Trem arm just snapped off....

ToneControl

can you drill a narrower hole from underneath the block, and use a driver to rotate and push the piece of trem out from underneath whilst still leaving the block usable?

How tight did you have the trem screwed in?

Henrytwang

I’ve tried using stud extraction bits on several broken tremolo arms, ( not by me), in the past and never had any success. They are available from tool shops or eBay and you might have better luck than me, but as it’s such a nice guitar a new block is probably the best way to go.

Poboy

p90fool said:

Jonathangus said:

If you were to dismantle the trem, will the broken bit stick out above the block?  You might be able to get a pair of pliers on it.

This. They sometimes break off flush with the plate, so removing the block from the plate will often give you a couple of millimeters or so to grab hold of. 

For future reference, if you need to bend a trem arm to reposition it, take it off and do it in a vice, avoiding the threaded part which is by far the weakest section. 

Yeah, I wasn't trying to bend it while it was still in the block. I unintentionally bent it at the screw part while it was in the vice, then tried to bend it back again. Obviously weakened it.

Poboy

vivalacoulter said:

ICBM said:

*Don't* try superglue! It will never to be strong enough to free the stuck end of the arm, and if any penetrates down between the stump and the block it will make it even harder to remove.

If it's a blind hole - a USA Strat will be - then you're going to have to drill it and use a thread extractor. Either that, or replace the block - which I would consider doing if you need to buy tools or pay someone to do it, it could work out cheaper.

I didn’t think about the possibility of it locking with the threads, my bad! I did only mean a pin heads worth.

@Poboy did you have any luck after?

Haven't had time to have another fiddle. Kids are here for a week. I'll try to find a few minutes in between cooking, cleaning and laundry....

Poboy

p90fool said:

Jonathangus said:

If you were to dismantle the trem, will the broken bit stick out above the block?  You might be able to get a pair of pliers on it.

This. They sometimes break off flush with the plate, so removing the block from the plate will often give you a couple of millimeters or so to grab hold of.

This was the correct answer! Well done, guys...
I'd never stripped the bridge/trem block down to that level before, so didn't realise it separated like that. Once I did, there was plenty of the broken arm protruding to get pliers on it.
Years of gunk and grime in there too. It's all cleaned and polished now, looks like a brand new guitar. Win win.
Thanks for all your help guys. Turned out to be a very simple solution after all. 

DLM

Excellent outcome!