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I bent the tuner on a Les Paul so I ended up buying a whole set because nobody had a single to sell. Now have a new Epiphone Casino I want to install these same style tuners on but I only have 5 of the six keys. The 6th is bent. I tried using hand strength to straighten the shaft but these these suckers are so strong that I can not see how I bent the dang thing by it just falling over.
If I could straighten this tuner I'd save $55. There seems to be no way to get any leverage on this little part. Perhaps I stand a chance if I could get the faded knob off the end but it is on there too well it seems.

Anybody know a way to straighten out the shaft on a tuning key?

My guess is it would break from metal fatigue if you tried to bend it back.
Solution? Buy a single on Fleabay.

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OK, I made another attempt to straighten it. I took an old beater guitar and stuck the bent key on it and wopped it a few times with a mallet and clamped a big pair of pliers over the plastic knob with inner tube rubber as a buffer to avoid gouging the knob.

I have it 80% straightened out. I think I'm going to leave it as is and use it on a used Casino. 80% seems to be the best I could doo. This is much better than the L shaped pos it was. Only I will know it isn't perfect.

This better than I could do 20 years ago when I tried previously to straighten it. I must have learned a thing or two since then.

UPDATE

I got me a Epiphone Casino today from Guitar Center Used. I swapped in the set of Gibson Vintage Nickle Pearloid Button Tuners incuding the one I tried to fix with the bent knob shaft. I could barely find which one was bent. I did a much better job straightening it than I thought,

The way to fix a bent tuner is to just stick it on a beater guitar head stock and wop it a few times with a wooden mallet.. Then try fine tuning with a big pair of plers using inner tube rubber as a buffer to avoid gouging the knob.

Bent tuner shafts are fixed fequently at professional repair shops.

We may use a variety of methods but the most common is to take a quality set of pliers and rework the business end to include a hole for the shaft and thin the business end so that it fits into the space that the exposed tuner shaft is exposed. A simple clamp and bend, check, refine, and Bob's your uncle.

I had tried to Dremel a round slot in a very old pair of perpendicular wire cutters but the steel was too hard. Ate a grinding bit up in a few seconds. I can see exactly what you are saying though.

Using an old beater junk guitar was good too. It ripped out the screws when I whopped it.
The steel on Gibson tuners is thick and good quality. Not easy to work with. The Epiphone tuners I took off this guitar had narrow stems that if they bent I could easily straighten them.
The trouble with amateurs fixing guitars is they end up needing a special tool once.
This bent tuner sat around 15 years before I succeeded in straightening it. It wasn't easy.

I'm really glad to see it back on a guitar again.

That's it, you understand and good going too.

It is a problem for folks who don't work in the trade to justify buying or even sometimes making special tools. When I was a builder only some of this stuff seems like a lot of money for 5 seconds of use....

Anyway that's what we use, repurposed pliers with a hole in them to clamp onto the tuner shaft.

Once in a while we also might remove the shaft and chuck it up in our micro-lathe as well and if done right does not introduce slop.

It's also a frequent problem that tuners have to be sourced in sets. As you mentioned it's often only one that's bad but the client has to pop for a new set.... Such a waste.

I have an Uncle Robert ! Will that Do ?

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You finally come out of hiding, Wud, and that's the best you can do???

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Happy birthday Alex!
You caught up to me.
Dan

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

...and it only took me 57 years! I tell everyone that I'm really 17, but with 40 years experience!
Thanks, Dan!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Happy Birthday Alex you ole fart you!