Those tiny ones.

[Gazz]

Has anyone got any tips/hacks on centering those pesky tiny screws on machine heads, there's got to be an easy way that I'm just not seeing, (you've guessed by now I'm a newbie to this malarkey) it's doing my loaf in. So I've left my work shop, lights off, come back later. Please help, ta. 

[PaulThePlug]

Holes should be pilot drilled, to the correct depth, otherwise the screw will bottom out and you will round out the screw head.

 

Pilot Drill, correct fitting screw driver, and a bit of hand soap (block) or candle wax on the screw threads.

 

Lots of holes.. so a job not to ne rushed

Mark the hoes thru the achie head plate with a scriber or nail

 

I use a hand pinion wirly drill and slow and steady as to clear the hole and not break the drill bit.

Good Luck

Edited 1 hour ago by PaulThePlug

[BlueMoon]

This ^^^^^^^
 

[Dood]

For placing the holes in the right place, I drop the tuners in to the headstock. Those with a nut on the front are helpful as you can secure the keys in the final position, but those that don't, like 'fender' keys, I use tape to hold in the exact postion I want the keys to sit - ensuring they are level, straight etc etc. Then I use a fat "nib" pencil that fills the tuning key screw hole nicely to ensure the dot I am marking is centred. Then I follow the same approach as above. Oh and make sure the headstock is flat and parallel to the level surface you are working on, which isn't easy with an angled back headstock, but it will help make sure the drill holes are straight.

 

For drilling pilot holes, I measure the screw thread depth against the drill bit and pop a little tape around the drill bit to tell me when to stop drilling, so I dont go too deep! I haven't drilled through a headstock yet but I've seen it happen.