© Frank Ford, 3/11/98; Photos by FF, 3/9/98
Almost all guitar tuners, truss rod covers and lots of guitar parts are fastened with really teeny screws. . .
I'll illustrate how to fill and correct the small screw holes that have become stripped by over tightening. In fact, I'll show two variations.
Please read the cautions at the bottom of page 2.
If you're working with only a screwdriver, it's still no big deal to correct stripped screws. All you need is a toothpick and a little glue. This trick will work, but not as well, even without the glue.
Take a flat toothpick, and stick it in the screw hole:
Then, just fold it over to break it off:
Don't separate the broken piece, just leave it there:
and put a blob of glue on the end:
Then stick it back in the hole:
Fold the toothpick over again and twist off the broken end down in the hole:
If there's a little wood fiber sticking up, just mash it back down or break it off with your fingernail.
Done!
You can now drive the screw right into the hole while the glue is wet, or you can wait for it to dry, after which the screw will fit more tightly. Note that the hole is filled to about half its diameter.
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