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Post subject: Stripped strap button help
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:56 am
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I recently got a Telecaster that has a minor, but annoying problem. The previous owner did a good thing by installing Dunlop straploks. One of the buttons is tight, and properly installed. The second one is loose due to a stripped screw head. I guess when they installed them, the screw bound up while it was being installed, due to not pre-drilling for the larger screw. Now the phillips head is stripped so it cannot be driven in all the way. Nor can it be backed out and replaced. The straplok button hole is small, and limits tool size to small phillip head screwdrivers. I cannot fit my screw extractor in the button. Any thoughts???

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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:26 am
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Mine on my tele has been like tht for years, just leave it it will be fine!!


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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:23 pm
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Any thoughts???


Drill and fill. It's an easy fix. I use Behlen Ground Hide Glue and it's available from Stew-Mac.

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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:59 pm
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I would yank it out with a pliers or pry it out with a screwdriver. You can then use a large screw in the old hole and it should go in solid. I'm not sure it the button will accept a larger screw, but it's worth a shot.

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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:57 pm
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If you really can't turn the screw, you might have to just cut off the whole thing (button and screw) with your Dremel tool (the cutting wheel). Protect the body while you are doing it, of course. Then you should be able to turn out the bit of screw that remains.

That would be much better than trying to pry or rip it out. You don't really want to mess up your wood body, do you?

A new set of strap-locks is pretty cheap. Be sure to use the right size pilot hole before you install the new set.

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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:57 pm
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This is a pretty easy fix; and works well. I've done it on a few of my guitars.

Go to Home Depot and get yourseft a screw extractor before you damage the screw head any more.

If this won't get it out; which usually does, then grind off the top of the screw with a dremel; then use a pair of vise grips to turn the screw out.

In the worst case, if you strip the wood so that the screw doesn't bite; go back to home depot, and buy the smallest diameter hard wood dowel that barely fits into the hole. Use a drill bit and clean out the hole by hand, and measure for depth. Cut the dowel just slightly shorter than the hole. Put a drop of wood glue in the hole and use a tooth pick to coat the sides of the hole with the glue. Press the dowel into the hole until it's flush; and let dry for 24 hours. Then drill the hole and screw your strap button back on.

Using hard wood dowel will make this even stronger than into the alder body.


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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:04 pm
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pcheng, he already said that "I cannot fit my screw extractor in the button" so he might have to go the Dremel route.

Do they make different size extractors?

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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:31 am
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Yes, Extractors comes in various sizes. Some of mine are pretty small.

While the Dremel is a great tool, dremelling the top of a screw is pretty extreme: and possibly cause more damage from the heat and or slipping. When I look at my strap button, the screw is sunk into the button. This would not be an easy thing to cut out.

Even with a screw extractor, you have to be very careful. I usually attach the extractor to one of those screw driver handles (using a small socket: sometimes they fit right in depending on the size).

Unless this body is made of something even harder than Ash (like maple or walnut) the screw should not be that hard to turn (unless someone put glue on the threads). To get into the button, you would need to use a pointed grinding stone at a really high speed. This would cause a lot of sparks (not exactly what I want showering my prized strat).

To cut the whole thing off, you would need some way to hold the strap button steady. As you cut through the strap button, eventually part of it will become separated from the screw, and will start spinning: not to mention that the button will be come red hot!

Hope this helps.


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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:02 pm
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You are right, a smaller extractor would be best.

Dremeling it off would be challenging

and maybe a disaster waiting to happen.

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