Any tips on pressing in new Floyd Rose post bushings into a new body?

H

harddriver

Well-known member
I have one last Poplar strat body I need to push the Floyd Rose post bushings into. I have a hydraulic press to press them in but I wanted to hear what the best methods are to press them in.

Do you coat the bushings with beeswax or is it best to press them in dry?

Thanks for your suggestions!
 
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I've usually just started them by hand, and then gently tapped them in. I never used any kind of glue or lube, as they seemed to go in pretty easily just as they were. I don't see where using something like beeswax would hurt anything though. I did see a video the other day, where they installed them with a carriage bolt that had the threaded part of the bolt chucked into a drill press. The rounded part of the head of the bolt would fit into the open part of the top and kind of provided a self centering mechanism that kept it from jumping out. If/when I ever need to install some more I may try that next time.
 
Use a small block of wood, placed on top of the stud insert.

Then drive them in (press or hammer).

Don't use glue - in case you ever need to remove/replace them.
 
I've looked on YT for a good in depth DIY video and I haven't found one that stated whether or not they used beeswax on the stud bushing outside like you do with the wood screws to help form the wood to the threads of the wood screws.

Poplar is pretty soft but I don't want to split or crack the wood of the bushing holes either.....

OK.... I think the no glue is a plus incase they ever need yanked out again. The couple of vids on YT the hydraulic presses seemed to work really well.
 
You can always warm them up with a soldering iron to remove them, if you are worried about using glue.

I always use glue, I want them in there tight without smashing them in.

Just a little tap with a plastic hammer.
 
I had to do this with the slightly larger and longer Gotoh 1996T bushings and those things are meant for a super tight fit . I'm not sure if the Floyd bushings are similar or not.

I put a little water in the holes and let it sit for a few minutes before dumping it out and then I applied a heavy coat of beeswax to the bushings and pounded them in very slowly . The body was heavy and thick Northern Ash so no issues .
 
Softer wood like basswood or poplar and correctly sized holes make for a much different project than hard ash or alder with ever so slightly undersized holes or the slightly larger Gotoh anchors like ccn mentioned - which can be nerve wracking! If it feels like an easier fit, I will put a drop of linseed oil on each anchor so the wood swells tight against the anchor. If it feels snug enough to cause cracking concerns, a touch of beeswax or plain ol bar soap scuffed around the anchors can help.
 
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Use a big hammer and do not choke up on the handle. One full arm swing is all you need.

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I use a drill press with the Chuck closed. I use a few rags on the bottom of the body to keep from marring the wood.

I don’t use glue on the studs. If you ever want to replace them or pull them out, glue makes it way more challenging. Press fit has always worked for me.
 
glpg80 said:
I use a drill press with the Chuck closed. I use a few rags on the bottom of the body to keep from marring the wood.

I don’t use glue on the studs. If you ever want to replace them or pull them out, glue makes it way more challenging. Press fit has always worked for me.
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Do you usually press them in with absolutely nothing on them or do you put some beeswax on the outside of the bushing to help the wood conform as they get pressed in?

I guess the harder wood the more need for something like the beeswax this body is poplar which is a bit softer but not as soft as basswood. I'm just curious what people have done with their project guitar builds to get the best process for the best results.
 
harddriver said:
Do you usually press them in with absolutely nothing on them or do you put some beeswax on the outside of the bushing to help the wood conform as they get pressed in?

I guess the harder wood the more need for something like the beeswax this body is poplar which is a bit softer but not as soft as basswood. I'm just curious what people have done with their project guitar builds to get the best process for the best results.
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Nothing at all. Just press it in slowly. Don’t over complicate it. Drill presses are insanely powerful and the energy concentrated on the end of a closed Chuck is plenty. Just make sure the hole is cleaned out well and nothing is in the bottom.
 
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