so I could back it out with a flathead screwdriver. If there is enough protruding then you can usually just grab it with a vise grips and twist out. the last resort... which is also the most common resort... is the hole cutter. you can get 1/8" ones on amazon (don't have a link but I've bought there) but it might be easiest to just buy some decent tubing and cut some teeth into it.that said the amazon/stew ones are precision size so that if you buy a plug cutter of the sm size you can get a good plug fit. hope something there helps!!

 

[mistermikev]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I got the generic brass tube from Amazon and the stewmac guide. Noob question - what is this tool called?

View attachment 612646

oh snap... i see you got it sorted. right on.

 

[greens]

oh snap... i see you got it sorted. right on.

Thanks for the tips though. I still haven't tried anything yet. Unfortunately there isn't enough to grip or cut a slot so I'm down to the brass tube option.

 

[mistermikev]

Thanks for the tips though. I still haven't tried anything yet. Unfortunately there isn't enough to grip or cut a slot so I'm down to the brass tube option.

yeah, that's what it generally comes down too... on the bright side once you do it'll remind you next time you are tweaking on a screw "danger will robinson"!!!