Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Trust me, I'd love to get a nice drill press eventually. But I'd rather a larger job be the real reason why I end up getting one.

 

[LReese]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Maybe you have a bud that works on cars - or someone that works in a machine shop.

Another idea I had would be to get a slot cut into the broken off arm by whatever means you can - even if you scar up the block, so you can back it out with a screwdriver.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Not a bad idea! ^

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Trying to use an Ezy-Out (the type of tool that several people have mentioned here) usually doesn't work because of the difficulty of drilling a hole centrally into the remaining stub of metal .... when the arm breaks, the surface of the break is not usually smooth, making it almost impossible to drill a hole centrally into the piece to be removed. The more usual scenario is that the drill bit will wander and end up damaging the threaded sides of the hole in the block.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Yes sir, and that's exactly what started happening when I attempted it earlier. ^

I'm gonna try flattening out the broken off part tomorrow and try again after I hammer a notch dead center, drill it out and then hammer in the easy out I have. I think I'll have more success then.

Just like this:

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

The more I read this, the more I'm with Crusty on retrieving the end of the trem arm. Can't help thinking replacing the block is going to be your answer (that and less gorilla trem action in the future )

 

[constant mesh]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

A screw extractor is designed to bind and while the friction holds the two parts together, it should unscrew on itself. So the idea is to jam that drill bit into your piece so both start spinning. Success is only guaranteed on a drill press or better yet a milling machine with a neat set of screw extractors bits.

Another method would be driling a small pilot hole into the remaining piece. Take a hex grub screw that matches the diameter and epoxy it down into the hole. After it cures just use an allen wrench.
Any good machine shop in your area should be able to pull this off for a six-pack using the left-handed jamming drill, which is essentialy the same idea as a screw extrator but it's a regular drill bit cut/rolled the opposite way as a standard bit, goes in fast turning left and when it grabs or jams on the piece you are drilling, it outmatically unscrews everything out of the threaded hole.

With any type of drilling for screw extraction, you NEED at least a drill press, don't use a handheld drill.

Some trems don't have a blind hole. If that part is closer to the bottom side, you could take a micro-chisel, hope the material is soft, and make a dent over the centre. Once it's big enough, use a flathead screwdriver.

A method that would clearly work would be using a Helicoil. Simply drill out the hole with and oversized bit, buy a Helicoil kit and read the instructions. Taping a hole that deep would again call for a drill press, this time using it manually, unless you have the self-returning taping chucks.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

(that and less gorilla trem action in the future )

But it felt so metal. :headbang:

Not really. Felt like ****.

With any type of drilling for screw extraction, you NEED at least a drill press, don't use a handheld drill.

I'm pretty much just following that video I posted up there. If that no worky then I'll just use the bridge that rad mofo King IzzO))) is sending me.

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

If he tried doing it with the tremolo still attached to the guitar I would say walk away from playing all together:smack:

The humor.
It has passed through the sky above you.
Like a bird.
Or a jet.

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

But it felt so metal. :headbang:
Not really. Felt like ****.
I'm pretty much just following that video I posted up there. If that no worky then I'll just use the bridge that rad mofo King IzzO))) is sending me.

Beware teh wandering drill bit.
If you can't use a "center drill" like in the video, use a punch to hammer in an indent and then drill. At least that way the bit will tend not to wander.

Good luck.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Yup yup. Just got home and I'm about to get at it.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Good Luck!!!

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Thankya sir. Still haven't gotten around to it. lol

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

the screw extractor won't work. First of all, its not a screw, its a busted jagged peice of pot metal probably, thats not thick enough to be screwed down upon, and if it even is, there are no remnants of any screwhead to bite into and nextly, how "simply" is it to screw something by hand down onto another piece of metal , especially if its steel?

Jerry, with all due respect, Ive been doing this for almost 25 years AND have extensive qualificatiions in metalworking. I have done this sucessfully literally dozens of times, which I will assume more often than you or anyone else has even broken a trem arm.

A broken off strat trem arm is basically what? A bolt without a head.

This tool is purpose designed to do EXACTLY what TLD wants, remove bolts that have had their heads twisted off (or in this case broken off, which actually makes it easier by offering a flatter contact surface instead of the jagged one a torqued off head leaves. It is made of hardened tool steel and often has a tungsten carbide cutting flange (btw a "pot metal" trem arm would brek the first time you use it, but it would actually be like cutting into butter), and has removed literally MILLIONS if not billions of broken (read "headless") screws in the automotive, aircraft, and fabrication industries for for longer than either one of us has been alive.

A drill press will work, yes... but why overcomplicate the process when there is a simple tool who`s effectiveness has been proven more often than you have taken a dump in you life, that every qualified professional has recommended for longer than either one of us has been alive? A thin center punch, a quick but deliberate snap of the hammer, 5 minutes of twisting, done.

With all due respect, I seriously doubt from what you have stated that you have ever used one, and your luthierie skills have always been regarded as, well, questionable....

That said, I also do not know why my brain had the fart of assuming that the trem would not be removed from the instrument befopre starting teh process. Thankfully, TLD is smarter than that

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

I had success using a screw extractor/EZ out the few times I broke off the vintage trem arm on my Charvel. I only did it two times in 25 years though.

To avoid ever having to do this little exercise make sure the arm is screwed in all the way every time. It is when its only screwed in part way that it breaks off 99% of the time.

On strats I usually replace the entire trem with a Wilkensen 6 point vintage trem with a steel block anyway. These have push-in arms.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

I had success using a screw extractor/EZ out the few times I broke off the vintage trem arm on my Charvel. I only did it two times in 25 years though.

To avoid ever having to do this little exercise make sure the arm is screwed in all the way every time. It is when its only screwed in part way that it breaks off 99% of the time.

On strats I usually replace the entire trem with a Wilkensen 6 point vintage trem with a steel block anyway. These have push-in arms.

those are very reasonable at guitarpartsonline

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Yeah I can't get that **** outta there. Can't even drill deep enough for the easy out.

Ah well! Thanks for all the help fellas.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

No worries, trem is on its way chef.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

Superglue it to a thin rod and pull (or turn) it out? Might squish out to touch the sides but maybe you could work within a plastic tube of some type. Yes I'm a hillbilly.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Trem Arm Broke In The Block. Any Tips On Getting It Out?

No worries, trem is on its way chef.

Thanks so much man. I definitely owe ya.

Superglue it to a thin rod and pull (or turn) it out? Might squish out to touch the sides but maybe you could work within a plastic tube of some type. Yes I'm a hillbilly.

Yeah, I'm definitely not done screwin' around with it. Good opportunity to find out what does and doesn't work. I'll post any results here for posterity.