Tuning machine repair

[Prophetsnake]

A friend has brought me his Larivee guitar in need of a tuner repair. As you can see from the pic, the button shaft bering tab has come loose from the backplate. Replacements are crazy money, and the fix is obvious - take the plate off and peen the end with a punch.
My worry is getting a decent grip on the part as I hammer at it. Even though it shouldn't take much more than a few gentle taps, if it's not well supported I'll distort the bearing area and the button shaft will bind, or worse, the part will crack. The best plan I can come up with is to make a U shaped aluminium buck I can slip it snugly into so that it's evenly supported. If there are any better ideas, I'd love to hear them!

[rockies]

I think your idea will work, I've repaired similar problems. What I did was support the tuners well and use a small clamp to hold it in position aginst o firm backing (small vise). However instead of a hammer and punch use a mechanical center punch set on high pressure. So instead of hitting it you are pushing it more into position until the punch trips. Repeat as necessary. Good luck with it, I'm sure others on the Café will have other methods.
Dave

[Prophetsnake]

I think your idea will work, I've repaired similar problems. What I did was support the tuners well and use a small clamp to hold it in position aginst o firm backing (small vise). However instead of a hammer and punch use a mechanical center punch set on high pressure. So instead of hitting it you are pushing it more into position until the punch trips. Repeat as necessary. Good luck with it, I'm sure others on the Café will have other methods.
Dave

Thank you Dave, that's a good idea. A mechanical punch would allow a more controlled peen. I don't have one, but I am sure I can borrow one.

Jeff

[Roger Moss]

I've

[mandroid]

something similar , ground a piece of steel with a curve matching the end
of the worm gear shaft bearing journal

so as to not crush the hole through it, out of round , put that tool, in the bench vise ,
then I spread out the swaging to fill the hole in the backing plate where it got loose..
with another punch, & hammer.
Happen to own a small , light weight head, hammer.


I did this to my 1922 A , probably 30 years ago..




...

[HoGo]

Frank Ford has some articles that involve tuner repairs on http://frets.com.

[Prophetsnake]

something similar , ground a piece of steel with a curve matching the end
of the worm gear shaft bearing journal so as to not crush the hole through it, out of round , put that tool, in the bench vise ,
then I spread out the swaging to fill the hole in the backing plate where it got loose..
with another punch, & hammer.
Happen to own a small , light weight head, hammer.






...

Thanks Mandroid. That's exactly what I had in mind except I was thinking aluminium so the buck would be that little bit softer and mold itself to the bearing as I whack the other end.

Now I know it works for sure!