trying to put locks on my bass and the screw broke...

hotchris13 · #1 12-01-2011, 12:40 AM

Im trying to put locks on my bass and the screw broke and now Im wondering whats the best way to take the rest of the screw out. Any ideas?

THE DANiMAL · #2 12-01-2011, 12:43 AM

locking pliers. Best way to go.

elgecko · #3 12-01-2011, 12:44 AM

Mask off the bottom of your bass FIRST then have at it with the vice grips! It'd be a shame to damage that cool finish!

Basso54 · #4 12-01-2011, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgecko

Mask off the bottom of your bass FIRST then have at it with the vice grips! It'd be a shame to damage that cool finish!

+100 on the masking tape. It's your best friend when you start working on your bass where the finish is visible.

georgestrings · #5 12-01-2011, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgecko

Mask off the bottom of your bass FIRST then have at it with the vice grips! It'd be a shame to damage that cool finish!

This - if you use a decent set of vice grips, and clamp them on it real good, it should back right out...

Also agreed that it's a nice color...

- georgestrings

dannylectro · #6 12-01-2011, 02:38 PM

Instead of masking tape, use blue painter's tape. It won't leave adhesive residue behind.

Ditto on the locking pliers (vice-grips) to remove the stub.

Also, in my experience, the screws that come with Schecter strap locks always seem to be crap. I don't even bother trying them anymore - I buy good stainless steel screws of the exact same size and they never break off.

Randall · #7 12-01-2011, 02:56 PM

Musicman Sterling? Mine is a heavy beast. Pretty tough piece of wood there to break a screw. Sounds fantastic though

Vice grip pliers and slowly turn it out. Good luck.

hotchris13 · #8 12-01-2011, 07:15 PM

Tried the vice grips and the painters tape. The screw nub broke off too so now I'm gonna have the professionals do it. Thanks for the advice though.

walterw · #9 12-01-2011, 07:20 PM

be sure to have those vise-grips good and tight before you start twisting; the last thing you want is for them to twist off of the screw nub, stripping away more of that precious grabbing surface as they go.

if it's really hard to turn, try holding a hot soldering iron on the screw nub first.

use the protective tape, and try to align the vise-grips sideways, so that they can maybe grip with their bigger, stronger "back teeth", and so that you have lots of leverage to slowly and carefully spin them around to unscrew the busted part.

Foamy · #10 12-01-2011, 07:21 PM

You may be better off leaving it (if it's now flush with the body or below), drilling a new PROPERLY-SIZED hole next to it. Not sure how a "professional" can do anything more than try and slot what's left. But that would probably not work if the screw broke using pliers. So next would be to cut a plug around it. So you're looking at a 1/8-3/16" filled hole. Ugh.
You did the best you could though once you had the problem.
My guess is that you ran out of hole and kept turning. And the combination of very very hard wood and maybe a defective screw did ya in.

walterw · #11 12-01-2011, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foamy

...drilling a new...hole next to it.

eww!

that would work, but offends my sensibilities as a tech guy!

if it gets sheared off totally, the trick is to get a bit of hollow brass or steel tubing that's just bigger than the screw shaft, file little teeth into one end, and chuck it into a drill set to unscrew.

drill it down into the wood around the busted screw, and chances are, it will grab the screw and back it right out, leaving enough of the original hole to re-use with a little fixing.

Foamy · #12 12-01-2011, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

eww!

that would work, but offends my sensibilities as a tech guy!

if it gets sheared off totally, the trick is to get a bit of hollow brass or steel tubing that's just bigger than the screw shaft, file little teeth into one end, and chuck it into a drill set to unscrew.

drill it down into the wood around the busted screw, and chances are, it will grab the screw and back it right out, leaving enough of the original hole to re-use with a little fixing.

As a woodworker, yeah, I can see that. And I know you are also a woodworker. I've not tried that trick.
You make me want to go start breaking off some screws in scrap to have some fun in the shop! Sounds like a good little trick to practice.

96tbird · #13 12-01-2011, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

eww!

that would work, but offends my sensibilities as a tech guy!

if it gets sheared off totally, the trick is to get a bit of hollow brass or steel tubing that's just bigger than the screw shaft, file little teeth into one end, and chuck it into a drill set to unscrew.

drill it down into the wood around the busted screw, and chances are, it will grab the screw and back it right out, leaving enough of the original hole to re-use with a little fixing.

+1 works a charm. No mess, the broken screw guides tube straight and true.

georgestrings · #14 12-01-2011, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

eww!

that would work, but offends my sensibilities as a tech guy!

if it gets sheared off totally, the trick is to get a bit of hollow brass or steel tubing that's just bigger than the screw shaft, file little teeth into one end, and chuck it into a drill set to unscrew.

drill it down into the wood around the busted screw, and chances are, it will grab the screw and back it right out, leaving enough of the original hole to re-use with a little fixing.

Yup - best approach available, given the current circumstance...

- georgestrings

walterw · #15 12-01-2011, 09:39 PM

well, he still has a nub sticking out, so as long as he doesn't twist it off from having them too loose, he can likely use the vise grips to just grab it and back it out.

georgestrings · #16 12-01-2011, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

well, he still has a nub sticking out, so as long as he doesn't twist it off from having them too loose, he can likely use the vise grips to just grab it and back it out.

Not anymore:

"The screw nub broke off too so now I'm gonna have the professionals do it."

- georgestrings

walterw · #17 12-02-2011, 12:00 AM

oh yeah, and he said that in the post right before mine

georgestrings · #18 12-02-2011, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

oh yeah, and he said that in the post right before mine

Happens to the best of us, bud...

- georgestrings

hotchris13 · #19 12-03-2011, 01:26 AM

Ok so its all fixed.

The person I took it to was able to fix it. They said it would take them 15 mins to do so I waited. 3 hours later they finished so since they took so long they didnt charge me. Thank you guys for all the help.

Foamy · #20 12-04-2011, 09:23 PM

Can we see under the button? Or can you tell us how they got that buried screw out?