Drilling Holes for Grover Sta-Tite Tuners

[Darryl Young]

It appears that you drill an 11/32" hole for the Grover Sta-Tite tuners......which fits the bushing, not the shaft. The shaft is 0.249" diameter and I assume an oversized hole is used so there is no rubbing of the shaft as the humidity changes. With that said, it seems properly locating the screw holes on the back plate is important so that the shaft isn't placed in a bind.

When drilling the hole for the shaft, do you drill a pilot hole with a small drill bit to minimize the larger bit wandering off centerline? I'm thinking of using an 11/32" brad point bit with no pilot hole but I doubt I have that bit so was wondering about the other option. Seems a brad point bit would cut the exit cleaner so less likely to have tear out (I will back the exit with scrap either way).

What are the pros and cons of drilling the tuner holes before or after finishing? I'm leaning toward doing it before finishing, but what do I know.

[tippie53]

I do a small pilot hole and drill from the veneer. Then I will come from the backs with the larger hole only enough for the casting , then come in from the front for the threaded shaft. I use the drill press and use the drill stops. Do a few practice holes to sharpen your skills.
Get a drill card so you know what drills you need to use.

[Darryl Young]

John, let me repeat back what I think you are saying and see if I'm understanding correctly.

You drill a pilot hole with a small bit (could probably be dilled from the back or front of the headstock I'm guessing). Then you drill from the back side with a bit large enough for the posts (I'm guesing this is what you mean by the casting......no part of the casting on the Grover Sta-Tite goes inside the hole, but it might on some tuners). In my case, the post is 0.249" so I would need to use at least a 0.250" bit to fit/clear the post. Then drill from the front using a bit that fits the bushing just deep enough for the bushing to be pressed in place (my bushings look like they need pressed in.....they don't appear to be threaded).

Please correct the procedure above if I have anything wrong. It looks like your description was generic and would work for most any tuners.

From studying your procedure, I'm guessing you are using standard drill bits that center in the previously drilled hole? (not using brad point bits or Forstner bits)

[Darryl Young]

Here is a clip from a post by JJDonahue on another forum:

I mark the spots with a scribe or nail punch on the headplate. Clamp a piece of scrap on the back to prevent chipout. Using a brad pointed bit in a drill press, I drill each hole so that it is straight and true. If you use Waverlies or Grovers, Stewmac has a reamer that is perfect for creating the bushing opening...a must have tool. It uses the pre-drilled 1/4" hole as a locater.

JJ, is this the reamer you are referring to? Will the 0.340" reamer work ok on the 0.343" bushing that comes with the Grover Sta-Tites? Thanks!

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Tune ... es#details

[JJDonohue]

That's the reamer...and it makes those holes very professionally executed and is so easy to do. Go slow during the reaming operation and use a drill stop. Good luck.

When you install the bushing, try using something soft to protect the surfaces and squeeze the bushing home using a Bessy clamp or the equivalent.

[enalnitram]

I don't have one of those fancy stewmac bits. here's my cheapskate method. I've developed lots of those.

I have two nice bits, that I bought expressly for the purpose of drilling peghead tuner holes. one is 1/4" and the other is 11/32." the 1/4" is a brad point. I don't use them for anything else, so that they'll stay nice.

I have a template I use, made from a sheet John Hall included with a kit, with teeny holes on it. I use that to drill my pilot holes.

I clamp down the peghead in place on my drill press for each hole. I drill the 1/4" hole all the way thru, starting from the top. I put scrap under the peghead to reduce tear out. if small tear out occurs, it will be hidden by the small plates on the tuners.

while the peghead is still clamped in place for each hole, i swap out the 1/4 bit with the 11/32 bit, and use the stop configured to only go deep enough for the bushing. it's important to have the peghead down low enough in the first place to be able to swap the bit out, and have this prepared ahead of time.

doing it this way won't be as perfect as using the stewmac bit, but I had a pretty good result. only one of my tuners rubbed a little bit, so I inserted the bits by hand (1/4 thru the bottom and 11/32 from the top, holding them with my fingers, not a drill!) and turned them a couple of times to widen the hole just enough to get it right.

on my first two guitars i drilled before finishing. it turned out fine for my first guitar (sprayed) but not so fine for my second guitar (french polish). if I french polish again, I'll drill after finish.

when installing the bushings, why buy another tool? put a short 1/4" dowel in your drill press, and press them in evenly that way.

[tippie53]

that is the process. By coming in both ways or drill so that your tear out would be under the tuner . If you need to tighten the hole for a bushing , paint it with fingernail polish , let dry then insert .

[Darryl Young]

Martin, that is a good way of doing it. Thanks for sharing your procedure.

I would like to make a tuner drill template. Anyone know where I can buy drill guide bushings?