Snapped off a neck bolt on my 1954 CS RI strat. Help!

[Joost Assink]

D*mn.*I*over-tightened*one*of*the*neck*bolts*on*my*1954*CS*RI*s trat*and*it*snapped.*So*now*there's*a*bit*of*metal *in*there.*How*do*I*fix*it? Thanks

[sberryreal]

Take off the neck, see if you can remove the remaining screw piece with pliers. If you can't get a hold of it you can try drilling out the bulk of it with a drill press. I wouldn't try that unless you have a drill press and good drill bits.

A pro can probably fix it for less than $100. Given it's a Fender Custom Shop you may want to a pro to tackle the repair.

[Cpt. Picard]

EZ-out, I wouldn't feel comfortable with any other technique.

Not much room for error here, best left to a tech.

[strat a various]

Get a small EZ Out and a small drill bit. Read the directions carefully and use the appropriate size bit and extraction tool. I just did this last week, no kidding. Put a few layers of elctrical tape around the hole in case you slip. It'll protect the finish better than masking tape. I usually drill a slightly larger guide hole through a piece id 1/4 inch plywood, and use the wood to make sure the bit stays centered on the broken screw. Wouldn't hurt to practice on a couple of scrap screws before drilling in your Strat.
If you buy an EZ Out, get the required tap handle (T shaped handle) that fits the EZ Out shank. A set of smaller EZ Outs are useful around guitars and cars.

[OlAndrew]

what he said, about making a guide jig. Try to make a nice center mark for the drill to center in, too. Sears has some very good screw removing thingies, for use with a reversible power drill. Finding something small enough may not be easy. A left-handed drill bit works wonders, but those can be kinda hard to find, outside of machine shops.

[tone4days]

could you use a dremel to cut a notch in the stub for the purpose of using a slot head screwdriver to back it out?

[hogy]

E-Z out, drill bits, pliers, none of that will work.

Here's what will work.

Find a piece of thin walled metal tubing with an inside diameter that is equal to the broken screws outside diameter. You can find this at a model plane shop, in aluminum or brass.

Cut a 10cm piece off of it.

With a triangular file cut one ond of the tube so that it looks like a crown, or saw teeth.

Clamp the neck heel in a drill press vise.

Put the saw toothed tube into the drill press like you would a drill bit.

Now drill into the neck heel COUNTERCLOCKWISE so that the broken screw goes into the center of the tube. The broken screw will get stuck inside the metal tube when you pull it out.

This will leave a clean hole in the neck which you can now plug with a matching hardwood dowel.

Now you just have to drill a pilot hole for the new neck screw and you're done.


Hogy

[DC1]

Go to a Pro

Period.


dc

[jaydawg76]

The question is where did the screw snap? If it snapped at the head then you can remove the other three screws and put a pair of channel locks on the remains of the screw sticking out from the back of the neck. Then just turn the screw like you normally would to remove. If it broke flush to the back of the neck, and you have any question about your abilities, then take it to a pro. If dealt with in the proper manner there will be no evidence it ever happened. If it's flush with the back of the neck then there is a real good chance you're gonna screw it up.

[strat a various]

what he said, about making a guide jig. Try to make a nice center mark for the drill to center in, too. Sears has some very good screw removing thingies, for use with a reversible power drill. Finding something small enough may not be easy. A left-handed drill bit works wonders, but those can be kinda hard to find, outside of machine shops.

DON"T USE A REVERSIBLE DRILL to remove the screw. Use a T-handle.

To hogy, obviously EZ Outs work, for mechanics all over the world, in auto, carpentry, general machine shops. I use them regularly on guitars and amps.
I like your tube idea, but I've never tried it, so I'll go with recommending a screw extractor.

To jaydawg76, of course, if the screw is protruding from the body, use pliers or small vice grips to wind it out. I presume Joost knows this and is up against a screw stuck inside the body flush with it.

[hogy]

To hogy, obviously EZ Outs work, for mechanics all over the world, in auto, carpentry, general machine shops.

EZ Outs work well with machine screws thick enough to drill a pilot hole into. Wood screws as used on guitar necks have a fairly small "core". Then you're also dealing with a screw that has twisted off, i.e. there's no flat surface to drill into. Very, very hard to do, and at best you end up with a 1.5mm pilot hole, which means a very small EZ Out that's usually not enough to overcome the friction of the screw stump in the dense maple.

My method works like a charm, every time. Much easier and cleaner than anything else.

Also works great for smaller screws such as tuner or pickguard screws, Try drilling an EZ Out hole into those.


Hogy

[OlAndrew]

Ummmm....the Sears extractors are made to be used with a reversible drill. I've used them many times that way. I do use a very slow speed.

The biggest problem is keeping a good center. Even with a drill press, small diameter bits really want to wander during startup. Hence a jig, or be VERY careful about doing a centerpunch start.

[hogy]

Ummmm....the Sears extractors are made to be used with a reversible drill.

Of course, how else would they turn the broken screw OUT? :jo

[clay49]

Call Greg at bcrmusic.com. He's a pro and can fix any neck problem...don't risk further damage by trying to fix it yourself.

[hogy]

Call Greg at bcrmusic.com. He's a pro and can fix any neck problem...don't risk further damage by trying to fix it yourself.

The OP is in the Netherlands...

[Joost Assink]

thanks everyone.
I managed to get it out. I just got enough purchase to twist it out.