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My tuners came from Taiwan (in 9 days). I just found out yesterday when rearranging the shop that the OLD iron, AND the OLD soldiering gun I got from my FIL don't work anymore. I never did much soldiering. I'm going to need to extend the knobs, so I'll need one.

Which one do you use? Besides using for the knob posts; brass tube over the steel posts; I might possibly sometime get modern one day, and do some electric stuff. Maybe.

I would imagine that you have to scrape the chrome? coating off first? I'm sure it has something on it.

Going over the shop, organizing, throwing stuff away, and cleaning takes so much time; but at least I found out that stuff was junk. And ALL my tools are nicely sharpened!

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Why be normal?

When doing electronics work I always used a soldering iron, as the bend copper element of a gun was not precise enough. The gun would be OK soldering wiring. For the application you are calling out I would think the gun might be more use full as it heats up when triggered and gets hot fast.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

I've used a gun with the tip cut in two to heat up frets for removal--the fret itself completes the circuit and becomes part of the "tip" Something similar might work for tuner posts. I haven't tried it, but it works well on frets.

Dave

Iron for small electronics work, gun for bigger stuff where you need the power boost trigger to keep up with the workpiece conducting heat away.

What is it that OP intends to do? Ain't electronics.

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Peter Havriluk

Hi Ken,
Since you will be popping the buttons off the tuner shafts you could use either one. You could even use a propane torch if you are careful ( I would remove the screws and cogs if you go this route). I used a Bic lighter to heat up the button shafts to remove the plastic buttons, and I may have used the HF 5 in 1 hobby tool to solder the brass tubing in place. I do have a Weller soldering gun, but I think at the time I needed tips for it (you might check your gun and see if it just needs a new tip). I also have an ancient electric soldering iron that has a one inch diameter heat sink that I can bend violin ribs on. The HF kit is handy to have and has a number of different tips:
https://www.harborfreight.com/30-watt-5 ... 63850.html

Clay, I wasn't quite sure what you meant by popping the buttons off. Then I thought that is is probably easier than sawing the shafts in half. But then you still need the buttons on a shaft. The buttons don't look bad. Not period correct for another 100 years or so; but not bad. The diameter of the shafts are .006" or so too small for standard 5/32" brass tubing that I actually have sitting around. I'll have to come up with something. I don't know how to squish tubing down.

We're going into the city Tuesday, and I'll pick up a Weller gun, the new ones even have 3 led lights, and a piece of brass for the back plate then. Not sure what thickness yet, but it is really just to cover the back, decoration, and maybe some integrity; but not really strength.

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Why be normal?

Hi Ken,
I'm assuming you want to reuse the buttons. With plastic buttons, if you heat the tuner shaft that usually softens the plastic around the hole to remove the button. Other people have found ways to remove metal buttons, which I haven't done - but somewhere in the archives there is information on it. I think most people reattach them with superglue, which is what I did.
If you are going into the city see if you can find a hobby shop with a K & S display. You may be able to find the right size tubing and rod to extend your tuners. They may also have brass and nickel silver sheets of various thicknesses about the right size for the back cover plate.
If you can't find the right size tubing you may be able to cut a slit in the tubing you have, removing some of the material that would allow it to be crimped down to a smaller diameter.