My strap fixing is loose...

[dandini]

Has anyone else had a problme where the screw into teh body of your bass has worn itself loose and opened up teh whole?

If so, I'd love to know how you "repaired" it?

My strap lock wobbles around teh hole now and my strap can come off mid playing!!

Cheers

Dan

[Adrenochrome]

I don't know how expensive the bass you want to repair is but I fixed a cheap Tanglewood by filling the hole with polyfilla, then before it set I screwed in the strap button and left it for a couple of days. The repair has lasted 5+ years.

[BIG.J]

In the past i have used a few match sticks (Ends Cut Off) which acts as a raw plug when packed into the hole!

Have a good one!

Justin.

[dandini]

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='361267' date='Dec 22 2008, 06:26 PM']I don't know how expensive the bass you want to repair is but I fixed a cheap Tanglewood by filling the hole with polyfilla, then before it set I screwed in the strap button and left it for a couple of days. The repair has lasted 5+ years.[/quote]

Its my BB614... not bothered about the cost of the guitar as teh bass is a bit battered and will eventually be replaced by a Rick.

Somone suggested glueing in a broken match and using that effectively as filler... anyone got any thoughts on that?

[BIG.J]

[quote name='dandini' post='361275' date='Dec 22 2008, 06:39 PM']Its my BB614... not bothered about the cost of the guitar as teh bass is a bit battered and will eventually be replaced by a Rick.

Somone suggested glueing in a broken match and using that effectively as filler... anyone got any thoughts on that?[/quote]

Check my reply!

You must have been typing the same time as me.

The matchstick method works well!

[lemmywinks]

+1 to both the above solutions (+2 then?)

I use matches, i heard something about the cooks matches being the most suitable because of the wood or something, not sure how true that is though...

In my youth i used Milliput, but suppose any decent filler would be a more permanent solution

[johnnylager]

Cocktail sticks - harder wood. Fnarr.

[BIG.J]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='361282' date='Dec 22 2008, 06:46 PM']+1 to both the above solutions (+2 then?)

I use matches, i heard something about the cooks matches being the most suitable because of the wood or something, not sure how true that is though...

In my youth i used Milliput, but suppose any decent filler would be a more permanent solution[/quote]

Cooks matches are great as they are much larger and you would probabilly only need one!

[dandini]

Thanks for the response. Ill post when ive tried the repair

[BigRedX]

+1 on the cocktail sticks. Makes a better-lasting repair than matches of any variety.

[neepheid]

+1 on cocktail sticks here too

[dandini]

OK, cocktail sticks it is and with Xmas being here I should have plenty of supply.

Any suggestions of how t use them?

Cheers

[chrisba]

[quote name='dandini' post='361587' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:10 AM']OK, cocktail sticks it is and with Xmas being here I should have plenty of supply.

Any suggestions of how t use them?

Cheers[/quote]

Well, the usual method is...

Take cocktail stick in one hand
Take plate of sausages in the other hand
Decide which of the many sausages takes you fancy
Insert cocktail stick in sausage
Transport sausage to mouth, being careful not to stab yourself with the stick.
Repeat as necessary

Oh, you mean for repairing the hole ?

Cut/break a couple of sticks so they are slightly shorter than the depth of the hole
Dribble some PVA wood glue into hole
Insert sticks ( no need to jam the hole full of sticklets, in fact this would be bad. 2 should do unless it's in a bad way )
Wipe away excess glue
Allow to dry
Screw screw back in.
Go back to sausages

Edited December 23, 2008 by chrisba

[dandini]

[quote name='chrisba' post='361700' date='Dec 23 2008, 09:11 AM']Well, the usual method is...

Take cocktail stick in one hand
Take plate of sausages in the other hand
Decide which of the many sausages takes you fancy
Insert cocktail stick in sausage
Transport sausage to mouth, being careful not to stab yourself with the stick.
Repeat as necessary

Oh, you mean for repairing the hole ?

Cut/break a couple of sticks so they are slightly shorter than the depth of the hole
Dribble some PVA wood glue into hole
Insert sticks ( no need to jam the hole full of sticklets, in fact this would be bad. 2 should do unless it's in a bad way )
Wipe away excess glue
Allow to dry
Screw screw back in.
Go back to sausages[/quote]

Cheers.. just cooking teh sausages now!

[bumnote]

[quote name='chrisba' post='361700' date='Dec 23 2008, 09:11 AM']Well, the usual method is...


Cut/break a couple of sticks so they are slightly shorter than the depth of the hole
Dribble some PVA wood glue into hole
Insert sticks ( [b]no need to jam the hole full of sticklets, in fact this would be bad. 2 should do unless it's in a bad way [/b])[/quote]

Yes, whatever you do dont try and fill the hole, unless you then drill a new pilot hole afterwards.
If you completetly fill the hole you run the risk of splitting the wood on your guitar.

[EssentialTension]

If you are stuck for cocktail sticks and glue (maybe because you are at a gig) but do have some matches then fill the whole completely with match wood because the softer wood of the match will accept the screw without splitting the guitar wood. That should hold it until you get home and can access cocktail sticks and [s]sausages[/s] glue.

[Machines]

I had this happen on my 55-02 last week, just shoved a bit of cardboard in the hole and tightened the screw back in.. tighter than a really tight thing.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Machines' post='362536' date='Dec 24 2008, 09:12 AM'].. tighter than a really tight thing.[/quote]

Nice.

[dandini]

Clearly a more common problem than I realised.

[Mr. Foxen]

I don't think I've had any instruments that haven't needed this doing. Never been convinced the little srews generally used are adequate for the job, bit bigger screw shouldn't work loose and start reaming a big hole in the first place.

[octavedoctor]

[quote name='neepheid' post='361514' date='Dec 22 2008, 10:40 PM']+1 on cocktail sticks here too[/quote]

Do it properly for god's sake.

Drill the hole out and plug it with dowel. Use a very slightly larger diameter of dowel and spin it in the hole using a cordless drill in to compress the wood fibres. glue it in and trim it flush then re-drill when the glue has set using the [i]correct[/i] diameter of drill (slightly larger than the thread core but smaller than the diameter across the thread crests).

Even better, replace them with a set of Jim Dunlop flush mounted straplock ferrules. These transfer the weight of the bass directly to the the strap and take it off the screw which is fragile and unstable.
[url="http://www.allparts.uk.com/strap-lock-dunlop-flush-mount-p-3920.html?p=product"]Flush mounted strap locks[/url]

[ezbass]

Cocktail sticks are certainly better than matches. For a good, quick repair which doesn't require redrilling, place a couple of the cocktail sticks with some quick setting epoxy and screw the button back on while still wet, solid as a rock.