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Tricks to remove a strap button screw with mangled head?

gjbassist

gjbassist

Sep 7, 2005
6,039
3,131
60
Kansas City, MO
#1
I'm trying to get the lower strap button screw out of my new Spector Euro but can't get it to budge. The button is loose so I want to remove the screw and replace it with a new one. The head of the screw is totally bored out so that neither a straight or Phillips head will fit and there is no way to grab the head with it recessed in to the strap button. Any ideas?
 
#2
I got a set of these off ebay for the princely sum of around $8 Australian. To my surprise they actually work well.

$_12.jpg
 
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#6
Easy-outs are great, but not needed in this case. Like tjh said, you can just drill the head of the screw off. Use a drill bit equal in size to the shank of the screw. Center it right in the messed up Phillips slots, and start drilling. In a few seconds the head will pop off onto the drill bit. Then pull the strap button off and use some pliers to grab the remains of the screw and turn it out.
 
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#7
I haven't had much luck with easy-outs, got a set a while back; they seem to work about 50% of the time. Seems like if the screw head is trashed enough to need one, the easy out often just grinds its way out of the slot. If you can cut the head off as Bruce describes, you can usually torque it out with some vise-grips. If it breaks off BELOW the wood surface, you are truly screwed, so to speak (ask me how I know this). There are hollow screw extractors that will take this out, but then you have glue in a dowel and re-glue.
 
#8
Tried the Easy Outs but they won't work. The bits are too big to fit in to the strap button, so they won't even reach the screw. I tried drilling the head off a drill bit but so far it isn't coming off either! Gave up for the night as I'm too tired and I'm afraid I am going to mess up the finish on the bass which will really make me mad!
 
#9
If nothing else is going to get the screw out the last resort is to grab the strap button with pliers and use a hacksaw to saw it off.
Take a bit of time and saw the button while turning it so you are sawing the button in a circular movement..
You should be left with the button in two rings, should just come off, then use the pliers to unscrew what's left of the screw.
Just take your time.
 
#10
gjbassist said:
Tried the Easy Outs but they won't work. The bits are too big to fit in to the strap button, so they won't even reach the screw. I tried drilling the head off a drill bit but so far it isn't coming off either! Gave up for the night as I'm too tired and I'm afraid I am going to mess up the finish on the bass which will really make me mad!
Click to expand...
You're using Easy Outs that are too large. They are available down to small enough sizes to reach the screw in a strap button, but the small sizes are not easy to find.
 
#13
gjbassist said:
... I tried drilling the head off a drill bit but so far it isn't coming off either! Gave up for the night as I'm too tired and I'm afraid I am going to mess up the finish on the bass which will really make me mad!
Click to expand...

... what are you using for a bit? a screw head that size should only take a few seconds with a decent drill bit designed for drilling steel ...
 

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