Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

[Pierre]

This is a very common repair which truly everyone can do. So there ya go! What you need:
A toothpick
Super glue
Hands
Brain

First, here is a wide hole (ha ha ha ha)

Then, here it is with the toothpick in it, marked to length:

With the pick cut to length and glued in:

And all that is left to do is to screw in! It will most likely have a lot of resistance in at this point but the guitar's wood should be way more resistant. If you feel the pick is too thick, you can easily file the pick down a bit.

Then it's all solid. Dun dun dun.

Yeah I'm bored.

 

[big_black]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

Brains??

I'm damn...I'm fresh out.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

That's a tried-and-true method of fixing a strap-pin button. Nice pics, too.

 

[Davey]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

vault material!

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

Good tip,
Ya know that fastner only barely qualifies as a screw anymore. OUCH time to replace that puppy.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

Pierre, your tech threads are always great. I'm sure this will get some good use like the others.

 

[theodie]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

Brains??

I'm damn...I'm fresh out.

You are usually pretty smart. Where did your brains go? Did your boyfriend screw your brains out earlier????:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

I would add a few improvements.

1) It's better to drill the correct-sized hole for the screw than rely on whatever's left over between the stripped hole and the toothpick.

2) This from Dan Erlewine: after you drill the hole, drive the screw in and then remove it. The screw will cut threads into the wood. Next, run some thin liquid super-glue down in the hole, enough to soak the wood threads, but not enough to fill up the hole. Let the super-glue dry, then put the screw in once and for all. The idea is NOT to super-glue the screw into the guitar, but that the glue reinforces the threads in the wood, delaying future strip-out.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

Thanks! I didn't care for either since I don't have a drill or any tools at my disposal. That was all I could do to save that button. That poor thing either got very lucky or very unlucky muahaha

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

Something you can do along the same lines is drill the hole out larger and glue in a piece of oak dowel. The oak is hard and resists stripping very well and strengthens the area.

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

I had to do that to an old washburn electric I used to have. The toothpick method definately did the trick. The guitar is long gone now though. I gave it to my step brother since I have upgraded my guitars.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

vault material!

+1!!!!

I would add a few improvements.

1) It's better to drill the correct-sized hole for the screw than rely on whatever's left over between the stripped hole and the toothpick.

2) This from Dan Erlewine: after you drill the hole, drive the screw in and then remove it. The screw will cut threads into the wood. Next, run some thin liquid super-glue down in the hole, enough to soak the wood threads, but not enough to fill up the hole. Let the super-glue dry, then put the screw in once and for all. The idea is NOT to super-glue the screw into the guitar, but that the glue reinforces the threads in the wood, delaying future strip-out.

I hate to disagree with people that know more than me- of which I place Rich and Dan-O in those regards.

While I don't necessarily disagree with point #1, drilling a seperate hole some distance away from the original hole is impractical. To drill out, dowel, re-drill and screw is overkill and no better than the glue and toothpick method.

With point #2- Dan loves Super Glue... Unless your body wood is really soft- man, that sounds kind of silly.

The idea of the wood glue and toothpick is that you're bonding the toothpick to the body of the guitar with the glue, the screw then bites into the body and the toothpick (that is bonded to the body) creating a solid attachment.

This is not a *jerry rig* fix.
If you take it to a pro tech- they're going to fill the hole with Elmer's wood glue, insert a toothpick, screw in your strap button screw, wipe up the excess, let it dry and charge you for the "professional fix."

It's not brain surgery.

Personally, I like to glue the toothpicks in, let them dry then screw in the strap button screw. One time I had the glue bond to the screw and I couldn't re-use it. In most applications, and from the opinions of most experienced people I know, they screw the screw in with the glue wet.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

+1!!!!

I hate to disagree with people that know more than me- of which I place Rich and Dan-O in those regards.

While I don't necessarily disagree with point #1, drilling a seperate hole some distance away from the original hole is impractical. To drill out, dowel, re-drill and screw is overkill and no better than the glue and toothpick method.

With point #2- Dan loves Super Glue... Unless your body wood is really soft- man, that sounds kind of silly.
The idea of the wood glue and toothpick is that you're bonding the toothpick to the body of the guitar with the glue, the screw then bites into the body and the toothpick (that is bonded to the body) creating a solid attachment.

This is not a *jerry rig* fix.
If you take it to a pro tech- they're going to fill the hole with Elmer's wood glue, insert a toothpick, screw in your strap button screw, wipe up the excess, let it dry and charge you for the "professional fix."

It's not brain surgery.

+1 on all points.

Personally, I like to glue the toothpicks in, let them dry then screw in the strap button screw. One time I had the glue bond to the screw and I couldn't re-use it. In most applications, and from the opinions of most experienced people I know, they screw the screw in with the glue wet.

I do it the same way you do and have had better results than I have when screwing in with the glue wet. I think it's better to let the glue dry fully before sealing the hole up w/ a screw. It seems to be come out more solid that way.

 

[hareek]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

That's a good tip, as I've done the same thing on my dad's electric and its been great ever since.

For my strat, however, the screw holding in my strap peg would just keep coming loose, and I'd have to tighten it back up with a philips head screwdriver after every show. The screw would hold fine, unless I played really agressive again at a show. So I went to Lowe's and got this stuff called "Loctite Sumo Glue." Holy crap is that stuff amazing. It expands when it dryes so it really holds the screw in place with extra gripping power.

I would only recommend this for a screw that you want to hold in place, with the hole still being somewhat adequate. If the hole is stripped, definitely follow Pierre's advice.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

The idea of the wood glue and toothpick is that you're bonding the toothpick to the body of the guitar with the glue, the screw then bites into the body and the toothpick (that is bonded to the body) creating a solid attachment.

I prefer wood glue, too, but usually install the screw when the glue is still wet. Theory being that if the hole left after the toothpick is inserted is smaller than the screw, then the screw will provide enough pressure in the hole to get a great bond between the toothpick and the body. Obviously, even though the screw is in, let dry before use. I haven't run into an issue of wood glue bonding to a screw yet.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

That's why I put mine in today before it totally dried. I don't have much experience with super glue either so I'd have no clue as to when it would have been dried up either way.

Some people plug the hole entirely, with dowel or picks and then drill the hole in the same place too. I don't have any tools or anything though so that was all I could do. It's rock solid now though.

And even if the screw gets glued a little, nothing a turn on it with a screwdriver won't snap.

 

[lex666]

Re: Stripped screw holes? Fret not! Here's what to do...

I do this all the time too, especially when I have to swap out stock strap button for schallers. The screw for the schallers are often smaller than the stock strap button screws. I do the toothpick thing, and use wood glue and insert the new screw while the glue is still wet. my theory is, if the glue is still wet, this will bond everything together and help prevent the screw from ever backing out on its own... its been working great for me for years.