A good trick here is that with that first made tool with the notches to make "teeth", it could possibly have grabbed onto the screw and backed it out if the right size was used. Just run the drill in reverse instead of forward and at slow speed.
Good idea. I will try this. Gotoh hardware is supplied with terrible screws that break. Many forum threads about this. I never had problems with Fender screws.
@@guitar-niche Well my luck has been a non starter. How did you get the screwdriver end out? I have a lot of those little screwdrivers. I even have ones that are spanners and sockets so it was easy to get a grip on the end yet still I couldn't even hammer it out with huge force. i think I'll have to get some brass tubing and try that method.
@@ryanstark2350 If I remember correctly, the tool came out of a dollar store set, so it wasn't the best quality to begin with. I put the handle of the tool in a vice then used a set of vice grips to torque out the blade. Either way, the idea is to create a hole plug cutter with small enough internal and external diameters. Brass tubing will work as will diamond tipped glass plug cutters or other purpose designed tools. Good luck!
@@guitar-niche Hi. I went the brass tube way. I should have actually got steel tube because you can get that. This is a tidy method but the trouble is that the teeth bend and blunt due to being very thin and have to be fixed so it took ages and I had to use a hand drill to go slow without burning. At the end though I got a neat result but it's way too time consuming. I have what looks those like the same cheap screwdrivers but I couldn't get the screwdriver rod out. That would have cut much better but with a slightly bigger hole. However, I think I found the ideal tool. It's called Unscrew-ums. You can find this with a search. I contacted the guy and he gave me a detailed reply. I think all these tuner and string tree screws are #2 sized so that is the Unscrew-um you need. I did the job with a metal tube because I am in the UK and the Unscrew-um would have to be ordered from the US and would have taken some time to get here but I think it might be the ideal tool. Most normal screw extractors are way too destructive. Maybe you could get one of these Unscrew-ums and do a test. If it works, the guy could probably sell lots to luthiers. I'll probably order one but don't need it right now.
As for the screws some of these companies supply. You have to be very careful. I've installed with Fender screws without ever having an issue. I've also installed Gotoh into mahogany but into maple is a disaster waiting to happen. There are a lot of forum threads about this. It's not that people haven't been careful, it's that Gotoh screws are terrible. I actually almost had enough screw end to cut a screwdriver notch. I tried that but I didn't have enough exposed screw. However, the screw cut ridiculously easily. It seemed really soft metal.
A good trick here is that with that first made tool with the notches to make "teeth", it could possibly have grabbed onto the screw and backed it out if the right size was used. Just run the drill in reverse instead of forward and at slow speed.
Good point!
I will try your idea. I suppose if it gained enough grip on the screw as you drill it might work.
Good idea. I will try this. Gotoh hardware is supplied with terrible screws that break. Many forum threads about this. I never had problems with Fender screws.
Good luck!
@@guitar-niche Well my luck has been a non starter. How did you get the screwdriver end out? I have a lot of those little screwdrivers. I even have ones that are spanners and sockets so it was easy to get a grip on the end yet still I couldn't even hammer it out with huge force.
i think I'll have to get some brass tubing and try that method.
@@ryanstark2350 If I remember correctly, the tool came out of a dollar store set, so it wasn't the best quality to begin with. I put the handle of the tool in a vice then used a set of vice grips to torque out the blade.
Either way, the idea is to create a hole plug cutter with small enough internal and external diameters. Brass tubing will work as will diamond tipped glass plug cutters or other purpose designed tools.
Good luck!
@@guitar-niche Hi. I went the brass tube way. I should have actually got steel tube because you can get that. This is a tidy method but the trouble is that the teeth bend and blunt due to being very thin and have to be fixed so it took ages and I had to use a hand drill to go slow without burning. At the end though I got a neat result but it's way too time consuming. I have what looks those like the same cheap screwdrivers but I couldn't get the screwdriver rod out. That would have cut much better but with a slightly bigger hole.
However, I think I found the ideal tool. It's called Unscrew-ums. You can find this with a search. I contacted the guy and he gave me a detailed reply. I think all these tuner and string tree screws are #2 sized so that is the Unscrew-um you need. I did the job with a metal tube because I am in the UK and the Unscrew-um would have to be ordered from the US and would have taken some time to get here but I think it might be the ideal tool. Most normal screw extractors are way too destructive.
Maybe you could get one of these Unscrew-ums and do a test. If it works, the guy could probably sell lots to luthiers. I'll probably order one but don't need it right now.
As for the screws some of these companies supply. You have to be very careful. I've installed with Fender screws without ever having an issue. I've also installed Gotoh into mahogany but into maple is a disaster waiting to happen. There are a lot of forum threads about this. It's not that people haven't been careful, it's that Gotoh screws are terrible. I actually almost had enough screw end to cut a screwdriver notch. I tried that but I didn't have enough exposed screw. However, the screw cut ridiculously easily. It seemed really soft metal.
A magic wand would be much better. Or a Time Machine. 😂😂
The magic wand was inserted in the end of the drill :)
A screw extractor would be a better choice.
Is there such a device for a screw this small?
@@guitar-niche 5/64" is 3-5mm. And one slightly smaller that does 2-3mm