Klusion tuner button repair - crack

drzing · January 5, 2013

BTW Sorry for the spelling mistake, can't edit the title.

So, not being used to the 17 degrees headstock of my SG Special 60's Tribute, I have

managed to already have a few small hits at the headstock or at some tuners buttons (original

green klusons), I know those buttons are supposed to be fairly resistent, I'm not sure if it

has already come with that crack or if it happened by my fault, anyways, I suppose it is not like

sending an email to gibson and they'll send me a new button/tuner, also, those might not be availiable

for purchase in single units, specially the green ones, and a whole set may be expensive.

So I was thinking and googleing about ways to fix a cracking tuning button (the 'plastic' part).

I read about using 'superglue', as to fill in the gap and bring back the rigidity of the structure.

Still, I wasn't able to find actually much information on the subject, most people seem to just put

on grovers or whatever. Do you think it's worth putting metallic tuners?

I have also had thoughts about taking out the rod/button 'piece' out of the 'machine' and to try to slowly

heat the metallic rod with a rather weak soldering iron, just about reaching the melting point of the plastic

so it would 'solder' back together, and have its molecules re-structured as the polymer that it is.

It sounds interesting in theory, but I am weary of ruining the whole thing this way.

So, how would you advice me to proceed? I got the glue, the iron, and a lifetime warranty (bought it a

couple weeks ago, this is a shame). All I know is that other tuning buttons on this guitar stood a few

awkward bumps and there isn't a single scratch on them.

Of course I would rather get a replacement than fixing it myself.

Metallic tuners are out of question as those will depreciate my guitar's originality and aesthetics.

Unless there is a good reason for those.

Any help will be very appreciated, sorry for the noobness.

drzing · January 15, 2013

Maybe I should have had contacted my local gibson dealer for a replacement part, but I am

a rather practical guy, and my brother is a luthier himself (just in case), so I decided to

fill in those gaps with cyanoacrylate (aka super glue), using the following technique I found:

The only thing that I did differently from the procedure is that I have actually applied a thin layer

of cyanoacrylate around the whole button with a little brush, so when sandblasting carefully it would keep

me from sanding the button.

Actually, this work has showed me what a piece of art (and ergonomy) those buttons are.

This is the kind of work that is not as simple as it looks, and using a dremel or other 'power tools'

can easily take you beyond where you wanted to be, it is rather laborious but is best done by hand.

Be careful not to go overboard at the sides of the buttons, its easy to spoil that unique shape.

duluthdan · January 15, 2013

Did you consider replacing the whole button?

Trick will be to find just the button.

kidblast · January 17, 2013

would these fit?

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