Drilling peghead for tuners.

[mikeyb2]

I'm pretty sure this had been asked before but I can't find a definitive answer by searching online. Do any of you drill the size of the bushing hole all the way through the peghead. E.g. If the bushing drill size is 8.3mm and the tuner post is 6mm, do you drill 8.3 the depth of the bushing then the rest of the way with 6mm for the post or just one larger hole? Does it make any difference given that the tuner plates will cover the holes anyway?
On my last build, I did a stepped hole from 8.3 down to 6mm but had an issue with the tuners being slightly stiff under tension. I put this down to the post holes being slightly out. It's now settled down anyway but just wanted to avoid a similar problem on the current build.
Thanks in advance , Mike.

[sunburst]

I'm pretty sure this had been asked before but I can't find a definitive answer by searching online.

It has been asked (everything has ) and there is no definitive answer. Opinions are divided.

Do any of you drill the size of the bushing hole all the way through the peghead...

Yes, I and others drill bushing-size holes all the way through.

Does it make any difference given that the tuner plates will cover the holes anyway?

It makes no difference and in fact can relieve pressure on the posts.

[mikeyb2]

John, sorry I'm late getting back but many thanks for the reply. That's enough for me.
Mike

[Davy Simpson]

I've struggled with this question too. Problem I find is that if you do drill a stepped hole, it's nearly impossible to get the bushings out again, so stringing the instrument up in the white becomes a real PITA. So it's really good to hear that builders are drilling bushing sized holes all the way through - I always felt like somehow I shouldn't, but now I will do so also. Thanks Mike for asking this, and John for answering!

[HoGo]

Problem I find is that if you do drill a stepped hole, it's nearly impossible to get the bushings out again...

Of course no problem if you have the special SM bushing extractor! Actually I don't know if they have somethng like that but it shows that some of their "specialty" tools introduce new specialty problems. I also drill the same diameter all the way through and never had problems.

[Richard500]

Adrian, of course SM sells one, and for the low, low price of $70US! It’s a modified ViseGrip with an expanding pin. Of course, there are many other ways to dig one of these out, especially if one didn’t care to reuse ‘dime-a-dozen’ items. A drywall anchor bolt, a tapered reamer, a machinists expanding reamer, etc.

[siminoff]

Age-old question, but always good to revisit. I urge first mounting the machines with all screws to properly get backstrap aligned to the holes. Then remove the machines and drill the bushing holes all the way through the peghead so that the posts bear only on the bushings and the backstrap and not on the peghead wood. It has been my experience that the "slipping" problem people have found with old mandolins (that use thin eyelets instead of machined bushings) is that the friction caused by the posts bearing on the peghead wood is what makes them difficult to easily tighten or loosen. I also urge drilling peg holes from the front of the peghead - with back of peghead resting level on drill press table - so that the post holes are perpendicular to the back of the peghead - and thus perpendicular to the machine backstraps (strips). (Especially important for those of you who make tapered pegheads (thinner at end than near truss rod pocket as on original F5s. R

[mikeyb2]

Hi everyone, thank you all for the contributions. I've drilled the holes and hopefully when I get round to fitting the tuners, all will be ok.
Mike.