Problem Strat Neck

[alterbridgefan]

An old warmoth neck. pretty ugly, as it's been well played and messed up. Thinking I might make a Jim Root/San Dimas style guitar with this one. Now I get to use my floyd! :icon_biggrin:

The plan is to possibly refinish, and veneer on top of the headstock so as to make it look expensive. :toothy10: The old cut screws will be drilled out, at least on top. I might just use a file for the ones by the tuner holes.

Pretty straightforward.

screw holes, and metal from cut screw.

The bolt chipped and got puttied.

The old screws stripped and were cut.

 

[Eric Banjitar]

You may find that drilling out the screws is REALLY hard to do.  Drill bits tend to follow the path of least resistance...wood. Next time do everything you can to save the screws.  They were probably stipped phillips head screws.  It may have been possible to cut a slot through the screw head using a dremel or thin blade hack saw, and then use a blade screwdriver to back the screw out.  It may have also helped to heat the screw with a soldering iron slightly before attempting to loosen them.  If you are planning on placing veneer over the headstock anyway, I would carefully file them smooth to the surface with a curved jewlers file and the cover them with the veneer.  I hope this helps.

 

[alterbridgefan]

You may find that drilling out the screws is REALLY hard to do.  Drill bits tend to follow the path of least resistance...wood. Next time do everything you can to save the screws.  They were probably stipped phillips head screws.  It may have been possible to cut a slot through the screw head using a dremel or thin blade hack saw, and then use a blade screwdriver to back the screw out.  It may have also helped to heat the screw with a soldering iron slightly before attempting to loosen them.  If you are planning on placing veneer over the headstock anyway, I would carefully file them smooth to the surface with a curved jewlers file and the cover them with the veneer.  I hope this helps.

Thanks, it was my dads. He gave it to me because he didn't want it. I would be drilling out the wood around it, then removing the screw.

 

[bagman67]

Here's your tool, then:

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

 

[alterbridgefan]

Thanks Bagman! I got the 1/4 inch, It made that part a hundred times easier.
After a quick trip to woodcraft with my Mom, I made a guide using a 17/64 in. drill bit, and clamped it to the headstock. The extractor bit worked like a dream, it stopped itself once it reached about a 1/4 in. thickness. The screw came out no problem, now I just need to plug it.
I got some other goodies at woodcraft too: Titebond III and some 3a flame maple veneer.

Sorry for bad pics, they were taken on the blackberry.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/201/austin2012081900538.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/201/austin2012081900538.jpg/

On an unrelated note, I'm working on building a cabinet loaded with a 10 inch Celestion.

 

[ZionWarmoth]

That's exactly what I was looking, thank you very much!

 

[alterbridgefan]

It really does work great, I'll use it often.