Heat it up! Replacement tuner buttons

[Alfonse Pagano]

Hello All.

Very basic question, what tool does anyone recomend to heat up the tuning post to melt in a new tuner button? I have tried a 100 watt soldering iron... Ho Hum.. , I am not that  patient. I have tried  a candle,

too much soot. Any sugestions?

Thank You

Very new to the game

Alfonse

 

[Greg Mirken]

I use a little butane torch.

[Alfonse Pagano]

Thanks...

A.

[Frank Ford]

Here's a bit on installing plastic buttons:

 

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Tuners/NewButton/...

[Greg Mirken]

You know, I didn't read your original post very carefully. I'm more apt to use heat to remove a button than install one. More often I will drill out the hole just for a snug fit, press it on, and let a couple drops of thin superglue wick in (as Frank shows in his linked article).

[Alfonse Pagano]

Thanks Frank and Greg...

The  drilling methods seems a little more contolled to me.

I will try today.

 

[Paul Breen]

I cut the old ones off with nippers like Frank shows in his method but I heat the post to re-install the new ones.

You need to heat the peg as fast as possible, this is what works well for me. I use a Weller soldering gun with the tip cut off as in the picture. The tuner is held by the string post in a block of wood while I do this. I hold the new button on top of the post with some downward pressure and apply the heat. The post is hot enough within 10-15 seconds and the button is pushed into place. If you heat and push the post simultaneously there is less chance of overheating and melting the button to much. You can tell when it's ready, the button starts moving under pressure.