Schaller BML bass tuners a little loose fit

[Stuck in the Sixties]

I received most of the hardware to put on my Wenge body and neck but when I put the farrells (ferrells or however it is spelled) in the front they went into the predrilled holes that Warmoth drilled in the headstock with very very little resistance. Now I have several ideals as to how to fix this problem but I thought I would bring this slight problem to the board members to see how they would fix this problem.  :sign13:

 

[-CB-]

One thing you can do on a big hole is coat the inside of the hole with superglue, let it dry fully, and test fit the bushing again.

Let me say this again - LET IT DRY FULLY.  If you can "smell" the superglue, its not dry yet.  Superglue takes in humidity (water vapor) from the atmosphere to dry.  In cooler (dryer) weather, this is going to take longer.  Just let it sit a day, to be safe.

If the bushings are still too loose... recoat the inside of the hole.  The superglue will stiffen the fibre and add thickness... some rigidity to the edges of the hole... Its not a bad fix really. 

The bushings should be a medium press fit.  I'll sand the holes on guitar necks.  I just dont like a force fit on the bushing in the wood.  No "driving them in".  I like to get the ones on guitar tuners to the point that they can pressed in pretty easily with a screw vice.  A screw vice is simple a 1/4x20 screw, a flat washer on the bushing, a rubber washer and another flat washer on the back of the headstock, and finally a nut.  Using that.. nutdrivers alone will be enough force if the fit is "just right".  Wood can swell, wood can shrink.  Having a REALLY tight tuner bushing..... its not outside norm of thinking to consider a split headstock.

On a bass tuner... same thing, but a larger screw for the makeshift vice.

In your case.... just build em up a little.  Use a Q-Tip with glue on it.  If ya get some cotton on the inside of the hole... leave it, its filler!~

 

[jackthehack]

CB's suggestion will work to fix the issue, but I've never seen any hole drilled by Warmoth that wasn't really tight, you sure those weren't drilled for GB7 tuners? Just looked at the drawings and those would be 1/2 mm larger than BMLs...

 

[Stuck in the Sixties]

Sorry Jack but those holes were drilled for the BML. If the holes were drilled 1/2 mm larger then the BMLs would have just dropped in. Instead the last 2 to 3 mms is were resistance was felt that's when I pushed them in will a little pressure to seat them. My fix is to apply a little super glue from behind so there will be a minimal amount of glue used to hold them in place, since there is a small amount of metal imbedded in the wood.
CB thanks for the suggestion that was one on the ones I was considering. My second consideration was to glue a small piece of foil or something close around the ferrell that making the diameter a little larger which would let the pieces fit tighter.  :icon_smile:

 

[-CB-]

The "built up with super glue" trick isn't my idea but it works for lots of things.

I have taken 70's era knobs and built up the inside of the shaft hole so they fit tight again without having to resort to meddling with the shaft's split end.  Spread shafts only hold tight on the end, a built up knob fits like a new one.