A stringlock repair in pictures...

OK, gang, we may have covered this before, but here it is...

Don has a Clipper which stripped the E/A lock bolt threads in the base and he found a cheap helicoil deal on eBay, purchased it and repaired the base lickety split...

All of the kit you see here - with the exception perhaps of the tap handle! - came with the kit...

... and if an Aussie can do it, anyone can!

... the age old problem; stripped out thread




....hole drilled out with supplied bit..


... supplied tap offered up


....winding the tap in.


....nice new thread


....helicoil beside the hole


.... winding in the helicoil. Perhaps some Loctite thread adhesive might be a good idea here?


... it's in!


... a little extra poking through the underside. Don didn't say what he did with this, but I assume he trimmed it off!


.... Lock back on the guitar


... handmade shims in


... locks bolted down!


I sure Don will tell us a little more about this, and share the link to the auction where he found this kit; I do know it was very well priced....

(he's sending what's left of the kit to me because there was enough material in it to do a few more guitars, and he only has the one BD equipped guitar! Thanks, bro!!)

Excellent pix. Good stuff Don & John.
This is nice followup to Steve's post a couple of weeks back: Nut Filling

Once we confirm that it stands up, we'll add this repair option to the FixMe section of the web site.

So far so good. I have had to release it a couple of times as I sorted out the back bow in the neck. So for now all's well in the land of cheap thread inserts. All up there is enough in the kit to repair a dozen threads and all for the sum of $22 AUD delivered. As John mentioned the only thing extra you might need is the tap handle. The rest comes in the kit.

Better make that $32

Not sure if I should be doing this. If not please remove the link.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Helicoil-Thread-Repair-Kit-M4-x-0-7-Drill-and-Tap-Insertion-Tool-/120927502833?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c27d741f1

The general idea with a helicoil is to not tap all the way through and the tang which is used with the turn in tool is then snapped off. You can see the crimped bit in your photo.

The way you have done it loctite will definatly be needed as the threaded insert will be 'floating'.

10 times stronger than the original, good fix. Although a longer bolt is still a very good idea.

Thank's Don/John - I'm going helicoil on mine (failed at the 5th time)

Hmmmmm ..... I've just stripped the bass thread on one of mine, had two cracks at repairing it - the insets go in just fine but the bolt will not wind in at all!!

Taking a break to think about this one...

Oh, I thought I'd put my spare stringlock on, one that David made a long time ago from resin with steel inserts for the threads. No go, I'm afraid; the resin is too soft and when the bolt begins to tighten down, the whole thing warps under the tension and won't lock the strings at all, so a good idea it was, but ineffective sadly!

You didn't put the insert in upside down did you John? You know..... When in Rome....