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I've been building guitars recreationally (six and counting) and my total out-of-pocket investment is quite modest considering that these are all solid wood/Alaskan spruce instruments. A part of this cost control has come from using inexpensive sealed tuners.

I'n curious to learn if an evening spent disassembling, fettling, lubricating and reassembly might result in smoother-functioning tuners.

Any experience/suggestions that might help me? Also soliciting suggestions that I'm planning on wasting my time.

Thanks!

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Peter Havriluk

In my experience - there is inexpensive, and then there's crap. The crap isn't worth saving because of poor material choices and horrid machining practices.

The inexpensive stuff that works... Might be worth fooling with as an educational exercise. I've done it, but a long time ago - old Klusons responded best. The backs of Grovers can be popped off for disassembly and cleaning.

If you want to explore how tuners work, find a cheap set of open tuners. Easy to take apart, clean up, tweak, and so on. Good place to start.

Nowadays, budget stuff like Gotoh is available for a modest upgrade so I can't imagine repairing tuning machines would be very lucrative.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

"I'm curious to learn if an evening spent disassembling, fettling, lubricating and reassembly might result in smoother-functioning tuners."

Doubtful. My experience with cheap tuners, both sealed and open back, is that the bearing surfaces and the "slop" between the gears is their weak point. With open backed tuners the gears can often be brought into better alignment by tapping on the worm gear supports, and if the holes through the peghead for the posts are properly sized and the tuners mounted correctly the posts will have adequate support to hold the alignment reasonably well.
With sealed tuners both the alignment of the gears and the support of the posts rely on the cast housing and the tolerances built into it and can't be easily adjusted (or at least I haven't figured out a way to do it ).
I use cheap open backed tuners on some cheap and cheerful instruments I build - stick dulcimers, cigar box ukes, formica bodied and experimental guitars and such, but with the thought that if the situation warrants they can be replaced with something better (open backed tuners with their smaller post holes are usually more easily replaced than sealed tuners).
There are some inexpensive "semi-brand name" open backed tuners that hold up reasonably well and are a similar quality as those used on the older iconic guitar brands.
I'm with you on holding the line on material costs to keep the hobby affordable. Still, good quality tuners are often the most expensive single component of the instruments I build. I can sometimes find them discounted on the auction sites or when a supplier is having a closeout sale. If someone wants me to build an instrument for them I have them pick and supply the tuners - they can choose the style and quality they prefer.
If you really want to use sealed tuners with cast housings, you may want to find some that won't require fettling or modification. Others may know better, and offer suggestions that will be more helpful.

I'd avoud cheap tuners, poor materials and build quality not much can be done about.
Inexpensive, have a look at Der Junge tuners, I have had good luck with them.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

My curiosity might be outrunning rational thought - - - after removing the tuner knob and associated shaft/worm gear, how might I persuade the winding post to depart?

All in the service of enlightenment and understanding of course.

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Peter Havriluk

My curiosity might be outrunning rational thought - - - after removing the tuner knob and associated shaft/worm gear, how might I persuade the winding post to depart the body casting?

All in the service of enlightenment and understanding of course.

_________________
Peter Havriluk

You can get a set of Gotoh tuners for 34 bucks including shipping.

I have used these and they are great tuners at any price.....

On some tuners it will come right out.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Doesn't the cover on the back of the housing come off? I had some cheap closed back tuners that the cover would come off spontaneously.
A picture might help people advise you on it.