are grover tuner butto s changeable?

[tangimango]

I have a set of grovers h97 machine tuners. Is the button removable for other nicer buttons?

 

[rudy]

Sure, I do it fairly often. The cast buttons are fairly heavy, so you get the side benefit of shaving off a lot of the excess weight.



It's quite easy to remove the old button, but it takes the right tool. I used a couple pieces of scrap 1/4" bar stock to make a set of button pullers that bolt on in place of my normal machinist's vise jaws. The top extends above the vise top and are thinned and have a slot cut in them so the tuner slips into the slot when the vise is closed. The button is pulled cleanly off the worm shaft as the vise jaws are opened.

A description is on my uke construction tips page of my website:

http://www.bluestemstrings.com/pageUke1.html

 

[jcalkin]

Sure, I do it fairly often. The cast buttons are fairly heavy, so you get the side benefit of shaving off a lot of the excess weight.

View attachment 66365

It's quite easy to remove the old button, but it takes the right tool. I used a couple pieces of scrap 1/4" bar stock to make a set of button pullers that bolt on in place of my normal machinist's vise jaws. The top extends above the vise top and are thinned and have a slot cut in them so the tuner slips into the slot when the vise is closed. The button is pulled cleanly off the worm shaft as the vise jaws are opened.

A description is on my uke construction tips page of my website:

http://www.bluestemstrings.com/pageUke1.html

Randy, I'm a huge fan of your website, but I didn't see the button pulling feature on your uke page.

 

[rudy]

Randy, I'm a huge fan of your website, but I didn't see the button pulling feature on your uke page.

Thanks kindly!

The description of the tuner modification is there where the tuner is shown, but the jig isn't pictured. I could post a photo there if it would be helpful, it's pretty simple to figure out if you look at how the tuner is designed and read the description above of the vise jig.

 

[tangimango]

So they are pulled off , so twisting them counterclock wise not possible?

 

[rudy]

So they are pulled off , so twisting them counterclock wise not possible?

They can be pulled in a straight line off the shaft. The top of the shaft has machined flats; the buttons are designed to NOT be twisted either CW or CCW.

I drill the Stu-Mac replacement tuner buttons out so they easily slip over the tuner button shaft and attach them using JB Weld. The wood buttons used to be available in snakewood and several other varieties, but I think Stu-Mac only has them in ebony at present. Do NOT force wood buttons over the tuner shaft, they will crack from the force exerted on them. They are best epoxied to the shaft.

I've added a description of the vise jig that I use (and a photo) to the "Ukulele Construction Tips" page of my website:

http://www.bluestemstrings.com/pageUke1.html

 

[lauburu]

Aaaah!! NOW I understand. I had a completely different mental picture (thousand words). Many thanks Rudy
Miguel

 

[resoman]

Ahhhh! The photo did it. Sometimes I just can't "get it" with only descriptions but with the photo it all makes sense.
I also am a fan of your website. Thanks Randy

 

[jcalkin]

I'm with the others, Randy. The pic made all the difference. Thanks!