Cutting pickup screws - wire cutter, hack saw, bolt cutters?
- Thread starter SJ318
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Ayrton
New member
Re: Cutting pickup screws - wire cutter, hack saw, bolt cutters?
I use these to cut stainless frets, strings, screws, whatever. Still going strong after 4-5 years.
https://www.amazon.com/Fastcap-HD-F...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XW8ZSBFC2S94EH285K2D
I use these to cut stainless frets, strings, screws, whatever. Still going strong after 4-5 years.
https://www.amazon.com/Fastcap-HD-F...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XW8ZSBFC2S94EH285K2D
Re: Cutting pickup screws - wire cutter, hack saw, bolt cutters?
Ayrton-
Hmmm. Maybe I am not only a wimp but gullible also, the guys at Stew-Mac made a big deal about their "Special" strong fret-nippers were the only way to go as they would last much longer than any pair of "regular strong" wire cutters. One the thing about being a wimp, it hurt trying to cut them with my "best in shop" wire cutters, plus the harder I squeezed, the blades themselves started to "open up sideways" a little. I don't know how else to describe that, I can only hope you know what I mean. I'll go back and look at them again.
Funny, out of all the responses, you are the only one I think that said "use wire cutters" and then listed the brand. Thanks for the link again, but you must have real strong hands, I thought I did from all the use I have put them through in guitar and a LOT of hard use in my day job! Being an Optician for 20 years of daily bending and twisting metal, steel, very hot zylnolite, or what they called "Zyl" plastic frames.
I see you are only 47 years old, that is prime tough guy hand strength I think! Ha!
Thanks again, we'll see, but I bet (for me) it's the Dremel or MOJO screws or best: Both!
Steve Buffington
Ayrton-
Hmmm. Maybe I am not only a wimp but gullible also, the guys at Stew-Mac made a big deal about their "Special" strong fret-nippers were the only way to go as they would last much longer than any pair of "regular strong" wire cutters. One the thing about being a wimp, it hurt trying to cut them with my "best in shop" wire cutters, plus the harder I squeezed, the blades themselves started to "open up sideways" a little. I don't know how else to describe that, I can only hope you know what I mean. I'll go back and look at them again.
Funny, out of all the responses, you are the only one I think that said "use wire cutters" and then listed the brand. Thanks for the link again, but you must have real strong hands, I thought I did from all the use I have put them through in guitar and a LOT of hard use in my day job! Being an Optician for 20 years of daily bending and twisting metal, steel, very hot zylnolite, or what they called "Zyl" plastic frames.
I see you are only 47 years old, that is prime tough guy hand strength I think! Ha!
Thanks again, we'll see, but I bet (for me) it's the Dremel or MOJO screws or best: Both!
Steve Buffington
Ayrton
New member
Re: Cutting pickup screws - wire cutter, hack saw, bolt cutters?
"strong hands"... that actually made me laugh. Dude, I am 5 10" and weigh in the 150s.
I have not found any traditional flush nippers that can handle stainless wire. When I killed my last set of Stew-Mac nippers (ground Channelocks), I went looking and found FastCap. I called them and asked about could it handle stainless and what not, the guy sent me 2-3 pair in various sizes for free and said try em out.
Ironically I killed the smallest set of guitar strings, but FastCap replaced those too.
Once you snip 42-48 stainless fret ends, you will feel it. I do wish I could get more leverage, but I can't complain about the durability.
"strong hands"... that actually made me laugh. Dude, I am 5 10" and weigh in the 150s.
I have not found any traditional flush nippers that can handle stainless wire. When I killed my last set of Stew-Mac nippers (ground Channelocks), I went looking and found FastCap. I called them and asked about could it handle stainless and what not, the guy sent me 2-3 pair in various sizes for free and said try em out.
Ironically I killed the smallest set of guitar strings, but FastCap replaced those too.
Once you snip 42-48 stainless fret ends, you will feel it. I do wish I could get more leverage, but I can't complain about the durability.
Re: Cutting pickup screws - wire cutter, hack saw, bolt cutters?
Ayrton-
We may be talking of two different things. Clipping fret ends is not what I meant when I said strong hands.
I meant using wire cutters to clip bobbin screws. Just to be clear, NOT the pickup ring screws, I mean the screws that are in the bobbin that go under the string, with a rounded head that is for a Flat head screwdriver.
Can you cut those with your clippers and hand strength? That is what I thought you meant. That is the original intent of this op's (me) post. The way I asked the question was clumsy on my part but it got straightened out.
Thanks,
Steve Buffington
Ayrton-
We may be talking of two different things. Clipping fret ends is not what I meant when I said strong hands.
I meant using wire cutters to clip bobbin screws. Just to be clear, NOT the pickup ring screws, I mean the screws that are in the bobbin that go under the string, with a rounded head that is for a Flat head screwdriver.
Can you cut those with your clippers and hand strength? That is what I thought you meant. That is the original intent of this op's (me) post. The way I asked the question was clumsy on my part but it got straightened out.
Thanks,
Steve Buffington
Ayrton
New member
Re: Cutting pickup screws - wire cutter, hack saw, bolt cutters?
You are talking about Fillister screws (pole screws) and I was just saying ss frets are pretty hard as well.
I can't say I remember the last time I had to cut a pole screw, so I snipped one in half using my FastCap cutters. I had to use the bench top for leverage, but it cut fairly easy with one hand.
The half that shot across the room might have killed someone though
Faily clean cut, but I would want to touch it up with a file if I were to use it.
You are talking about Fillister screws (pole screws) and I was just saying ss frets are pretty hard as well.
I can't say I remember the last time I had to cut a pole screw, so I snipped one in half using my FastCap cutters. I had to use the bench top for leverage, but it cut fairly easy with one hand.
The half that shot across the room might have killed someone though
Faily clean cut, but I would want to touch it up with a file if I were to use it.
metalchurch79
New member
Re: Cutting pickup screws - wire cutter, hack saw, bolt cutters?
I got myself in the face one time from snipping the ball ends off of strings. Ever since then I try to cup my hand over the snippers to catch it.
If Im cutting anything thicker like a pickup height screw, etc... I usually lay a rag over it after I get it lined up and ready for the snip. Definitely adds a small margin of safety to the situation.
....The half that shot across the room might have killed someone though
I got myself in the face one time from snipping the ball ends off of strings. Ever since then I try to cup my hand over the snippers to catch it.
If Im cutting anything thicker like a pickup height screw, etc... I usually lay a rag over it after I get it lined up and ready for the snip. Definitely adds a small margin of safety to the situation.
