Machine head/Tuning peg broken screw

[kiwinoz62]

Hi Everyone,
Help required. . .
I was fixing machine heads to guitar, got to the last one & the screw broke just as I gave it one final turn.
The screw thread is below the wood surface so can't withdraw it.
The machine heads are Wilkinson with an open back & 2 attaching screws (like Waverly tuners) .
Has anyone had this problem and how did you go about fixing it. . . any help appreciated.

[Nick]

I'd make up a 'dummy' plate, basically a bit of 3mm thick steel, glue a bit of cork on the face to protect your headstock then drill a hole the same size you drilled the pilot hole for the screw. Line it up with the broken screw & clamp it in position onto the headstock. Then just drill out the broken screw, the 3mm thickness should provide enough of a guide to keep the drill bit square to the headstock face. It would want to be steel otherwise the broken screw would try to 'push' the drill bit off to one side. Just 'peck' away at the screw don't try & drill in one go otherwise your bit (being a small diameter) will wander off.

[auscab]

I'd make up a 'dummy' plate,

What a great solution Nick. I was thinking small holes around the broken screw and then fish the broken bit out.

Or there is a pipe type drill bit that can be bought or made that drills a larger hole around the broken screw.

Both of these leave a bigger repair job after the broken piece is out though.


Sorry to hear of the stuff up Wayne but thanks for posting the question.

[simso]

If you have a small dremel, you can slot/grind a groove into the shaft of the broken screw and use a screwdriver to unscrew it.

[kiwinoz62]

Hi,
Thanks guys for the great suggestions.
I'll sleep on this tonight & give one of these ideas a go tomorrow, will post the results.

[ckngumbo]

I'd make up a 'dummy' plate,

What a great solution Nick. I was thinking small holes around the broken screw and then fish the broken bit out.

Or there is a pipe type drill bit that can be bought or made that drills a larger hole around the broken screw.

Both of these leave a bigger repair job after the broken piece is out though.


Sorry to hear of the stuff up Wayne but thanks for posting the question.

I believe Frank Ford made a similar round saw from a piece of brass tube.
Just filed teeth into the end and chucked it into a drill. Frets.com is where I saw the demo.
Rob

[Tom West]

Neat solution posted today re: same problem on the OLF. Worth checking out....!!
Tom

[Matt Bach]

I believe Frank Ford made a similar round saw from a piece of brass tube.
Just filed teeth into the end and chucked it into a drill. Frets.com is where I saw the demo.
Rob

I do this very regularly, for rusted out or snapped off screws, and it works a treat. You can get brass tube at hobby stores, sometimes I get the corresponding rod that fits the inner diameter so the tube won't collapse in the chuck (but it's probably not needed). The tube has pretty thin walls so the resulting hole isn't that much bigger than the screw. I nicked the idea off a yacht repair site!

[kiwinoz62]

Hi,

Success

Nick, your a genius. . .
I basically used your suggestion but just free hand it.
Centre punch the broken screw, set hand drill at lowest speed/torque & just take it steady & slow.
The metal shavings just came out, no problem, clean out the hole & insert the new screw & don't over tighten

Thanks everyone for contributing .

[Nick]

Glad things worked out for you Wayne

[Taffy Evans]

I'm late in again, but a thought that crossed my mind [and it would possibly never happen on such a small screw] and it was this. I did the drilling out of a screw/bolt with the head snapped off on my motorbike and the drill went into the bolt so far and jammed, in doing this it continued turning and drove the bolt out of the other end of the hole. So I had this brief vision of a screw coming out the face of the peghead [shudder]. But it would never happen......would it?

[kiwinoz62]

Not this time Taffy, but dread the thought.

[Nick]

It sounds like the hole on your motorbike Taffy went all the way though already, I don't think a tuner screw is that good at drilling it's own hole. But having said that, it wouldn't be impossible, I guess, if you put enough pressure on the drill bit, drilled continuously instead of pecking & the timber was a bit of Mahogany or something.

[Taffy Evans]

No, I could not see it happening either nick just that,that thought flashed into my mind at the time.