a "backdoor"

[kuzi16]

get your minds out of the gutter. ;D

the cover to the electronics cavity of my electric guitar has been off and on a bout 63298 times in the past few months. Though i am careful to not cross thread the screws and not to over tighten i know that it is only a matter of time before its all stripped.

My idea is to put the cover to the cavity on a hinge or two so i can open and close it to change the pickups or a cap or to add or subtract whatever other parts i want without having to un- and re- screw.

my first thought was about a small magnet mounted on a spring device. it would work much like an entertainment center glass door. I press in and itll pop out. i press it again to close. then i thought that the magnet may mess with the electronics and it may have a tendency to open unwantedly.

my next thought was some sort of latch. It would have to not stick out much, if at all and it would also have to stay latched with movement. I was thinking that a bit of old pick guard shaped in the right way and mounted in such a way that it could turn and sort of hold down the cavity cover may work best.

anyone else have any thoughts like these or another way to overcome the stripped screw hole issue?

[jkemmery]

You could drill out the holes and install some small metal studs and use machine screws ... The idea of magnets may actually be more viable. You could get some rare earth magnets from Radio Shack, which are very small but quite powerful and glue one in each screw hole of the guitar body, then just glue a small piece of steel into each screw hole in the cover. Cut a couple of half-moon shaped "finger holes" in the cover to pry it off when you want to remove it. The rare earth magnets would be strong enough to hold it in place through anything that wouldn't destroy the guitar. Just make sure your metal in the cover is thick enough to make a good magnetic bond. The only caveat to this approach may be that the magnets could effect the pickups, and other electronics on the guitar, like I said they are quite powerful for little bb-sized suckers. You could test by taping some inside the cavity before you install them, just to make sure they don't adversely effect the normal functioning of the guitar.

[hammeroff]

anyone else have any thoughts like these or another way to overcome the stripped screw hole issue?

Drastically simplify the entire issue!



All 11 of my pickguard screw holes are stripped out. I stopped caring =/

Aesthetics are the first thing I stop caring about when I work on guitars though, so take my advice with a shaker full of salt.

[coo1nt]

!!!DUCTAPE!!! fixes everything
ok i'll actually say something constructive, if the hole gets stripped, split a toothpick along it's length and glue it into the hole, it worked for my guitar's input jack which gets more stress then pickguard screws when i put it down with the cable still connected

velcro may work also

[kuzi16]

the toothpick thing is a good idea... at least teporarily.

In a way i agree with you Hammeroff. however, how it looks is a major thing to me. Sound is first but how it looks is a close second. I dont want a guitar that i build from scratch to look "old and beat up" when it is basicly new.


i think there is a non-magnet version of the first latch i spoke of. it kind of closes in on its self. if i do that and have some sort of stop to keep it from opening.

.. maybe a lock and key thing. it would just be a lock from a jewlry box. If i ever sold a guitar i built (yeah right) id give em the key to go with it.

[darguitar]

I'd have to go with the toothpick/match solution. It works a treat every time, costs next to nothing, and is dead simple to do. Just take a match preferably(toothpicks tend to be a bit too narrow in diameter) and using a small file, try to size it down so it will fit into the offending screw hole. Next, put a tiny drop of white wood glue (Titebond or similair) into the hole, then place the match into the hole, and break it off, leaving the hole pretty much filled in. Mash the matchstick down a bit, with a small file or fine point. Let the glue dry overnight. Yer finished! Repeat this for each worn hole, then replace the backplate, and screw in your screws. Don't redrill the holes, just replace the screws.
Finito!

[ChrisK]

What I do on all screws that go into any soft material (wood, plastic, etc.) is to turn the screw slowly backwards at first to ensure that the threads on the screw "find" the threads in the soft material.

You know when you've "found" the thread when the screw drops a thread spacing into the material.

Then (and only then) do I turn it into the material.

This has worked for me for decades in preventing the cutting of new threads, which is what eventually destroys threads and enlarges the holes.

A big part of this practice is to use a hex-based, tight fitting interchangeable screwdriver bit and not an entire screwdriver while "finding". This most helpful on Phillips and crosspoint screw heads.


I've found that in harder woods such as maple and alder that this practice is easy to do. In softer woods such as mahogany and basswood it's harder to find the existing thread, but very important to do so.


There are threaded inserts available that use machine screws. I've seen them for refitting a guitar for easy neck removal and breakdown for travel. I don't know who sells them into the musical industry, but here's a link to an industrial supplier.

www.mcmaster.com

Search for threaded inserts



I have no idea about sources other than them.


Or, when the holes eventually get stripped, drill them deeper and just use longer screws!

(These work better for me since I can find the thread with the screw and just my fingers, where the shorter screws require a screwdriver bit as well.)