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Thread: How would you do this?

  1. #1
    Registered User Froglips's Avatar
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    Default How would you do this?

    The top bushings for my new tuning pegs are a little smaller in diameter than the original ones. Meaning that the holes in the head stock are slightly larger in diameter that the new bushings. Lol!

    So how would you pros address this issue?

    I spent a few days going to hobby shops, marine stores, and hardware stores looking for ideas.

    First I put some tape on them. This did work, but when the strings were tightened, you could see the bushings lift a little at the opposite end of the hole. I could not live with this. So I removed the tape and continued searching for ideas.

    Then I decided to glue them in, but decided against that in case I ever wanted to remove them in the future for some reason.

    Then I decided to get a 3/8 inch dowel, and fill the top of the peg holes with that. Then drill out the center so the new bushings would fit. I decided against this too, because I do not think I would be able to eye-ball the true center of the dowels.

    Then out of desperation due to the fact my mando had now been out of commission for 5 days, I decided to try some shrink tubing. You know... The stuff you use after you splice a wire to cover/seal/insulate the bare wires. I got a piece that was tighter than the bushings. Stretched the tubing slightly to fit tightly on the bushing. The bushings are tipping ever so slightly like the tape, but much less, and only on 2 of them.

    I would still like to make it better though.
    Frog...

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  2. #2
    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default Re: How would you do this?

    I would remove the bushings, then use a cotton bud to run some glue around the insides of the hole. Let the glue dry hard and then check the fit, repeat as required. Something like titebond would probably be best. It does depend a bit on just how loose they are though...

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  4. #3
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    Default Re: How would you do this?

    Is there a reason why you couldn’t have just left the old bushings in place and used the new tuners with them? I guess that’s closing the barn door after the horse is long gone.

    I had a case similar to yours. Using the old bushings was not an option because they were cheap plastic, and wouldn’t stay seated. With the new bushings I tried all sorts of tricks. None of them worked. If you search our archives here you might find some of the things that had been tried and failed, including mine. Based on what I read in the archives, I tried using aluminum foil as shim material. Didn’t work. I tried building up the holes with super glue. Didn’t work. Several other things that didn’t work. I finally ended up glueing them in. I think I used Titebond. It worked well. I felt it was unlikely I would ever want to take them out so that didn’t bother me. Remember, heat will release Titebond, and I felt that in the unlikely event I would want to take them out, I could just heat them with a soldering iron first, just like taking out glued in frets.
    Don

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  5. #4

    Default Re: How would you do this?

    I've done this many times. I do what Tavy said. Its nice to have a peg hole reamer. Titebond is the easiest and the least dangerous approach but I use CA and a spray accelerator to get the job done quickly -- and I have a reamer.

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  7. #5
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    Default Re: How would you do this?

    When I can't use the old tuner bushing I have used the plastic that things are packaged in. I cut it in strips that are just shorter than the bushing circumference. If it is too tight I will cut off a little at a time until it pushes in firmly. Keep the plastic on the nut end of the bushing and any gap opposite. The plastic is firm, won't change with temperature or humidity and keep the bushing snug in it's headstock.
    Last edited by pops1; Jul-17-2019 at 11:25am.
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  8. #6

    Default Re: How would you do this?

    Violin makers will make a spiral bushing out of a piece of thin wood, wrapped around a mandrel. Kind of like a paper towel cardboard roll. That's way overkill for this, but it's probably the ideal fix.

    You could also make thin wood bushings on a pen mandrel if you have a lathe and pen making stuff.

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  10. #7

    Default Re: How would you do this?

    Wrap the bushing with thread and saturate with CA add mor thread as necessary.

  11. #8
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Re: How would you do this?

    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Jacobson View Post
    Violin makers will make a spiral bushing out of a piece of thin wood, wrapped around a mandrel. Kind of like a paper towel cardboard roll. That's way overkill for this, but it's probably the ideal fix.

    You could also make thin wood bushings on a pen mandrel if you have a lathe and pen making stuff.
    I have done something similar before using the shavings from a plane then after building it up a bit put it on a dowl and spun it in a drill to thickness it. Worked well but the trick was getting it square enough in the drill to make it effectively round and not eccentric.
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  12. #9
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    Default Re: How would you do this?

    have you tried wrapping them in saran wrap? I shoot a lot of archery and sometimes the nocks fit a littl loose, and the wrap works great, or fold it in half and double it, and carefully trim waste

  13. #10

    Default Re: How would you do this?

    I would put epoxy around the bushing then wrap with clear food wrap, then stick it in the peg hole. Also put the tuning peg in to center the bushing. After a few mins the epoxy start to dry , pull out the tuning peg so it does not get glued there. After 30 mins, pull out the bushing and take off the wrap. The bushing should fit nicely as it has a layer of hard epoxy around its base.
    I use this epoxy trick for a few other application.

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