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Author Topic:  How to Repair The Old Vintage Plastic Tuner Buttons >>
George Piburn


From:
The Land of Enchantment New Mexico
Post  Posted 21 Dec 2009 3:59 pm    
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I scanned this back cover of a Stew-Mac Catalog



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Brad Bechtel


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 21 Dec 2009 4:13 pm    
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Here's a similar installation method by Frank Ford of Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, CA.

Thanks for sharing that. It doesn't look too hard.
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Al Terhune


From:
Newcastle, WA
Post  Posted 21 Dec 2009 7:19 pm    
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I had luck with this -- requires drilling, but no soldering gun, and you do need a vise.

http://www.frets.com/FRETSpages/Luthier/Technique/Tuners/NewButton/newbutton.html
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John Gould


From:
Houston, TX Now in Cleveland TX
Post  Posted 22 Dec 2009 7:51 am    
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One thing Dan left out of that article that is a cool thing to do. If you want the buttons to still look vintage you can soak them in coffee for a while to give them that aged look. Stewmac has some great stuff they send out via email if you sign up for their news letter.
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John Billings


From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 22 Dec 2009 11:08 am    
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Anyone know a easy way to get the metal buttons off Fender style tuners? Always wanted to use dice for the buttons on one of my Teles.
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Denny Turner

 

From:
Oahu, Hawaii USA
Post  Posted 23 Dec 2009 7:38 pm    
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Quote:
I had luck with this -- requires drilling, but no soldering gun, and you do need a vise:

http://www.frets.com/FRETSpages/Luthier/Technique/Tuners/NewButton/newbutton.html

FWIW:

That's the method I've come to use too, after having considered or tried every other method I could find published:


A couple extra techniques I use, maybe worthy of mention:

I use a drill bit slightly smaller than the tuner button shaft (for a tight fit kinda like a pilot hole). I use a toothpick to measure the depth of the hole and then wrap a stop-wrap of masking tape at that depth on the drill bit I use. I also clip a standard size wood clothespin on the knob-shaft between the tuner casing and the button, to act as a stop for the press-on, which will ensure all buttons are on the shafts evenly at the same depth; A clothespin just happens to be the same width as the distance of tuner-button shaft between an installed tuner button and it's machine's casing ...on Kluson "deluxes" for example. Then as a final touch to make sure the tuner shaft flanges don't get loose in the drilled out hole: When I have the new tuner buttons pressed on, I then prop the tuners up and use a flat toothpick to pick up, place and push baking soda down into whatever small spaces remain (especially on the slotted button versions), and use the toothpick to flick off soda that fell outside the hole. The baking soda in the holes spaces will carry a drop of super glue down into the small spaces and flash it dry and strong, and face the hole nicely; While any super glue holiday on the shaft or button will remain liquid long enough to quickly wipe off with super glue remover on a rag but won't disturb the glue that already flashed in the spaces baking soda. Makes a nice clean job.

I used to use matching color epoxy to mash into the small spaces around freshly installed tuner holes, which also works good but takes much more time to press in with a toothpick, clean of holidays with naptha and then wait for it to dry overnight. Filling and flashing super glue with baking soda is much faster, just a strong and just as aesthetic.
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