Who sells machine screw neck inserts and screws?

[Last Triumph]

One of my screws and inserts have chewed upon disassembly and I need to replace both the screw and the insert.

I'm in the UK and all my tools are metric and nothing fits to check the thread size so don't know what size they are.

Any idea who sells replacements?

 

[rolloman]

Usually they are always 8-32 thread. Are you looking for a place in the UK to purchase or US. Lots of places here even our local hardware stores, besides all the online places.

https://www.amazon.com/Z-LOK-400-008-Threaded-Installation/dp/B015CAPAPM/ref=lp_16410701_1_2_sspa?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1548526673&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Furniture-Insert-Fastener-Threaded-Assortment/dp/B07CMQXNZF/ref=asc_df_B07CMQXNZF/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242029791542&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8600873012928791873&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9010472&hvtargid=pla-446645610688&psc=1

 

[Last Triumph]

Thanks, these are stainless steel which I'd like to keep the same - I need to make sure I replace with the identical external thread size to match what is cut into my neck wood.

Happy to buy USA or UK but might struggle with imperial thread sizes in the UK as we're generally metric over here now.

They have slotted ends.

 

[rolloman]

They have staninless here.

https://www.mcmaster.com/threaded-inserts

 

[Last Triumph]

Thanks, they look like the ones....

 

[rolloman]

They have just about every kind of screw invented also.

 

[Last Triumph]

They have just about every kind of screw invented also.

Good stuff, because I need gold machine screws to go into them.

To be honest, the alignment has never been quite right on a couple of the inserts which is hat has caused two of the screws to bind and chew, so I'm a little but stuck as to how to deal with it - I'm loathed to keep on enlarging the holes in the body to compensate as that seems like a bodge.

I'm almost half tempted to abandon the machine screw inserts, drill out the self tapped threads in the neck wood, dowel them solid again, then just use conventional neck fixing screws into the dowels in the neck.

Happy to take guidance.

 

[rolloman]

Yep I tried the insert and screw on all my necks and now I hate them. I am slowly going back to how they were meant to be. Be sure not to make the mistake of using regular hardwood dowel where the grain is running lengthwise from end to end. It wont work. You need crossgrain or the screws will not hold tight at all. A wood pulg cutter is needed for that.

 

[Last Triumph]

Yep I tried the insert and screw on all my necks and now I hate them. I am slowly going back to how they were meant to be. Be sure not to make the mistake of using regular hardwood dowel where the grain is running lengthwise from end to end. It wont work. You need crossgrain or the screws will not hold tight at all.

That's a very good point and one I'd not have thought of.

I am tempted to abandon the insets due to the misalignment but worry by plugging the holes in the neck and starting again, I'll make things worse from a tone/sustain perspective. Have you have any experience of this?

I don't have any Rosewood, but do have some maple and also some ash - do you think that would be a problem to use instead?

 

[rolloman]

Maple would be great or even something harder like oak even better. I use my drill press with a metal rod or screw bigger than the dowel to push them in. That way they push in flush with the neck surface pretty much, and hardly no sanding. Also rough up the edges of the dowel by poking a sharp instrument to make holes for the glue to go into better. Tone is not even an issue with it.

 

[Last Triumph]

Maple would be great or even something harder like oak even better. I use my drill press with a metal rod or screw bigger than the dowel to push them in. That way they push in flush with the neck surface pretty much, and hardly no sanding. Also rough up the edges of the dowel by poking a sharp instrument to make holes for the glue to go into better. Tone is not even an issue with it.

Thank you.