When the tuner was installed on this brand new neck, three screws broke. Will the result be a costly error or a simple fix?

We have all seen used guitars with unstable tuners, off-center bridges, and awkwardly angled bridge screws. If you remove these parts, you will often find them loose because the screw head has broken off and the threaded part is stuck in the wood.

When the guide hole is too narrow, some of us may encounter the screw head breaking when trying to force the screw into the wood. Here, I will show you how to make a very simple tool that allows you to remove damaged screws with minimal damage to the surrounding wood.

The screws are stuck in the three tuner screw holes

To make your own spiral extractor, you need a section of hollow metal tube. The basic idea is to make a drill bit with a hole in the center so that you can drill a hole around the damaged screw and then take it out. A fairly wide hole will be left in the wood, but it can be blocked, leveled and re-drilled.

This broken screw protrudes from the surface, and there are some cracks near the hole

When choosing a metal pipe, you must ensure that the inner diameter is large enough to fit the jammed screw. The diameter of the hole left in the wood after the screw is pulled out will be equal to the outer diameter of the metal tube. If you want it to be as small as possible, make sure that the tube wall is not too thick.

After checking my local engineering supply store and metal merchant, I finally found what I needed at B&Q. For this project, I will take out three broken screws from the Telecaster style headstock. The widest point of the screw is about 2.5 mm, so I used a brass tube with an inner diameter of 3 mm and an outer diameter of 4 mm.

Both screws have clicked into the holes

Brass is a soft metal, so I don't want this tool to last a lifetime. I will file the cutting teeth to the end and turn a small section of pipe into a mini hole cutting saw. Using brass instead of steel makes this process easier.

I first cut off the length of 40 mm and then used a flat needle file to remove any burrs. To make the teeth, I placed a triangular file across the centerline at one end and created two V-shaped incisions. Changing the angle of the file, I repeated this process two more times, and finally got six cutting teeth. After a quick deburring, I am ready to see if it will cut into wood. The screw extractor slides before the tooth is grasped. Then it cuts into a solid oak with amazing ease.

This brass tube has a width of 4 mm and an inner diameter of 3 mm. The end will be sawed off by 50 mm

Even an ordinary drill bit can slide before the hole starts, so I need a way to guide the screw extractor. An effective way to use this tool is to drill a hole in a piece of transparent acrylic that is exactly the same diameter as the pipe.

Using transparent acrylic can easily align the guide rail to the center of the damaged screw hole, and it should be clamped in place. After a successful trial run on a piece of waste wood, I was ready to dispose of the headstock.

Use a triangular file to create cutting teeth at one end, but still need to remove burrs on the inner and outer edges

The screw is screwed in clockwise and counterclockwise, so it makes sense to run the drill in the reverse direction. The teeth will cut in both directions, and the last thing I want to do is push the screws deeper inside. Before starting, I measured the thickness of the headstock and acrylic. From this I can calculate the maximum depth I can drill and place masking tape on the pipe to make sure I don’t cut through the front of the headstock.

The first screw finally came out, but pulling out the brass tube was tricky because the steel screw would cause the cutting teeth to splay outward. When I took it out, the screw was wedged into the tube. Knock the drill bit from the other end of the pipe to remove screws and wood chips.

Drill a 4 mm hole in some transparent acrylic and clip it to the screw hole to guide the screw extractor

I strongly recommend purchasing steel pipe, but if you are forced to use a softer metal, you will find it easier if the teeth are not too deep. Doing is often the best way to learn. When I got the third screw, the process has become much smoother.

The first screw has been removed and wedged into the extractor

Fortunately, all the evidence of this accident will eventually be hidden under the tuner, but since the tuner requires fixing screws, the hole must be blocked. Pulling out the screw leaves a 5mm hole and two 4mm holes on the back of the headstock, so I need some pins.

Maple is an ideal choice, but I have noticed that some suppliers have run out of stock recently. Instead, I used some 6mm beech wood pins, which I used hand drills and sanding blocks to grind to the required diameter.

Push the drill bit from the other end of the extractor to remove damaged screws and sawdust

After applying some Titebond Original glue, I knocked in the pins and I let the glue set for a few hours. I use a flat saw to trim the excess, but you can use a very sharp chisel and be very careful.

Put a set of tuners on the headstock, I straightened them with a ruler and marked the location of the new screw holes. It is hoped that car owners will use narrower screws or wider guide holes to install the tuner, and there will be no more accidents.

Short pins stick in the holes left by the extractor

Stuck screws are not uncommon, and they are easy to make mistakes. If you find that you have to apply a lot of energy to screw in the screw, it is best to remove the screw and drill the pilot hole wider. But if the worst happens, you should be able to fix it now.

After the glue is dry, flush the cutting saw to remove the excess pins

A professional screw extraction tool can be used, but it is easier to obtain in the United States than in the United Kingdom. StewMac lists a screw extractor, but it costs $33 plus shipping and customs duties. A one-meter-long brass tube cost me £5.25, and it takes about five minutes to make this tool.

After the tuner is installed correctly, all repair evidence will be hidden

Although the brass tube is really too soft, it can do it. Next, I will make a larger version, extracting the broken bridge column from the 1972 SG-this is a nightmare that suddenly seems less daunting.

For more information about Huw's work, please visit huwpriceguitar.com.

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