Nuts!

[apl]

Is there a reason not to put a touch of non-permanent Loc-Tite on the nuts that secure the jacks, pots, and switches of our beloved instruments?

 

[muttley600]

Why would you want to?

 

[WhiteStrat]

WARNING: HIJACK AHEAD!

So have I missed something--or are you gearing up to build guitars? I've seen a comment here and there, but thought maybe it was tongue in cheek.

But then I know you're a big fan of Carvin (as am I--for different reasons; 'nother story) and are thus probably enamored with the whole plan and customize approach.

If so--I'm stoked. I'd love to hear your plans and see what my options are should I want to place an order.

Oh yeah--on the LocTite, I'm certain that I have no idea...

 

[apl]

Why would you want to?

My first LCP and nut project is a friend's kid Squier Strat. The jack nut is missing and all the pots are loose. The other kid's guitar I worked on had a broken wire going to the jack because it got twisted when someone tried to tighten the nut.

Oh, when I started the thread, I was talking about this. You put it on threads you don't want to come loose.

 

[apl]

WARNING: HIJACK AHEAD!

So have I missed something--or are you gearing up to build guitars? I've seen a comment here and there, but thought maybe it was tongue in cheek.

But then I know you're a big fan of Carvin (as am I--for different reasons; 'nother story) and are thus probably enamored with the whole plan and customize approach.

If so--I'm stoked. I'd love to hear your plans and see what my options are should I want to place an order.

Oh yeah--on the LocTite, I'm certain that I have no idea...

It's tongue in cheek until I actually do it. My goal right now is play like butter, sound authentically vintage. So it'll probably be a strat clone with a neck that's had a very good level, crown, and polish, and very good hardware and electronics. The fully custom is probably a ways off.

I've also got a trick or two up my sleeve that I need to prototype.

If all goes well, I'll perhaps put five guitars together this summer. I probably won't sell them here because I wouldn't have the credibility.

 

[muttley600]

My first LCP and nut project is a friend's kid Squier Strat. The jack nut is missing and all the pots are loose. The other kid's guitar I worked on had a broken wire going to the jack because it got twisted when someone tried to tighten the nut.

Oh, when I started the thread, I was talking about this. You put it on threads you don't want to come loose.

If they are fitted correctly and checked fairly frequently there shouldn't be a problem. True we have all come across the loose hex nut thing and always will. A mantra of mine is to always be aware of the next guy. You lock em down and there is a good chance I'm going to damage something later down the road because I don't know you've done it. Its very easy to spot a loose hex nut, very hard to spot a locked one.

Tighten them correctly and you'll be fine..

 

[mshilarious]

If all goes well, I'll perhaps put five guitars together this summer. I probably won't sell them here because I wouldn't have the credibility.

If you want street cred, you're gonna have to kill some suckas with your git That's what I did with the microphones. I bet you didn't know that the X-Q is the same caliber as a Civil War-vintage Minié bullet? The other chump I offed didn't either! I went all muzzle-loading on his azz

 

[apl]

If they are fitted correctly and checked fairly frequently there shouldn't be a problem. True we have all come across the loose hex nut thing and always will. A mantra of mine is to always be aware of the next guy. You lock em down and there is a good chance I'm going to damage something later down the road because I don't know you've done it. Its very easy to spot a loose hex nut, very hard to spot a locked one.

Tighten them correctly and you'll be fine..

Well, I have tightened them and they came loose.

The stuff I'd use would just feel tight to the guy taking it off.

 

[apl]

If you want street cred, you're gonna have to kill some suckas with your git That's what I did with the microphones. I bet you didn't know that the X-Q is the same caliber as a Civil War-vintage Minié bullet? The other chump I offed didn't either! I went all muzzle-loading on his azz

I don't think the timing is going to work out, but I am considering sending one to JamFest.

 

[ggunn]

Well, I have tightened them and they came loose.

The stuff I'd use would just feel tight to the guy taking it off.

Whatever happened to star washers? Every 1/4" jack used to come with one, but I haven't seen one in years.

 

[cellardweller]

If you want street cred, you're gonna have to kill some suckas with your git That's what I did with the microphones. I bet you didn't know that the X-Q is the same caliber as a Civil War-vintage Minié bullet? The other chump I offed didn't either! I went all muzzle-loading on his azz

u iz 1 hardkor gangsta

 

[apl]

Whatever happened to star washers? Every 1/4" jack used to come with one, but I haven't seen one in years.

Threaded fasteners get loose because of relative radial motion. Lock washers and stuff don't help much.

 

[Light]

Threaded fasteners get loose because of relative radial motion. Lock washers and stuff don't help much.

Well, I put a star washer on everything, and I never have problems with them coming loose. Personally, I can't see any reason to do it (and I do use the stuff, for my bicycle, but not on guitars).


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[CoolCat]

Threaded fasteners get loose because of relative radial motion. Lock washers and stuff don't help much.

i've kids around too...and some rough friends and the exact same guitar issues upi mention, that I fix for them...loose knobs and plugs...they do play rough and chords yanked and mic screens dented.....often a punk-ska, crazy shit going on. on stage their pretty cool, but at the hosue...i've no idea? at times I want to put a seceret camera in to see them at their finest

loctite has a few flavors. i've used it at work over the years and it works, it helps, but its not super glue and it can come loose, if you need...no worry its permanent.

for the life of me i can't figure out how the guitar plugs fall aprt so easily other than its just cheap metal, probably poor thread sizing.....some don't believe it, but there are companies in the world that are very serious about the angle and pitch of the threads of a screw and how many threads and the fit of the nut....toxic gas fittings for example and all that. so I suspect this is just cheap-crap issues.

so loctite won' hurt....i forget which is stronger the red or the blue loctite?

 

[dgatwood]

loctite has a few flavors. i've used it at work over the years and it works, it helps, but its not super glue and it can come loose, if you need...no worry its permanent.

Actually, among other things, LocTite brand makes a cyanoacrylate adhesive. Yeah. That's "Super Glue".

Fortunately, it doesn't bond to metal very well. Unfortunately, it... doesn't bond to metal very well.

 

[apl]

Actually, among other things, Loc-Tite brand makes a cyanoacrylate adhesive. Yeah. That's "Super Glue".

Fortunately, it doesn't bond to metal very well. Unfortunately, it... doesn't bond to metal very well.

They make all manner of adhesives and sealants, and it was my bad when I started this thread not to be more specific.

Here's the product I was talking about. It's a non-permanent thread locker.

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/products/detail.asp?catid=10&subid=48&plid=153

 

[Lt. Bob]

Well, I have tightened them and they came loose.

The stuff I'd use would just feel tight to the guy taking it off.

I play mostly cheapish gits on my outside gigs and the damned nuts and such loosen and fall off no matter how I tighten them. And I damned well know how to tighten a nut so it's really weird.
Gotta be the cheap jacks they use. Pot metal must not be good for nuts.
I've been thinking about replacing them but maybe a bit 'o' locktite would be easier.

 

[apl]

I play mostly cheapish gits on my outside gigs and the damned nuts and such loosen and fall off no matter how I tighten them. And I damned well know how to tighten a nut so it's really weird.
Gotta be the cheap jacks they use. Pot metal must not be good for nuts.
I've been thinking about replacing them but maybe a bit 'o' locktite would be easier.

I did some research for a project at work, and it turns out that nuts come loose because they can move side to side on the bolt. So the less clearance between the threads, the better they hold. With cheap parts, it's easier to make the threads looser so with their normal bigger variation they'll still screw together, but with the bigger clearance comes easier slipping. Interference fits, nylon locking nuts, deformed nuts all work by eliminating radial movement.

 

[CoolCat]

interesting, makes sense. so for a few pennies or dollars, a upgrade nut would be wise.

Are you going with the locktite or some new nut with teflon insert or what?

 

[dgatwood]

I did some research for a project at work, and it turns out that nuts come loose because they can move side to side on the bolt. So the less clearance between the threads, the better they hold. With cheap parts, it's easier to make the threads looser so with their normal bigger variation they'll still screw together, but with the bigger clearance comes easier slipping. Interference fits, nylon locking nuts, deformed nuts all work by eliminating radial movement.

Locking nuts are evil. I ended up sawing off a carriage bolt because it got so tight that it stripped the square hole in the material that it was supposed to be holding together and wouldn't tighten down.... Satellite dish assembly.... Not happy....