Pressing in String Ferrules

[Cagey]

There are generally 3 ways DIY builders put in string ferrules. There's the brute force method, where you just hammer them in and pray you don't whack the finish in the process. Then, some like to use a soldering iron, heating the ferrule up and pressing it into the hole. Finally, there's the drill press method, which is what we'll illustrate here. It's easy, safe and effective, although it does require a drill press which you'll re-purpose as an arbor press. Drill presses aren't meant for this duty, but the amount of pressure needed to install a ferrule is so small that there's no risk of harm or undue wear to the press. Note that we never turn power on to the press during this operation. In fact, you could unplug it, if you think you might be tempted to press one of those pretty buttons...

First, you remove anything from the chuck and open or close it until the jaws are about the same diameter as the ferrule. Place a towel or something on the stage to protect the body's finish, place your body on it, then adjust the stage height until the body and ferrule just fit under the chuck.

Carefully grab the handle of the armature mover-downer thingy, and rotate the armature down to where it just touches the ferrule. Make sure everything is square - and if it is, keep going. The ferrule will press right in, easy as you please.

Lather, rinse, repeat until you run out of holes or ferrules, whichever comes first. You may have to rotate the body to reach all the holes, depending on your body's size/geometry, and the size of your press.

Happy ferrule pressing!

 

[keeper006]

I always find your posts informative and enjoyable, but when you go into that scientific technical jargon such as "handle of the armature mover-downer thingy", I get lost...  :confused4:

 

[Cagey]

Well, I could have called it a "Counterbalanced Pinion Spindle", but I didn't want to make the whole process too approachable lest some uppity girl get the idea that there's little mystery to shop tools.

 

[keeper006]

:laughing11: That is awesome. I don't type all that LOL stuff, but that actually made me laugh out loud.

 

[Updown]

There are generally 3 ways DIY builders put in string ferrules.
Then, some like to use a soldering iron, heating the ferrule up and pressing it into the hole.

Personally I don't like the soldering iron method.  :tard:

Well explained and pic's Cagey, for installing rear Ferrules  :icon_thumright:
This is the way to go, if you have that type of drill press or similar.
Which I don't happen to have and many others too, I guess.

So I tried a similar method of relativity by using some pressure to insert them. 

Using Chrome ferrules into a Alpine White Tele.
I had them all just snuggled into the holes a little bit.
Then laid the body on the garage floor.
Preceded to back my car over it, then drive forward to make sure they were securely inserted.

:icon_scratch:  Kind of worked …. Well 5 went in smoothly.

But ….  :dontknow: ... I couldn't find the other one for the life of me. 
Finally spotted it securely imbedded into the rear tyre of my car.  :doh:

Not only that ….
I now have a Black tyre imprinted on the back of the Alpine White Tele.
Oh well since it was the low E ferrule that missed out, I can just turn it into a Keith Richards guitar.    arty07:

:icon_jokercolor:

:icon_jokercolor:

That'll teach me to drink and drive ferrules in  :laughing7:

 

[Cagey]

Ah, yes. The old "driving under the influence" trick. I'd forgotten about that one. Sometimes you can get away with it, but there is always the risk of ferrule loss. Your odds of success go up if rather than roll over the body, you raise it using a hydraulic floor jack, set the body + ferrules under the tire, then lower the car onto the body. But, that depends on your having a floor jack and being able to find the floor. Then, you still have the problem of ferrule ingestion by tread cavity.

I'm not a fan of the soldering iron method, either. Too many tales of misadventure.

I have used the Whack-a-Mole method successfully, but it's always a bit unnerving. Still, if you use a block of wood or something between the hammer and the ferrule, your chances of hurting the body go down substantially.

 

[Cagey]

Incidentally, the method illustrated at the top of this thread is also effective for installing the mounting bushings for bridges and tailpieces.

 

[Mad Hatter]

If you don't have a drill press and must use the whack-a-mole method, you can get nylon drifts from gunsmith supply shops that won't mar the finish on the ferrules. I actually have found a ton of gunsmith tools that work great for instrument building. The precision screwdriver sets are a must if you want to eliminate slop in the screw head when installing and avoid chewing up the screw heads. Good stuff.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=417/Product/MAGNA-TIP-SUPER-SETS-trade-

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=513/Product/NYLON-FRONT-SIGHT-DRIFT-PUNCH

 

[Cagey]

If you don't have a drill press and must use the whack-a-mole method, you can get nylon drifts from gunsmith supply shops that won't mar the finish on the ferrules. I actually have found a ton of gunsmith tools that work great for instrument building. The precision screwdriver sets are a must if you want to eliminate slop in the screw head when installing and avoid chewing up the screw heads. Good stuff.

I'll have to look into getting one of those drifts.

You're right about the gunsmithing tools. A buddy of mine is a certified armorer for S&W, and he's turned me on to a few tools they use that are handy for guitar work. Tricky shaped diamond files and hardened picks, precision drivers, stuff like that. My favorite has been these ceramic files...

...which are real handy for fine tuning frets. If you get a fret that's just a tiny bit high or has a burr on one end, then you take a crowning or shaping file after it you'll have to re-polish. These are fine enough to make the adjustment and be done with it.

 

[Hbom]

Great job Cagey! Always enjoy your informative posts.

I guess I went the other way around on tool acquisition. I bought most of my tools for gunsmithing years ago. Recently I have been re-training them to be guitar tools.

Unfortunately, I've found that it is alot easier to teach an old gun tool to be a guitar tool than it is to teach a good shooter to be an average guitar player.

But I keep trying.
:rock-on:

 

[Cagey]

You may recall it took a lot of time, money and practice to become a good shooter. Playing guitar is no different.

 

[Hbom]

Thanks for the encouragement.

The truth is I learned to shoot from about 12-16 years. Was able to qualify as "Expert" in rifle & pistol by 18.
= aprox. 4 years.

I 1st tried guitar at about 18.
Still a hack.
= way too many years to admit to.

But I have found that I like the noise from the guitar better than those bangs of the big magnums.

 

[-CB-]

I use a punch... and just lightly tap them in....

But I've also got a screw arrangement that seats tuner ferrules like a champ!

 

[AprioriMark]

I'll never understand why people have such an issue with this.  I always carefully remove the finish from inside the hole using a tapered wood reaming tool: http://www.allparts.com/Tapered-Reamer-Tool-p/lt-0815-000.htm.  Incidentally, they're like 6 bucks at the hardware store, and they work great for cleaning finish out of tuner holes as well, or widening them without ruining your finish.

I then press them in with thumb strength.  In all the teles I've put together (dozens), no paint has ever been marred or cracked, and no ferrules have ever come out.  Just remove the finish and not much (if any) extra wood.  Really, I'm baffled by peoples' issues with this.  At first, I thought people were kidding about the soldering iron thing. 

Anyway, carry on with reinventing the square wheel and stuff, I'll just remove the finish that built up and won't allow the ferrules to be pushed in comfortably.  ccasion14:  Haha, sorry... just feeling silly on a Saturday night.  Cheers, all!

-Mark

 

[line6man]

I wouldn't drive a drill chuck straight up against a ferrule like that. You could scratch the plating. Put something down to protect the ferrule, like a wood block or a piece of rubber.

 

[Johnfv]

wood block and light hammer taps is what I use

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I kind of like Mark's method.  I'm gonna give that a go next go round.

 

[ZionWarmoth]

I prefer to use a block ferrule, I have done this in all my Teles♫

 

[Steve_Karl]

Nice idea for tight holes ... but my last build ... they went in with just some moderate thumb pressure
so my advice would be don't get the drill press all up and ready until you're sure they won't go in easily.

 

[Cagey]

I prefer to use a block ferrule, I have done this in all my Teles♫

I've often wondered why that isn't done more often. I think it's a great idea.