Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

My Incompetent Woodwork and Neuroses :)

#1

Well, I decided to install a strap button in a guitar, having seen Ben and the crew on video and in person perform such task with ease. I measured 10x and performed each step with care. Anyway, I’ll be darned, but I stripped the screw about ~40% by the time everything was set in there.

So I sat there wondering, whether I could simply unscrew the screw and replace it or that would somehow widen/destroy the hole so badly that a new screw would not fit. I remember reading all these horror stories of people in woodworking that had to fill holes with toothpicks, sawdust and all sorts of things when screws wouldn’t sit.

At that moment, I realized that I don’t really know anyone anymore that knows a darn thing about this type of thing, which is a crying shame. My dad’s with God. My widow neighbor has her husband’s magnificent woodshop that now sits vacant as a tribute to her husband. Most of the people I know are about as handy as I am, which is not handy at all (but hey, I could fix your darn computer!). I should’ve called you, @epjacobs!

Anyway, I eventually remembered to call my uncle who explained that I should be able to easily unscrew it and replace the bad screw with a new one – although (chuckling) he said I was pretty nutty and neurotic, but he would do the same damn thing.

So I did swap the screw with a new one… and this one is only 20% stripped or so. Yeah, I got it down there about halfway before I realized that my screwdriver was the culprit. Well, we’ll wait on a new screw and new screwdriver before we go at it again. Although, I might leave this busted one in there as a tribute to… all the more competent people out there!

Have a wonderful 4th and appreciate those in your life that are competent with tools. It’s a dying art out here in Cali!

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#2

No worries! That’s an EASY fix. Next time make sure you have a good screwdriver head that fits the (new) screw and you should be good.

Predrilling the hole with something less than or equal to the screw’s minor diameter, (or diameter between the threads) and using a little bar soap on the threads makes it much easier to get the screw in there.

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#3

Thanks @Mike_R. I swapped out the screw with a new one and all is well in the world this evening.

Next time, I’ll just buy a new guitar from the General Store.

Reminds me of an old newspaper clipping from my grandfather. He was from a town with a population of 5,000. When someone bought a car from the tiny dealer in town, they put an announcement in the town paper. He sent us a clipping once with a grainy photo of him standing in front of a shiny new car. He had scrawled on the bottom, “needed a new one… ash tray was full.” Bless him!

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#4

@AnotherEric sounds like you saved the day. I once told an old finish carpenter that he was the best I’d ever seen. He ask me, “do you know how to tell how good you are? By how big a boo-boo you can fix.” Right now you’re near the top. Good to hear it all worked out.

I’ve been in maintenance all my life. Drilled holes in all kinds of expensive equipment. I was nervous the day I installed a button in my HD28. There’s a funny feeling when drilling a hole in a new guitar.

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#5

Are you my wife? Don’t you usually use a butter knife instead of a screwdriver?

Kidding aside, you did well, boldly going where few have gone before. That showed courage. Courage builds experience. Experience builds wisdom. Wisdom tempers courage with prudence.

It won’t be long until people are calling you for advice! :+1:

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#6

Don’t you usually use a butter knife instead of a screwdriver?

Now now… I only use a butter knife for a Phillips Head screw :rofl:

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