Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm Installing my first set of Sta-tites. On my first couple of instruments I used cheap Mighty Mite tuners for which I drilled one size hole and reamed for a snug fit. With these, it seems that a stepped hole is recommended.

What would be the downside of drilling a 5/16 hole and reaming for the bushing, without drilling a 1/4" for the post? I can't think of a way to drill the post hole, the bushing hole, and then reaming the larger hole.

I see the Stew-mac tool which apparently has no taper. Would I be okay drilling a 11/32 straight hole for the bushing? Would this be preferable to the single width hole reamed?

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Gabriel Regalbuto
Carlsbad, California
Freedom 35!

It is best not to use a tapered reamer at all when installing tuners. With a tapered hole, you only get good contact at the depth where the diameter matches.

Do you have a drill press? It is best to drill from each side without exiting the other side (which can cause chipout). This can be done perfectly with a simple homemade alignment pin on your drill press. What I do for these is first drill the 1/4" hole from the back, just short of all the way through. Then clamp a piece of waste wood (plywood is fine) to the drill press table, drill a short 1/4" hole, and put a short piece of 1/4" dowel in it--sticking up a little, but not more than the depth of the hole you just drilled in the back of the headstock. This pin will now align the holes you drill from the face side for the bushing with the 11/32" bit. Just don't move the table when changing bits. Set the depth stop so that you only drill to the depth the bushing needs. Your pin needs to be close enough to the edge of the waste block and drill press table that the angle where the headstock meets the neck is out of the way.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Thanks Howard, sounds like something I can handle. Love your dovetail madness by the way!

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Gabriel Regalbuto
Carlsbad, California
Freedom 35!

Glad I measured... The bushings are .343" - just under the 11/32" Stewmac says are required, and spin freely in a 11/32" hole. How undersized should the holes be?

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Gabriel Regalbuto
Carlsbad, California
Freedom 35!

I drill 1/4" holes and use the waverly tool (for both waves and sta-tites). seems to work fine for me...

Hmm. I thought they recommended a 3/32" hole, but that would make the bushing too loose. I see that the Stew Mac tool bores .340". For using that tool (or another counterbore with 1/4" pilot) you would drill a 1/4" through hole first. If you go that way, use a backing block to minimize chip out. You could drill with an R size (.339") wire gauge sized bit.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.