tug bar installation question

If you use long enough screws and drill your pilots with the correct sized bit, certainly it will hold.

 

The masonite is not very thick so it may work if the screw is tight in the hole. Otherwise you could glue it on and put dummy screw heads in the holes in the tug bar to look like its screwed in!

 

most proper technique instructions i've seen recommend not even using that kind of thumbrest.

 

Yeah floating thumb is the way to go IMHO.

 

There's a difference between a thumb rest and a tug bar. Thumb rest goes on the E-string side (for playing with fingers) and the tug bar goes on the G-string side (for playing with thumb).

 

On a Danelectro? I don't know.... I have 3 of them, and personally, I'd probably not try it with mine. The Masonite is only about 1/8" thick (if that), and is not a really good structural material - nor was it ever meant to be. And where you'd want to put them, there's nothing under the Masonite but air. Short of using something like these butterfly anchors (which need a hole you might not be able to conceal), I can't think of anything that would be sturdy enough but screws, epoxy, and prayer. But, give it a try if you want; I'd be curious to hear how it works out. I do use the thumb rest on my P-Bass, but that's a different animal. A tug bar and a thumb rest would look cool on my Longhorn...

 

Gluing to Masonite is not a good idea. It's made of layers of compressed fibers that were heated and compressed in a large press. The glue bond will only be good to the top surface (read paint) and that surface can easily be separated from the Masonite.

 

How about if he removed the paint from the surface before gluing?

 

That would be worse since he would be down to the fibers.

 

How about a t-nut? Drill the hole, insert the t-nut on the underside, screw in your bar on the topside. The one below is a "short" t-nut, just 1/8". You can grind longer ones to fit.

 

The "tug bar" goes on the G side. There's access to the pots on the back (assuming that whole side is open inside), and with the right tool it wouldn't be impossible to get it started. Would be a real PITA, though!

 

If the back side is open it's a piece of cake to get the t nut in there. 1) drill the hole where the t nut will accept the screw. 2)stick a piece of stiff wire through the cavity to and through the hole. Tie a piece of string 10 or 12 ft long (3 meters) onto the wire. 3) pull the string through and remove the wire. 4) place the t nut on the other end of the string with a dab of silicone adhesive on it (the adhesive is to hold the t nut in place, NOT to provide structural strength.) and slide the t nut into the cavity 4) tie a nut onto the middle of the string protruding out of the access panel 5) with the nut tied in place you can now pull the t nut through and get it set in position 6) tie the string off to let the adhesive set 7) after adhesive is set remove the string and nut.

 

That's how I saw it. Good post.