the fish! Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 First, let me say HI to all. I look forward to getting to know some of you, and for openers, I have a little challenge. I am looking for a little guidance in the repair of an adjustable screw and block for the pickguard. So, thanks in advance, and here we go......... ES-335. There is an adjustment screw that goes into the little plastic (carbon?) block on the back of the pick guard. On my ES-335, which I just 'adopted', the threads in the plastic block are stripped, and there is a small (very small) "v" shaped chip that is gone. It would appear that someone, sometime, tried to move the pickguard in (up) or out (down) and in doing so, created this chipped/stripped situation. I talked to a guy who has seen a few Gibsons in his day, and he thought that simply dropping a drop or two of superglue into the hole, and then just sliding the adjustment threaded bar into the hole, and as it dries, it will dry with the threaded rod in place, and should actually create the threaded hole that existed when the pickguard was new. Has anyone ever seen this particular type of damage, and (therefore) have a possible alternative solution in the repair of this block? THANKS! If my attempt at uploading pics succeeds, this a pic of the threaded adjustment screw, that screws into the 'block' . ...then, the block itself, and the adjustment screw going into the block where the stripped threads are, and the newly adopted ES-335. Ain't she a cutie? Thanks for any help in the fixing of this block and thread puzzle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarfish Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Hey fish, I like your screen name :) Congrats on a very nice looking 335!! What I would do is buy some JB Weld, available at most hardware stores. It's an epoxy, you mix equal amounts from two different tubes together using a something small (a paperclip works good). Take off the pickguard, and apply the JB Weld to the stripped hole. Mix the epoxy properly, and apply it neatly and fill in the hole so it's filled, as best you can. Then let it dry for at least 12 hrs. Then maybe drill a very small pilot hole, and try reinstalling the screw. I've used this stuff for various things over the years, I find it works best on things that will remain stationary and not be subject to a lot of movement. Let us know how it turns out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookkeeper's Son Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Try breaking the tip of a toothpick off in the hole, then screw the screw back in. Works in a stripped hole in wood (like a stripped strap pin), so why not in a plastic hole? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the fish! Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 Hey fish, I like your screen name :) Congrats on a very nice looking 335!! What I would do is buy some JB Weld, available at most hardware stores. It's an epoxy, you mix equal amounts from two different tubes together using a something small (a paperclip works good). Take off the pickguard, and apply the JB Weld to the stripped hole. Mix the epoxy properly, and apply it neatly and fill in the hole so it's filled, as best you can. Then let it dry for at least 12 hrs. Then maybe drill a very small pilot hole, and try reinstalling the screw. I've used this stuff for various things over the years, I find it works best on things that will remain stationary and not be subject to a lot of movement. Let us know how it turns out! Thanks for the reply. I sure don't want to do more damage to the hole then already has been done. I kinda like the idea of a few drops of a liquid (something like loctite, or superglue) going in there that can then harden around the threads of the screw, but I also like the idea of drilling, but I'm thinking that that would be a good route if I actually had a tap the correct size. Do you think that I will be able to just screw the shaft into the epoxy without having it break off even more of a 'chip' than already exists? **I could mix the two parts of the epoxy, put some into the hole, and then, before it sets, just slide the shaft into the (still soft) epoxy, and let it harden around the shaft of the screw...It seems to me that it might actually harden around the steel, thus forming new threads as it hardens. Obviously, just buying a replacement pickguard would be nice if (a.)I could find one that LINED UP with the existing setup, and (b.) could afford it! lol! Thanks for the thought. I'm going to 'dream about it' overnight, and then make my way to the hardware, with the fresh idea ready to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the fish! Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 Try breaking the tip of a toothpick off in the hole, then screw the screw back in. Works in a stripped hole in wood (like a stripped strap pin), so why not in a plastic hole? I'm liking that....simple, which is usually better, and less likely to damage the actual hole further. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col F Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 You might want to try placing several wraps of teflon tape (plumbers teflon tape used for thread sealing) around the threads and simply screw the threaded rod back into the plastic block. By wrapping carefully and evenly, you might achieve a very close fit. If this fails, you can easily remove the tape since there is no adhesive and nothing should have been damaged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinh Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 If you want to rebuild it I would suggest the superglue/JB weld methods previously sugested, with one proviso: coat the screw thread with a very light coat of floor wax before inserting it into the superglue/JB Weld filled hole. If you get this just right, the glue forms a workable thread around the screw, but the wax prevents the glue from adhering to the screw, so you can still unscrew it when everthing dries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 The toothpick idea could easily split the small plastic threaded block, which is quite fragile. You are better off trying to fill it with a drop or two of glue and then very carefully thread the rod back in when the glue has just about set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the fish! Posted July 8, 2011 Author Share Posted July 8, 2011 The toothpick idea could easily split the small plastic threaded block, which is quite fragile. You are better off trying to fill it with a drop or two of glue and then very carefully thread the rod back in when the glue has just about set. That's what I'M talkin about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Fill and drill sounds best to me. Or epoxy/jb weld it in place with the wax around the screw. Just remove the pickguard to do the work or take your chances that you might get a blob of epoxy on the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 This screw does not actually adjust the angle of the pickguard, if you look at the mechanics of it. That angle is fixed by the bracket that attaches to the side of the guitar. The adjustment merely serves to adapt a standard pickguard bracket to a variety of slightly different pickguards and body shape/sizes. To use the screw properly, you loosen the locknut, carefully turn the "adjustment screw" into the block until the head of the screw fetches up against the outside of the bracket, and then snug down the locking nut against the inside of the bracket. I believe the plastic block is threaded all the way through, so it's a bit surprising that the threads are completely stripped. On both of my 335's, the "screw" extends fully through the block. The lock nut actually does all the work of holding everything rigidly in position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the fish! Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 This screw does not actually adjust the angle of the pickguard, if you look at the mechanics of it. That angle is fixed by the bracket that attaches to the side of the guitar. The adjustment merely serves to adapt a standard pickguard bracket to a variety of slightly different pickguards and body shape/sizes. To use the screw properly, you loosen the locknut, carefully turn the "adjustment screw" into the block until the head of the screw fetches up against the outside of the bracket, and then snug down the locking nut against the inside of the bracket. I believe the plastic block is threaded all the way through, so it's a bit surprising that the threads are completely stripped. On both of my 335's, the "screw" extends fully through the block. The lock nut actually does all the work of holding everything rigidly in position. They were completely stripped. So, I bought some JB Weld, mixed it up, and put a small amount into each end of the block, inserted the threaded rod, took a toothpick and picked away any available excess, and let it start to cure (it takes about 18 hours or so to completely cure). Now, if it ever becomes desirable to use the threads for anything, I'm hoping that since they are stainless, and the block looks like composite, or plastic, that by turning the threads, they might break loose from the epoxy, and turn freely, creating the threads inside the block as it starts to turn. If not, then I really don't care, because, as mentioned, the threads don't really adjust anything, so if I do find it necessary/desirable to replace the pick guard, I'll just pull the threaded rod out of the existing pickguard and use the bracket on the replacement. In the meantime, it is fixed, in place, and looks good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 In the meantime, it is fixed, in place, and looks good! Job well done. Usually, when you buy a replacement pickguard, the screw block is not yet glued in position on the back of the pickguard. In the meantime, even if the "adjustment" screw seizes in the block, you can still remove the whole pickguard and bracket assembly from the guitar by removing the bracket screw at the body and the single screw holding the pickguard itself to the body at the neck. That's actually the way I do it if I want to clean the entire body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarfish Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Good job fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the fish! Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 Good job fish! Thanx! "I'm the MAN", said the fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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