Reattach a tuner button

[onassis]

Quick question - what's the best adhesive for reattaching a tuner button? This is a friction-fit style button that goes onto a shaft that has a slight bit of knurling 3/16" down the shaft. Now that the friction fit has failed, I'm assuming that adhesive is needed. Super glue? Or is that too brittle?

[sunburst]

Superglue is the usual. Is it a plastic button? Got to work very cleanly so as not to get CA on the button surface, the fingers, or anywhere else it is not wanted.
Also, beware. Years ago I was installing tuner buttons with superglue and one slid almost but not quite all the way on. I knew I didn't have much time to get in into position so I gave it a quick hard push and it snapped right down into position and in the process squirted a little drop of superglue right into my eye. That was probably the most painful thing I've ever had in my eye (that includes carburetor cleaner).

[onassis]

Thanks! I'm pretty sure that it's plastic, not ebony. It's on a 2014 Northfield, so I'm assuming Grover or equivalent. I'm planning on holding it with the hole facing up to put in a drop of glue and then push the shaft down in from above.

Another question - at a glance. all of these buttons show a slight vertical crack in the center of the dimple. Is this common? And do you think it contributed to the friction failure?

[poul hansen]

Just push it on dry, then apply superglue in very small drops with the button opening upwards. Superglue will wick into all small crevices.

[Ray(T)]

A Schaller one did this to me in 2002 - I assume they’re moulded onto the shaft. I used epoxy and it’s still holding today.

[pops1]

I would prefer epoxy for a lasting repair over the super glue. You may have to push it into the button hole with a toothpick to make sure it is down far enough as it will not flow like super glue, but it is much better at filling the gaps.

[Richard500]

Thanks! I'm pretty sure that it's plastic, not ebony. It's on a 2014 Northfield, so I'm assuming Grover or equivalent. I'm planning on holding it with the hole facing up to put in a drop of glue and then push the shaft down in from above.

Another question - at a glance. all of these buttons show a slight vertical crack in the center of the dimple. Is this common? And do you think it contributed to the friction failure?

If you mean directly over where the hole/shaft is, yes. Either the plastic is too thin, the hole undersized, or the buttons were just pressed on when they were designed for a thermal fit. They may all break.

[poul hansen]

I would prefer epoxy for a lasting repair over the super glue. You may have to push it into the button hole with a toothpick to make sure it is down far enough as it will not flow like super glue, but it is much better at filling the gaps.

Superglue wicks into all crevices, epoxy has to be squeezed in and is to thick for small crevices. It might hold anyway though

[poul hansen]

...............
Another question - at a glance. all of these buttons show a slight vertical crack in the center of the dimple. Is this common? And do you think it contributed to the friction failure?

If the buttons are pressed cold over an axle tha is bigger than the hole in the button, it may crack. It also happens when a steel axle rusts inside a button.

You can stabilize them with superglue. You do risk that it seeps out of the crack, so you have to polish the buttons again.

[keith.rogers]

Not that it helps, but because my '19 has buttons that are held on with a screw, I had to go search for a 2014 model. I found an image of [a previously sold] one from Elderly, and there are cracks evident in those (not screwed on) buttons even in those images. NF might have had some issues with those and changed their source or specs. (IMO, either glue will work, but clean the posts, and existing hole, as well as possible.)