Not bike tech but I am sure one of the machinist in here can help

I have a truss rod nut that is on a guitar. The truss rod consist of a hex allen wrench nut that turns. It is stripped and completely rounded. I cannot tighten it or loosen. Since it sits at the top of the headstock on a guitar hard to reach. One way to get it to adjust would be to somehow cut across the nut so that I can simply use a large flat screwdriver to turn the nut..

Any ideas how I can accomplish this a dremel I don't think will fit into the area for clearance to make a cut. I don't know how hard the metal nut is in cutting. There has to be a way.

I hope this make sense and I sure could use some help. In a way it is similar to turning a stuck seat post by drilling hole thru the exposed post to put in a straight bar to turn post.

Deacon mark

Mark Cleary wrote:
I have a truss rod nut that is on a guitar. The truss rod consist of a
hex allen wrench nut that turns. It is stripped and completely rounded. I
cannot tighten it or loosen. Since it sits at the top of the headstock on
a guitar hard to reach. One way to get it to adjust would be to somehow
cut across the nut so that I can simply use a large flat screwdriver to turn the nut.

Any ideas how I can accomplish this a dremel I don't think will fit into
the area for clearance to make a cut. I don't know how hard the metal nut
is in cutting. There has to be a way.

I hope this make sense and I sure could use some help. In a way it is
similar to turning a stuck seat post by drilling hole thru the exposed
post to put in a straight bar to turn post.

Deacon mark


Use an appropriately sized EZ-out inside the Allen key nut.

On 1/18/2021 1:55 PM, Mark Cleary wrote:
I have a truss rod nut that is on a guitar. The truss rod consist of a hex allen wrench nut that turns. It is stripped and completely rounded. I cannot tighten it or loosen. Since it sits at the top of the headstock on a guitar hard to reach. One way to get it to adjust would be to somehow cut across the nut so that I can simply use a large flat screwdriver to turn the nut.

Any ideas how I can accomplish this a dremel I don't think will fit into the area for clearance to make a cut. I don't know how hard the metal nut is in cutting. There has to be a way.

I hope this make sense and I sure could use some help. In a way it is similar to turning a stuck seat post by drilling hole thru the exposed post to put in a straight bar to turn post.

Deacon mark


In bicycles I'm pretty well versed in the benefits and costs
of various methods to deal with rusted/broken/stuck
fasteners. I know nothing about guitars (ancillary damage
risk??) so I have no advice. A web search shows others have
trod this path before you:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=guitar+rep...ut&t=h_&ia=web

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Monday, January 18, 2021 at 1:55:23 PM UTC-6, wrote:
I have a truss rod nut that is on a guitar. The truss rod consist of a hex allen wrench nut that turns. It is stripped and completely rounded. I cannot tighten it or loosen. Since it sits at the top of the headstock on a guitar hard to reach. One way to get it to adjust would be to somehow cut across the nut so that I can simply use a large flat screwdriver to turn the nut.

Any ideas how I can accomplish this a dremel I don't think will fit into the area for clearance to make a cut. I don't know how hard the metal nut is in cutting. There has to be a way.

I hope this make sense and I sure could use some help. In a way it is similar to turning a stuck seat post by drilling hole thru the exposed post to put in a straight bar to turn post.

Deacon mark

Andrew and Ralph have posted some helpful suggestions. I would add that you can slightly de-tension the truss rod by pushing the headstock towards the back of the instrument, which may reduce the torque demands for getting the nut to rotate. You could have a helper hold the guitar with one hand on the headstock and one on the tailpiece with a knee where the neck joins the body. The helper pulls the instrument *gently* towards him/herself while you try to rotate the nut.
Another possibility is that you could attempt to bond a near-fitting hex tool in the nut with a strong epoxy. After setting, and using the de-tensioning protocol described, the nut may hopefully be removed.
I've used this procedure when adjusting the neck on my old Guild D-35 to reduce the likelihood of stripping the nut. So far, so good!

On 1/18/2021 3:09 PM, Ralph Barone wrote:
Mark Cleary wrote:
I have a truss rod nut that is on a guitar. The truss rod consist of a
hex allen wrench nut that turns. It is stripped and completely rounded. I
cannot tighten it or loosen. Since it sits at the top of the headstock on
a guitar hard to reach. One way to get it to adjust would be to somehow
cut across the nut so that I can simply use a large flat screwdriver to turn the nut.

Any ideas how I can accomplish this a dremel I don't think will fit into
the area for clearance to make a cut. I don't know how hard the metal nut
is in cutting. There has to be a way.

I hope this make sense and I sure could use some help. In a way it is
similar to turning a stuck seat post by drilling hole thru the exposed
post to put in a straight bar to turn post.

Deacon mark


Use an appropriately sized EZ-out inside the Allen key nut.

I assume you've tried both U.S. and metric allen keys to make very sure
you're using the right size.

I like Ralph's idea. EZ Outs are very handy. I've used them, but never
on a guitar (thank goodness). Depending on the depth of the socket, you
may have to grind the end of the EZ Out so it doesn't bottom out before
gripping the sides of the socket. (Grind slowly, it's _very_ hard steel!)

A possible alternative might be this: Look through your collection of
allen keys (metric and U.S.) to find an allen key that's just barely too
big to go into the socket. Use a bench grinder on that key to carefully
and symmetrically grind its end to a slightly tapered hexagon - like
tapering a 1/4" key down to 6 mm.

With luck, maybe that tapered key might wedge into the nut and allow
removing it.

(You have the strings slack, I assume.)


--
- Frank Krygowski

On 1/18/2021 4:02 PM, Steve Weeks wrote:
On Monday, January 18, 2021 at 1:55:23 PM UTC-6, wrote:
I have a truss rod nut that is on a guitar. The truss rod consist of a hex allen wrench nut that turns. It is stripped and completely rounded. I cannot tighten it or loosen. Since it sits at the top of the headstock on a guitar hard to reach. One way to get it to adjust would be to somehow cut across the nut so that I can simply use a large flat screwdriver to turn the nut.

Any ideas how I can accomplish this a dremel I don't think will fit into the area for clearance to make a cut. I don't know how hard the metal nut is in cutting. There has to be a way.

I hope this make sense and I sure could use some help. In a way it is similar to turning a stuck seat post by drilling hole thru the exposed post to put in a straight bar to turn post.

Deacon mark

Andrew and Ralph have posted some helpful suggestions. I would add that you can slightly de-tension the truss rod by pushing the headstock towards the back of the instrument, which may reduce the torque demands for getting the nut to rotate. You could have a helper hold the guitar with one hand on the headstock and one on the tailpiece with a knee where the neck joins the body. The helper pulls the instrument *gently* towards him/herself while you try to rotate the nut.
Another possibility is that you could attempt to bond a near-fitting hex tool in the nut with a strong epoxy. After setting, and using the de-tensioning protocol described, the nut may hopefully be removed.
I've used this procedure when adjusting the neck on my old Guild D-35 to reduce the likelihood of stripping the nut. So far, so good!

Good idea on flexing the neck.


--
- Frank Krygowski

On Mon, 18 Jan 2021 11:55:21 -0800 (PST), Mark Cleary
wrote:

I have a truss rod nut that is on a guitar.

Probably an electric guitar, not acoustic. Electric bass guitar or
something else?

The truss rod consist of a hex allen wrench nut that turns.
It is stripped and completely rounded. I cannot tighten it
or loosen. Since it sits at the top of the headstock on a
guitar hard to reach. One way to get it to adjust would be
to somehow cut across the nut so that I can simply use a
large flat screwdriver to turn the nut.

I know nothing about electric guitars. (I make music sounding noises
on a piano or synthesizer).

Ultimate Guide to Guitar Truss Rods: Adjustment, Tools, Covers,
Intonation
https://guitargearfinder.com/guides/guitar-truss-rods/

From what I can tell, the guitar neck is built around the truss rod.
No way to remove it without separating the neck from the body, which
may not be possible. Some have a removable cover over the truss rod
adjustment, which might give you access to the mechanism. I can't
tell from here.

I found a few articles on how to repair a stripped truss rod nut.
https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/online-resources/learn-about-truss-rod-installation-and-repair/bad-news-a-stripped-truss-rod-nut-good-news-an-easy-solution-.html
Gripper wrench vs. worn-out truss rod nut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kocOC5_ID4
The tapered allen wrench seems like a better solution than using an
easy-out.

Guitar Shop 101: Dealing with a Stripped Truss-Rod Nut
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/22876-guitar-shop-101-dealing-with-a-stripped-truss-rod-nut

Stripped Trussrod Nut Removal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkhgiQ2CDcE

Truss Rods; Replacing a Truss Rod Nut | StudyBass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilumAJQA0Ss

Plenty more videos on truss rod nut repair:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=truss+rod+nut

Any ideas how I can accomplish this a dremel I don't think will
fit into the area for clearance to make a cut. I don't know how
hard the metal nut is in cutting. There has to be a way.

Looking at the photos of various truss rod ends, I don't see any way
to cut a slot without cutting into the neck.

I hope this make sense and I sure could use some help. In a way
it is similar to turning a stuck seat post by drilling hole thru
the exposed post to put in a straight bar to turn post.

Sacrilege. Drilling holes in the seat post will not give you a good
grip on the post. Instead, when you apply pressure to the round bar
shoved into the hole, the aluminum will cold flow, and the holes will
deform into oval shaped slots. If you make the holes sufficiently
small that it won't weaken the seat post, the rod will bend. If you
make the holes sufficient large so that you can use a large diameter
rod, the holes will act as a stress riser and the seat post will
crack. If you don't care about what happens to the seat post, a pipe
wrench will do a better job than drilling holes.




Deacon mark
--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On 1/18/2021 4:03 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2021 11:55:21 -0800 (PST), Mark Cleary
wrote:

I have a truss rod nut that is on a guitar.

Probably an electric guitar, not acoustic. Electric bass guitar or
something else?

The truss rod consist of a hex allen wrench nut that turns.
It is stripped and completely rounded. I cannot tighten it
or loosen. Since it sits at the top of the headstock on a
guitar hard to reach. One way to get it to adjust would be
to somehow cut across the nut so that I can simply use a
large flat screwdriver to turn the nut.

I know nothing about electric guitars. (I make music sounding noises
on a piano or synthesizer).

Ultimate Guide to Guitar Truss Rods: Adjustment, Tools, Covers,
Intonation
https://guitargearfinder.com/guides/guitar-truss-rods/

From what I can tell, the guitar neck is built around the truss rod.
No way to remove it without separating the neck from the body, which
may not be possible. Some have a removable cover over the truss rod
adjustment, which might give you access to the mechanism. I can't
tell from here.

I found a few articles on how to repair a stripped truss rod nut.
https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/online-resources/learn-about-truss-rod-installation-and-repair/bad-news-a-stripped-truss-rod-nut-good-news-an-easy-solution-.html
Gripper wrench vs. worn-out truss rod nut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kocOC5_ID4
The tapered allen wrench seems like a better solution than using an
easy-out.

Guitar Shop 101: Dealing with a Stripped Truss-Rod Nut
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/22876-guitar-shop-101-dealing-with-a-stripped-truss-rod-nut

Stripped Trussrod Nut Removal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkhgiQ2CDcE

Truss Rods; Replacing a Truss Rod Nut | StudyBass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilumAJQA0Ss

Plenty more videos on truss rod nut repair:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=truss+rod+nut

Any ideas how I can accomplish this a dremel I don't think will
fit into the area for clearance to make a cut. I don't know how
hard the metal nut is in cutting. There has to be a way.

Looking at the photos of various truss rod ends, I don't see any way
to cut a slot without cutting into the neck.

I hope this make sense and I sure could use some help. In a way
it is similar to turning a stuck seat post by drilling hole thru
the exposed post to put in a straight bar to turn post.

Sacrilege. Drilling holes in the seat post will not give you a good
grip on the post. Instead, when you apply pressure to the round bar
shoved into the hole, the aluminum will cold flow, and the holes will
deform into oval shaped slots. If you make the holes sufficiently
small that it won't weaken the seat post, the rod will bend. If you
make the holes sufficient large so that you can use a large diameter
rod, the holes will act as a stress riser and the seat post will
crack. If you don't care about what happens to the seat post, a pipe
wrench will do a better job than drilling holes.




Deacon mark

in re seatposts-
A steel round inside the post (doesn't have to be a tight
fit) is _much_ preferable to drilling holes in the aluminum
stump. Posts which are prevented from collapsing can be
grasped much better.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Mon, 18 Jan 2021 11:55:21 -0800 (PST), Mark Cleary
wrote:

I have a truss rod nut that is on a guitar. The truss rod consist of a hex allen wrench nut that turns. It is stripped and completely rounded. I cannot tighten it or loosen. Since it sits at the top of the headstock on a guitar hard to reach. One way to get it to adjust would be to somehow cut across the nut so that I can simply use a large flat screwdriver to turn the nut.

Any ideas how I can accomplish this a dremel I don't think will fit into the area for clearance to make a cut. I don't know how hard the metal nut is in cutting. There has to be a way.

I hope this make sense and I sure could use some help. In a way it is similar to turning a stuck seat post by drilling hole thru the exposed post to put in a straight bar to turn post.

Deacon mark

Perhaps the first question might be why the truss rod nut rounded out
as if the nut has been tightened so much that the force needed to turn
it is sufficient to cause the allen wrench to twist in the socket then
perhaps it is just too tight to even be moved.

But if you think it can be loosened or removed you might make or buy a
square "easy out" of a size to, with perhaps a bit of help from a
hammer be wedged into the rounded out hole, or a left hand threaded
easy out, but a fair warning sometimes that sort will lock into a hole
so tightly that they can be broken by further twisting.
https://www.amazon.com/easy-out/s?k=easy+out
Note here that easy outs are usually hardened steel and heating
excessively, for instance welding, may well soften them to the point
of being useless.
--
Cheers,

John B.

"StewMac Truss Rod Rescue Tool Sets"
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-truss-rods/stewmac-truss-rod-rescue-tool-sets.html
Only $200 to $650. Ouch.

More truss rod tools:
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-truss-rods/

--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558