Trem arm just snapped off....

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PoboyPoboy Frets: 431
Bit of it left in the bridge... How the hell do i get that out?
 :/ 
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Comments

  • If a dot of superglue on the arm won’t grab it and undo then either drill it or an easy-out.
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  • vizviz Frets: 10644
    Poboy, is that you from the old interforum / music radar days?
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • PoboyPoboy Frets: 431
    If a dot of superglue on the arm won’t grab it and undo then either drill it or an easy-out.
    What's an easy-out?
    I'll try the super glue. It's a limited edition US strat. Really wary of putting a drill anywhere near it.
    Thanks Viva....
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  • PoboyPoboy Frets: 431
    viz said:
    Poboy, is that you from the old interforum / music radar days?
    There can be only one Poboy.
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  • droflufdrofluf Frets: 3614
    Poboy said:
    If a dot of superglue on the arm won’t grab it and undo then either drill it or an easy-out.
    What's an easy-out?
    I'll try the super glue. It's a limited edition US strat. Really wary of putting a drill anywhere near it.
    Thanks Viva....
    An easy out  is a screw extractor. Basically you drill a hole in the bolt you want to extract (which is is effectively what your problem is) and screw in the easy out. Clever part is that the easy out has a reverse thread so as it tightens it undoes the bolt, or remains of the term arm in your case. 

    But it does involve getting the drill out…
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  • Poboy said:
    If a dot of superglue on the arm won’t grab it and undo then either drill it or an easy-out.
    What's an easy-out?
    I'll try the super glue. It's a limited edition US strat. Really wary of putting a drill anywhere near it.
    Thanks Viva....
    An easy out is a tool you “reverse screw” into a drilled hole in order to extract snapped bolts etc.
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  • JonathangusJonathangus Frets: 4436
    edited July 2021
    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.
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  • PoboyPoboy Frets: 431
    Ok, thanks drofluf and viva. I would prefer that to drilling it out completely.
    I'll try the super glue method first. Although the term arm is in the bin, I'm going to have to go rummaging through my rubbish. Not for the first time.
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  • PoboyPoboy Frets: 431
    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.
    Unfortunately not, it has sheared off almost exactly level with the surface. 
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  • OffsetOffset Frets: 11303
    Poboy 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.
    Unfortunately not, it has sheared off almost exactly level with the surface. 
    You must have been indulging in Blackmore-esque levels of whammying :-)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    *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.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • thermionicthermionic Frets: 9499
    edited July 2021
    I think it was here that I read recently that superglue has a decent tensile strength but hopelessly poor shear strength. I’d expect the chances of success to be zero.
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  • MajorscaleMajorscale Frets: 1553
    edited July 2021
    Had this happen to me last year on a CS Strat. Tried drilling and extracting, but it was so lodged it broke the extractor bit! 

    So swapped the block and arm for a Callahan one and am now happier than I was before… a good upgrade.
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  • hollywoodroxhollywoodrox Frets: 4082
    I’ve had this happen on a jap malmsteen strat , had to pay someone to do it, screw extractors around here we’re too big 
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  • merlinmerlin Frets: 6595
    Definitely take the block out. Don't try it in the guitar, accident waiting to happen. 

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  • PoboyPoboy Frets: 431
    All good advice once again, chaps. Thanks to all  I'll update when there's a development... 
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  • PoboyPoboy Frets: 431
    Offset said:
    Poboy 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.
    Unfortunately not, it has sheared off almost exactly level with the surface. 
    You must have been indulging in Blackmore-esque levels of whammying :-)
    I was trying to bend it into a better playing position. Must have overdone it. 
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  • inewhaminewham Frets: 135
    I've got one out with a slim centre punch: Put the point toward the edge but not on the thread. Hit it vertically to make a dent then incline the punch around 45 degree in the same dent and tap it (I used a small pin hammer, don't wallop it or you'll stretch the dent). The keep tapping following the dent round as it hopefully unscrews. After a while you should be able to grip the stub with pliers to wind it out.

    Good luck.

    Ian
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  • 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?
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    edited July 2021
    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. 
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