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Strap button broke off

Im a sock

Im a sock

Dec 23, 2002
835
7
Central MA
#1
Well I was practicing tonight and my strap button broke off. I just shifted my weight.. I wasn't even moving around a whole lot. Not only did it break off, but the screw that holds it in broke... and the remainder of the screw is still inside... and it's too far in for me to pull it out with plyers or anything else.

I'm really bummin here... what do i do?

Now I know this picture doesnt show much because of the flash, but yeah... the finish is chipped all along where the strap button and you can kind of still see the screw.

Invalid Link Removed
 
#6
To clear things up a bit, my bass is no longer under the Peavey warranty, and I've sent my bass to them already in the last year for a repair which they did for free(!). Also, this isn't any kind of defect concerning the bass or the company. If anything, I'd say it's a defect with Dunlop, being that the screws supplied with my strap locks broke after about 5 years.

A buddy of mine gave me the idea of reattaching the screw with lock-tite and then unscrewing it, but that's complicated by the fact that i put in metal threading stuff inside the screw hole (which was wooden and got stripped in about a year), so the lock-tite would bond to that and make it nearly impossible to get out.

Is there anything I can do where I could avoid taking my bass to a repair shop and having a larger hole drilled to get the screw out?
 
#8
You can get a drill bit with a "left hand thread" it cuts or drill going counter-clock wise. Make sure the bit is about the same size as the broken screw.

Get a good center punch. set the center of the broken screw and send the drill bit down there and it will grab the screw and drive it out. The screw only needs to come out far enough to get a pliers on it.

Next fill the hole with toothpicks..... You know:cool:


I also like the Idea that Microbass had to cut a slot if the top of the screw then remove it with a flat blade screwdriver.
 
#10
The view isn't that great, so I can't tell if this is exactly what happended to be, but I'll tell you what i did when that happened to me:

1. Clear out whatever is inside the hole
2. Take several toothpicks and break them into small pieces and stuff them in the hole until its almost full
3. Screw that sucker back on

You can use a little super glue at the end of the screw if you'd like
 
#13
Originally posted by WOOFMAN
Have you tried attaching a reversible drill chuck to it and backing in out? Other than that I would try an easy-out kit, but lots of luck on that size. Needlenose pliers or griplocks might do the trick too.

Nice color!
Click to expand...

I'm too nervous about taking a drill to my baby... I think im gonna leave this one to the pros. Needlenose pliers can't reach in btw... the screw is in deeper than it looks in the picture.

Thanks for the kind words about my finish. I love the color.
 
#14
this happened to My guitarist SG...

We solved it by doin this.......


Clamped the body in a vice (using protection either side to avoid scratches and not overtightiing it to avoid crack on the laquer..


We got a thin Flat screw driver and heated it up over a blow tourch (dont ask) careful inserted into the hole and gave it a good wack with a hammer on the of the screwdriver

This created and indentation that with a lil persaution could be unscrewed.....
 
#17
You could probably use one of those new screw remover thing-a-magigs from home hardware.
They're kind of like the left hand thread drill bits Bill H recommended, except that they're made to put more force into turning than drilling. I'll see if I can find a link.

Edit: Sorry, I couldn't find a link, but it shouldn't be too hard the find in a home hardware store as it is a new product.
 
#18
What everybody's referring to is a tool technically called a "broken screw extractor". One brand name is Easy-Out. This kinda looks like a tapered drill bit, but with the flutes running the wrong way (left-hand). They come in sets usually, from tiny to big. (They're not new, been around for many many years.)

These will work well, but the important (and difficult, ) thing is that a pilot hole must be drilled into the broken screw first. For a big 1/2 inch bolt, that's easy, but for a #10 screw, it's not necessarily easy. I'd maybe even unbolt the neck, so I could clamp the body in my drill press. I'd then take a Dremel bit and grind a tiny indentation in the screw body, that would be so the drill bit could start into the center of the screw and not wander off to the side. Next I'd drill into the screw with the drill bit that matches the smallest easy-out. Then put the easy-out into the screw hole, and rap it slightly with a hammer to get the flutes of the easy-out to bite. Then turn the easy-out counterclockwise, with a tap wrench. The screw should come out nicely, (get a rusted bolt into a steel part, though, that can be hopeless!!)

I'd go with a slightly longer screw next time, if the strap holder can hold it, I'd consider going up to a bigger screw too. Another option, especially if the hole gets really chewed up, would be to drill the hole way bigger and put a metal insert in (They make inserts that will screw into the wood, and they're pre-tapped to accept a screw.)
 

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