How to remove a stripped tuner screw?

[ORCRiST]

Hi all.

Am installing Schaller mini locking tuners into a Bloodwood neck.

While test fitting a screw lubricated with wax it got about half way in the pilot hole before becoming stuck, I pretty much
stripped the screwhead (but not totally). My first instinct is just to grab some pliers and try to back it out gripping the head.

But, I decided to ask for advice in case I'm missing something obvious and more safe I should try before making anything potentially worse.

Thoughts?

ORC

 

[alterbridgefan]

Here's your tool, then:

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2000983/2009/screw-extractor-14.aspx

I got the smallest, It works amazing.

 

[ORCRiST]

Yeah but I haven't broken anything off.  The screw itself is completely intact...

 

[Dan025]

^^
you may need these and some dowel plugs, but diagonal cutters can make a good gripping tool for small objects where pliers may fail. just be careful with the pressure.

your pilot holes are too small. you need the hole barely smaller than the major diameter of the threads. it should be LARGER than the minor diameter. it doesn't take much thread to hold a screw into wood and the wood that the threads displace needs space to displace into. this is why the hole should be lager than the shaft of the screw. and giving it ample clearance prevents the wood from displacing all the way into the root of the threads and binding on the shaft of the screw.

 

[ORCRiST]

^^
you may need these and some dowel plugs, but diagonal cutters can make a good gripping tool for small objects where pliers may fail. just be careful with the pressure.

your pilot holes are too small. you need the hole barely smaller than the major diameter of the threads. it should be LARGER than the minor diameter. it doesn't take much thread to hold a screw into wood and the wood that the threads displace needs space to displace into. this is why the hole should be lager than the shaft of the screw. and giving it ample clearance prevents the wood from displacing all the way into the root of the threads and binding on the shaft of the screw.

Agreed, but this was the second screw.  The first one went in (and back out) fine, so I had no reason to believe this might/would happen...

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Yeah but I haven't broken anything off.  The screw itself is completely intact...

I would dremel a slot in that and back the screw out with a flathead.

 

[ORCRiST]

Yeah but I haven't broken anything off.  The screw itself is completely intact...

I would dremel a slot in that and back the screw out with a flathead.

THAT is a good idea.  My only concern would be the screw is so small...hmmm... I think that might work though.

Thanks!

EDIT: Worked like a charm. Thanks you guys!

 

[DangerousR6]

Since the screw is still intact and exposed quite a bit, I'd get a pair of these clippers. They will grip the screw 10 times better than vise grips ever would. They've saved my but many times, at home and at work removing jacked up bolts and screws..

 

[Eric Banjitar]

Since the screw is still intact and exposed quite a bit, I'd get a pair of these clippers. They will grip the screw 10 times better than vise grips ever would. They've saved my but many times, at home and at work removing jacked up bolts and screws..

Be very careful with peressure on this tool to the screw, too much and the problem just got harder.

Dangerous- do you use an older more dull side cutter? How do you NOT cut the screw in half?

 

[Cagey]

I wondered about cutting the screw as well. If it happened to me, I'd get out the vise grips (or, "locking pliers" if you prefer). They're a mean tool that can sometimes cause more problems than they solve, but in some situations they're ideal. I would call this one of them.

 

[Eric Banjitar]

I also thought of vice grip type tool for this (and ONLY this) job. Locking pliers should not generally be used on ANYTHING.

I also think that carefully flattening the sides of the screw may allow you to put an open-ended mini wrench 3mm? on the screw to caefully back it out.

Wax good screws into proper holes with the right tool and these type of hardware nightmares are rare.

Wax lubricates the screw.  Not all screws are the same. The ones shipped with guitar hardware are usually junk. Hole size was already (and wisely) discussed above. Get the right screwdriver for the screw. The pitch of the phillips-style crossed, female hole parts is different screw to screw as are the diferent drivers. Some are more blunt, some more pointy...get the right one.

 

[DangerousR6]

Since the screw is still intact and exposed quite a bit, I'd get a pair of these clippers. They will grip the screw 10 times better than vise grips ever would. They've saved my but many times, at home and at work removing jacked up bolts and screws..

Be very careful with peressure on this tool to the screw, too much and the problem just got harder.

Dangerous- do you use an older more dull side cutter? How do you NOT cut the screw in half?

You have to use finesse, not too much pressure. It works great, but the key is to have the right kind of side cutters. These that I'm talking about are specialty cutters, there is no "dull" side, the cutting side on these isn't beveled on one side like normal side cutters. The cutting edge is ground flush to allow you to cut something flush to a surface. But that's not the intent here, the intent is gripping power. But unless you've done it before it's hard to comprehend, I didn't believe it either until I did it.. :dontknow: