Filling and redrilling?

68 lost souls

I'm fixing up a guitar and need to take out two screws that hold on a spring claw, hear is link to a picture of what it is http://www.jemsite.com/tech/img/t_trem5sp.jpg

Its the two screws on the left, basicly I need to take them out and redrill them as they are crooked and wont let the claw sit properly so I was wondering what the best thing to fill the holes with is that will give me a good strong grip for the screws? I will also need to do it at the strap holders to add a cushioning i need to do the same thing fill and refill on a finished surface.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

BeardyGit

The easiest way to accomplish the results you're looking for is as follows:

Go to B&Q, Woodies, Atlantic etc. and buy a small bottle of Rapid Set wood glue - Carpenters/Indoor glue - It look slightly yellow-ish. You can carefully scrape away any overspil from the filled hole. Use some cocktail sticks cut slightly over-length as plugs for the holes - You can normally fit 2 in body parts and 1 in the holes drilled for strap-lugs. Dip the cocktail stick into the glue, plug the hole, wipe away the excess and wait - WAIT - for the glue to set properly. Then take a stanley blade and carefully cut off any protruding wood/glue from the surrounding area. Now, take a brad-awl or 1.5/2mm drill bit and drill a hole in a SCRAP of wood - Test the screw to make sure it's a good fit in the obtained hole. If it's good - Go ahead and refit the part by drilling/piercing the same size hole in the guitar part and using the same screw you've just tested.

There are always exceptions so use the above advice with caution. It's always worked fine for me but be aware that laminated/veneered guitar parts can crack/splinter if your drill bit/awl aren't sharp. You could try using masking tape to help prevent damage to surrounding areas too.

If in doubt - Take it to a guitar shop where they will do the work for just a few euro.

Gil

68 lost souls

Yeah I noticed that there is alerady a little cracking from the screws that are in it already. Hopefully it is only on the surface. hat is the best brand of wood glue to use for this?

kika

I've done this job once actually. I took out the screws, drilled out the holes and glued in two dowells with the grain running around instead of along the dowell (a bit hard to find). It worked fine. It was sugessted to me by a luthier. the way gil dub suggested it probably just as good cos i'm no luthier meself.

Also I had the exact same trem setup as in the picture in the link and my friend suggested setting it up slightly differently.

take out the second and fourth spring and angle the outside springs when you put em back on so instead of having five springs like this:
IIIII
you end up with three like this:
/I\
apparently a bit better cos it self aligns and its easier to use.

68 lost souls

Yeah that was the way I was plannning on aligning them, kind of like a tent. I already filled the holes with some cocktail sticks and wood glue. I have to redrill the holes now and then screw in the screws, I will probably have to use a bradawl as a drill cant get in where it needs to. Ill use a ratchet set to actualy screw in the screws but I have to get my hands on a bradawl as I dont have one.