Help... Botched route/broken chunk: can't mount Filtertron

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LVC
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Help... Botched route/broken chunk: can't mount Filtertron

Post by LVC » Sun Apr 01, 2018 2:17 pm

Hello fellow OSG members,

I'm replacing the neck pickup in my Tele with a Filtertron ― the kind that mounts directly to the bottom of the pickup route with long wood screws, and unfortunately I've hit a snag.

Not having my router with me, I enlarged and deepened the original route with the good old chisel-and-Dremel technique. Since Filtertrons have long pole screws protruding from the bottom, I had to route a deeper area at the bottom of the main route, leaving a narrow rim around it for the mounting screws. Well sure enough one side of the rim turned out to be too narrow and the screw broke a small chunk off its edge, not leaving enough wood to hold onto. I'm not sure this makes much sense so please see the following drawing.

Image

I'm pretty sure gluing the chunk back wouldn't hold for very long (if at all). I was thinking of using wood filler but I don't know whether it would be strong enough to hold a screw. Any ideas?
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Embenny
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Re: Help... Botched route/broken chunk: can't mount Filtertron

Post by Embenny » Sun Apr 01, 2018 2:29 pm

There are wood fillers that can take screws, just not in a weight-bearing scenario. I used one to repair a broken kitchen cabinet just this past year. It was a Minwax product of some sort. Worked perfectly.

An alternative is to rout out a bigger, square section and glue in a wooden block cut to size, then screw into that. A much more labour intensive process but much more durable.
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Re: Help... Botched route/broken chunk: can't mount Filtertron

Post by andy_tchp » Sun Apr 01, 2018 5:17 pm

(Properly) glued wood is considered stronger than wood in its original state.

Don't attempt to use filler, it's not designed for that.

If there's not enough wood (ie it's too thin and will just break again), make a small block that fits well and will give the screw more to 'bite' into then glue that in there, much as mbene085 suggested.
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LVC
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Re: Help... Botched route/broken chunk: can't mount Filtertron

Post by LVC » Sun Apr 01, 2018 11:36 pm

Thanks a lot for the suggestions.

Unfortunately there isn't enough wood for the screw, which is what caused the chunk to break off in the first place. The break occurred quite closer to the edge than shown on my crude drawing and I suspect that if I simply glue the chunk back in it will break off again as soon as I try to drive the screw in.

Routing and gluing in a larger block doesn't look like an option to me because the area is difficult to access. I don't think I can route the bottom of the cavity neatly enough so that a block of wood matches the sides perfectly (and without a router at that), or clamp the block for the glue to set properly.

Considering the screw won't have to bear that much pressure ― it will only have to keep the foam compressed ― I will give the filler a try. I remember using a two component (epoxy?) wood filler ages ago that set harder than wood, I hope I can remember what brand it was.
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Re: Help... Botched route/broken chunk: can't mount Filtertron

Post by lizardville » Mon Apr 02, 2018 12:54 am


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LVC
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Re: Help... Botched route/broken chunk: can't mount Filtertron

Post by LVC » Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:47 am

Problem solved! Woo-hoo!

I found some 2-part wood filler similar to what I had used in the past. Instructions said that once set it could be sanded, sawn or drilled just like wood, and even tapped to take screws, so I decided to give it a try.

I tested it first on a scrap of wood I roughly cut to replicate the situation I was trying to solve. I was able to shape the filler just like I wanted. Within a few minutes it set harder than wood, way too hard to drive the screw in without drilling first. After drilling it held the screw extremely sturdily.

Satisfied with the test results I used it to repair the broken rim at the bottom of the pickup route and it's a complete success, so much so that I used some more to reinforce the rim around the other screw hole just in case.

Image

Thanks for your help everyone! Now on to the wiring :)
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