pour bleeding me Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 i have decided to ditch the back plate and am going to recess the screws...but are the ferrules needed or can i just recess the head of the screw till its flat? what do the ferrules do? are they needed or can i get by without em? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Personnaly I'd use them, they spread the force exerted on the screw out, and they look cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted December 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 i dont think i have room for them actually...the screw holes are close to the edge of the wood...and they ferrules might hang off the wood...so is recessed screw heads ok? or a deffinate no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 well if your guitar ever gets knocked over your neck screws might crack the wood, see the head of the screw is like a pyramid( well actually more like a cone, anyways), as you tighten it, it not only pushes down into the wood, but the 2 angled walls of the screw head also push the wood away, if you tighten it enough you'll crack the wood in the neck joint. ferrules help redirect the sideways force so that the screw is only pushing down into the wood and over a larger metal surface (the bottom of the ferrule), and prevents this kind of brakage. so they're recommended if you don't have a plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 I would definately use ferrules, they are very cheap and you'll probably regret not using them the day your nice guitar shows the first cracks. KrazyDerek ist completely right here, that the ferrules redirect the sideways force and therefore greatly decrease the risk of cracks. I dont really understand your problem though: If you have enough place for the screwheads why not for the ferrules? Usually they only have a some mm's bigger radius than the screwheads themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaycee Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Not having built a guitar myself (planning my first one ) but speaking from a carpenters point of view, ferrules are there for a purpose usually they protect the wood and spread the load evenly arround the opening. So if you can get the ferrules in then I would definately go for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Even if you have to plug one or two of the old holes and move the position of the screw, they are worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_urr_A Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 If there is so little wood around the screw that a ferrule will stick out outside the heel, I'd say you MUST have a ferrule, because the pressure from the angled sides of the screw will break the thin piece of wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted December 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 you all have a very good point and i agree..the ferrules are the safest way to go...i would have to move two of the screws tho if i want to use them...if i move the screws toward the center of the neck will this affect strength? and also what size drill bit do i use to drill the back of the neck? thanks guys....the black paint is goin on today too!...thanks for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theQuestioneer Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 you use a drill diametor (sp?) that is the same as the screw without the threads, so that the threads will protrude out of the pilot hole but the rest will go through it, if you get what i'm saying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted December 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 so basically the find the size of the screw and just go one size smaller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theQuestioneer Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 i put them up against eachother and sight it out, but theres certianly a better way to do it, so you should ask someone else, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted December 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 ive ordered the ferrules from stew mac along with some neck screws(so i can put the current ones back on my strat haha) and i get what you mean about putting them up to each other and sizing them...good idea...ill try that...thanks for your help guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 what size drill bit do i use to drill the back of the neck? Drill test different-sized holes in a scrap piece of wood and try your screws in them. I think that should give you a good idea of whether the hole feels too tight (risk of splitting the wood) or too loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJohn Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 If space is an issue,what about drilling out a small piece of metal and sinking that into the body. I'd be concerned about string damage to the body if you removed the ferules,(did I spell that right?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quito195 Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 well I didnt read the posts very well but I caught something about someone needing to know what size hole to drill so something can thread or something along those lines anyways these might help and they're free: http://www.billetproof.com/downloads/techcards.htm check out the drill and tap size card taps are what you run through a hole to thread it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 For cheap ferrules like that, go to a capinet shop or hardwood store and get what the call beauty rings. Sme thing ony dirt cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted December 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 I am all set with the ferrules issue..and i know how to drill the neck holes as i tested it last night on another project....but this question got ignored last time...if i move two of the screws towards the center of the neck will this affect the strength of the neck joint? i wouldnt want it to break on me... thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 For cheap ferrules like that, go to a capinet shop or hardwood store and get what the call beauty rings. Sme thing ony dirt cheap i'm sorry litchfield but aren't beauty rings those light gauge washer type things that are just curled over?neck ferrules are way heavier and flat on the back. those beauty rings have no real strength... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted December 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 well i was feeling saucy so i just relocated the two screws...so now all i have to do is await the arival of my ferrules then countersink the holes for them to go in...im glad i moved the screws because now i can round the back of the guitar more for a more comfortable feel...thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJohn Posted December 23, 2003 Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 Got any pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted December 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 Explorer Pictures Sorry i wanted to post the pics in here but my damn server went down...so i had to resort to yahoo...sorry guys...but those are the pics...sorry for the low quality...its just my little eyeball camera...but the pics explain themselves EDIT: 100th post!! whoo! what a great way to do it too...postin pics of my guitar...thanks guys! [/being cocky] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted December 23, 2003 Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 well, could you put a washer under thm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMan Posted December 23, 2003 Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 I saw a Tele copy a while back that had a metal plate with six holes drilled in it in place of the ferrules. This might be easier to fit than the ferrules, as you could put the holes right near the edge, and you wouldn't have to recess the indivudual string heads. You could mill one slot for the ball ends to sit in, then drill your six holes behing them. Just a couple fo thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted December 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2003 were talking about the ferrules that the neck attachment screws go in...not the string thru kind.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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