Neck screw twisting around----is this bad?!?!?

[stratkat]

Hi everyone...

I took the neck off my Strat to fix the scratch (the superglue trick works wonders btw!!), and then put it back on, well apparently I must have stripped a screw hole, cos now one of the screws will not tighten, it just spins round and round. The other 3 snug up fine. Should I be concerned?? Will this affect the integrity of the neck?? Please give me some advise..and sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm new at this...:-)

..oh yeah, if I should fix this, how would I go about it??

Thanks

Steve (Stratkat)

[bo]

You can break up a bunch of toothpicks, fill the hole in the body, and fill up with Superglue. Let it dry over night (so the core of the glue is as dry as the outside) and reinstall neck. That being said, I have a Tele with two holes stripped and it's fine.

[Mr. Droopy-Drawers]

Just one or two of those bigger toothpicks (the kind to hold Clubhouse sandwiches together) will work fine. Trim them to length, and glue them in. I use yellow glue; I have no idea why :?.

[stratkat]

Hey guys..thanks for the tip!!

If I remove the neck, does this screw up the truss rod setting. I need to change strings, so I was gonna yank the neck off and do that toothpick thing, but if taking the neck off screws up the truss rod adjustment, I'm just gonna leave it for now. I just got my Strat like I like it.

Can I remove the neck, and expect the relief to be the same when I put it back on???

Thanks!

[Soapbarstrat]

As long as you don't touch the truss-rod adjustment nut, it should be the same.

Using the toothpick trick doesn't always work so good, especially if there was once wax or soap coated on the neck screw before it was screwed in. Some books suggest to coat the screw with wax or soap, to help it go into a new hole (so it must have been a guitar building book I saw this in).

Having threaded inserts installed will make sure you never have to deal with stripped holes again, no matter how much you take your neck off.

I sometimes drill out the stripped screw holes, then install a maple plug, then re-drill new holes.


(I'm not exactly new to the forum, but haven't posted since Feb or March--had to re-register)

[auger]

and it worked fine, an old carpenter told me they used to wrap thread around the screw too for another quick fix.

[stratkat]

Hey thanks for the tips guys...

I realize that I can't do any permanent damage to the neck doing the toothpick trick, but are there any "gotchas", I wonder if the material that is displaced by the screws will cause any problems...yah I know, I'm a worry wart!!! Also...do you guys just tighten the screws til they are snug, or do you torque 'em in really good. I quess as long as all 4 screws are making contact, and they are snugged, no worries....

Thanks

Steve (Stratkat)

[auger]

that's probably why that screw is loose in the first place, someone before you over tightening.
I'd just try one tooth pick in the hole with the screw for starters, the tooth pick will just take up the slack, it will deform to fit around the metal screw, it's just a gap filler really.
It takes a bit of getting used to, give it a go and you'll see soon enough.

[Rob DiStefano]

IMO, the best thing you can do with neck screw holes is to harden them with a drop or two of thin CYA - let it cure thoroughly overnight. Put some candle wax on yer neck screws before reinsering (as a lube) and you'll have recut some nice hard threads in yer neck heel. Don't need no steenkin neck bolt bushing inserts.

[Big Tony]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

IMO, the best thing you can do with neck screw holes is to harden them with a drop or two of thin CYA

Hey Rob, what is CYA?
I've used the toothpick trick in the past, but I'm always open to new, and better methods.

[Rob DiStefano]

CYAnoacrylate - aka "super glue". Do this before you run into problems with overtightened screws - and used with a few flat toothpicks, it'll fix that problem as well.

[Big Tony]

Thank you for the tip, and the explanation! :D

[auger]

next time I run into this I'll be trying that out for sure.

[Nick Fanis]

Rob is right this is the best method,on the other hand I have many times ,out of boredom simply instert a few toothpicks through the BODY hole,without remooving the neck and without using glue ,and than made sure they reached the neck hole,and put the screw back in.Worked like a charm!I guess I am lazy...

[rickyralph]

and i guess thats why ive always repaired my stripped wood holes with wooden matches preferebly the big kitchen type.no need to use multiples like with toothpicks,just one is all it takes.

[PJ]

...to use maple plugs with the grain going across the grain of the neck, so that expansion & contraction will have little effect on integrity of the bond of the new wood to the old. I agree, caropenter's glue (that yellow stuff) is probably the best to use.