Repairing A Stripped Straplock Screw Hole ???

[Mr. Neutron]

Hey, Folks!

While I was doing an attempt at sofa shredding today (and it was slow and ugly!  :redflag: ), I noticed the straplock screw on the left/horn side of my MIM Fender Tele had backed out several turns.

I put the new-style Schaller S Locks on my first Swamp Ash Warmoth Hybrid I did, and really liked them a lot. They've worked out really well on that guitar. So I bought a set of just the pins and screws (allows you to use the same strap for multiple guitars) to replace the stock straplock pins on my 2016/maybe 2017 MIM Lake Placid Blue Tele. I guess this guitar has an Alder body??? Anyway, even after really trying to be careful and re-tightening the Schaller supplied screw, I'm convinced I managed to strip it out some how. It is staying in it's place for now, but I have a feeling this could come back to bite me in the buttocks if not fixed soon.....

What are my options for fixing this hole? Try to squeeze a little bit of epoxy or CYA/Superglue in the hole, and and re-drill the hole? Or stuff some of that glue in there, and try to push some of it down with the Schaller screw? Or???? I'm curious what has worked out best for some of y'all that have had miscellaneous body screws strip their threads......

 

[rgand]

I had one on my Strat that kept loosening up so I replaced it with a longer screw. No more problems.

 

[TBurst Std]

Appropriate response is drill out, dowel and redrill.  Quick response is toothpicks and glue. Drive the screw in after 24 hrs.

 

[Mr. Neutron]

I had one on my Strat that kept loosening up so I replaced it with a longer screw. No more problems.

Yeah, if it were only that easy...... If I recall correctly, the Schaller screw is a metric screw with kind of an odd head to fit inside the Schaller strap button. There may be a source out there for one that would work; just ain't found it yet.....

Appropriate response is drill out, dowel and redrill.  Quick response is toothpicks and glue. Drive the screw in after 24 hrs.

Beautiful!!! Why didn't I think of that?  :icon_thumright: Thanks, TBurst Std!

 

[rgand]

I had one on my Strat that kept loosening up so I replaced it with a longer screw. No more problems.

Yeah, if it were only that easy...... If I recall correctly, the Schaller screw is a metric screw with kind of an odd head to fit inside the Schaller strap button. There may be a source out there for one that would work; just ain't found it yet.....

I think I just ground the head of a screw down to fit into the Schaller button.

Appropriate response is drill out, dowel and redrill.

This is, of course, a better solution.

 

[Cagey]

I think I just ground the head of a screw down to fit into the Schaller button.

I've done that before. Chuck the screw into a drill motor, and spin the head against something appropriately abrasive, like a metal file. Turns the head down nice and round, as if on a lathe.

 

[Belch]

I just push a toothpick in the hole, break it off, then screw the screw in. No glue because I don't see the need. The friction created from the added meat from the toothpick is more than enough to keep everything nice and tight.

I think the glue idea could be better, but I'm worried because dried and hardened wood glue might be a bit too hard for the cheap screws that we inevitably have to deal with.

 

[Mr. Neutron]

Well, for what it's worth, I didn't "recall correctly" about the Schaller screw head. The strap button IS the head of the screw. The button and screw apparently are machined as one integral unit, it looks like.  :dontknow:

I have a toothpick stuffed into a pool of Titebond III glue in the old hole, for now........

 

[rgand]

I think I just ground the head of a screw down to fit into the Schaller button.

I've done that before. Chuck the screw into a drill motor, and spin the head against something appropriately abrasive, like a metal file. Turns the head down nice and round, as if on a lathe.

It goes quickly if you do it against a bench grinder.

 

[Mr. Neutron]

It's fixed!  :headbang:

After posting then thinking about it, and before the Titebond dried, I pulled out the toothpick, and put a slug of some oak in the hole, sorta like a dowel mentioned by TBurst Std. Drilled it 7/64" a little shy of total depth, and the button/screw threaded right in and got tight as it bottomed out.

Thanks, Fellas! :yourock:

 

[AirCap]

I've used the toothpick method for decades - provided the hole isn't wallowed out too badly. Even Dan Erlewine did the toothpick thing on his old teaching videos. Can't remember if repair pioneer Don Teeter ever used toothpicks.

I had a client complain once when I told him I would fill his old tuner holes with toothpicks.... He didn't think they were "substantial" enough. I asked for his recommendation. "Well.... use a dowel". No kidding, like one the same size as a toothpick? Most budget dowels are birch. Same with toothpicks. So they ARE dowels, just dinky ones. He agreed finally, and I used toothpicks.

 

[timezon3]

I've done the "drill-dowel-glue" routine a couple of times and darned if it doesn't just keep stripping out (every few years).  There's a lot of weight on them there screws.  Last time, I installed machine thread inserts.  We'll see if that lasts longer.

TZ