Need help!!!!! Finishing up one of the nicest guitars I ever made, drilling the screw holes on the tuners and my itby bity bit snapped, what to do. Drilled a hole beside it but the screw will not drive all the way in, I think it's hitting the bit. I can't get the bit out the way it is, not enough sticking out.....Help!
Thanks for any advice......
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Glad it worked out for you. We have all had things like this happen Really makes you sick on your first.. You will get to a point where you can make a mistake and cover it by making it look like you meant it to be that way. Have fun and keep 'em comin'.
I like your advice Bama, I learned long ago in jewelry, "Do it once, it's a mistake, do it twice and it's a design". Made a lot of saves that way back in the 70's when I was a fledgling silversmith.
One thing you might want to look at is how it got broken. If you chuck as much as possible of those little guys(1/!6") (3/32"), only exposing what you need to use it will cut down on breakin'. I am not getting on your case, I learned this from breaking off drill bits(:-0), Now your problem: First take 10 slow, deep breaths. Now,Mask the area around the bit with masking tape. Take a small bit and drill a hole parallel to the broken one.Do this where the tuner will cover the gouge. Take a small brad and holding it in a set of needle nose and get down beside the broken bit. Try to lever it out. Try to catch the point of the brad on one of the flutes of the broken bit. After you get it out apply filler, sand lightly flush. Remove masking tape and you are good to go.
cut the screw shorter , it wont need a point if you have already channeled it in . flush the drill bit hole . fill in the drill bit hole with filler . or cover it in with the tuner base .
call it a "sustain pin" ;-)
sometimes you can reverse the drill sloooowly and use the broken end to catch on the bit ,, twisting it out enough to grab it with vice grips to twist out .
Goldsmithexile > the anonymous pickJuly 17, 2015 at 10:13am
That is awkward....especially when the job was going so well.....I bet it was the last one to do as well??
I'd be inclined to use a small plug cutter to cut an area around the snapped off bit, pull out the wood plug with the metal still inside it, then insert a plug repair using matching timber, with matching grain pattern, use a sharp block plane and scraper to finish the surface, and then refit the tuner as usual.
For to start tiny screws I'd be more inclined to use a fine sharp bradawl, or if you must use a very small bit, try a hand drill (I use an exacto type screw collet aluminum handle with a 1 mm bit, and just rotate it by hand.
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Thanks for all of your help.
Glad it worked out for you. We have all had things like this happen Really makes you sick on your first.. You will get to a point where you can make a mistake and cover it by making it look like you meant it to be that way. Have fun and keep 'em comin'.
I like your advice Bama, I learned long ago in jewelry, "Do it once, it's a mistake, do it twice and it's a design". Made a lot of saves that way back in the 70's when I was a fledgling silversmith.
One thing you might want to look at is how it got broken. If you chuck as much as possible of those little guys(1/!6") (3/32"), only exposing what you need to use it will cut down on breakin'. I am not getting on your case, I learned this from breaking off drill bits(:-0), Now your problem: First take 10 slow, deep breaths. Now,Mask the area around the bit with masking tape. Take a small bit and drill a hole parallel to the broken one.Do this where the tuner will cover the gouge. Take a small brad and holding it in a set of needle nose and get down beside the broken bit. Try to lever it out. Try to catch the point of the brad on one of the flutes of the broken bit. After you get it out apply filler, sand lightly flush. Remove masking tape and you are good to go.
like
cut the screw shorter , it wont need a point if you have already channeled it in . flush the drill bit hole . fill in the drill bit hole with filler . or cover it in with the tuner base .
call it a "sustain pin" ;-)
sometimes you can reverse the drill sloooowly and use the broken end to catch on the bit ,, twisting it out enough to grab it with vice grips to twist out .
That is awkward....especially when the job was going so well.....I bet it was the last one to do as well??
I'd be inclined to use a small plug cutter to cut an area around the snapped off bit, pull out the wood plug with the metal still inside it, then insert a plug repair using matching timber, with matching grain pattern, use a sharp block plane and scraper to finish the surface, and then refit the tuner as usual.
For to start tiny screws I'd be more inclined to use a fine sharp bradawl, or if you must use a very small bit, try a hand drill (I use an exacto type screw collet aluminum handle with a 1 mm bit, and just rotate it by hand.
Hope it works out for you mate!
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