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Vibrato bar adapter

Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2020 12:21 am
by vertigocycles
I was hoping that I could make this a quick project, but didn't take stock of my tooling before I started and didn't realize that I can't locate my 3/16 chucking reamer. So here's an incomplete project for now.

I have a pre-refined Deluxe that needs a trem bar. Having bought one from eBay last week, I need to change the mounting location on the trem. Initially, I was just going to bore out the stock hex broached one, to 5/16 and make a delrin sleeve for it, but thought that it might be best to keep the stock one in case it's important to someone down the road if I ever sell it. Also, boring it to 5/16 only leaves 0.031" wall thickness and as the threads are 0.021" deep, it would create future trouble...not to mention the trouble of heat management while trying to ream to 5/16 in 6/4 ti with a wall that thin. I could ream to 1/4" and make a brass sleeve to shim it down to 3/16...we'll see how it goes.

After checking my rod stock, I only have 7075 aluminum, brass, O2 steel and 6/4 titanium in 1/2" OD and the only appropriate choice is the titanium for this project (unless I had stainless). The ti rod is actually slightly oversized, which is nice since I can cut about 0.010" off the OD and get a decent surface finish.

This is my last insert with a small radius and it's worn out, so the surface finish isn't as nice as it should be, but it's my only tool that will do a nearly square shoulder (the nose is 0.005" IIRC) so I'm stuck with it.

Turning the shoulder

ImagePre-Refined Parker Fly Deluxe Trem bar mount adapter by Sean Chaney, on Flickr

Cutting the threads

ImagePre-Refined Parker Fly Deluxe Trem bar mount adapter by Sean Chaney, on Flickr

Test Fit

ImagePre-Refined Parker Fly Deluxe Trem bar mount adapter by Sean Chaney, on Flickr

There's still a bunch of locking compound on the nut so until I get that off, it won't spin on all the way. The bar should be here in a few days and thankfully I don't have to use the lathe until then so I'm just going to leave this chucked up until the bar arrives and then will decide what to do next. If it's actually a 3/16 bar I'll probably drill this to size, skip the reamer and perhaps bore a hole to the centerline, make or modify the set screw to bear down on the trem bar to set the tension. It looks like the hex bar fitting is held in place with a wavy washer (mine is crushed but it looks like it was wavy) under the nut and the nylon topped set screw allowed the whole assembly to rotate. Having not seen the round bar yet, I'm not sure if it's intended to rotate inside the mounting assembly or how tension is set so I'll wing it once it arrives. The diameter tolerance of the new bar is going to dictate what the next steps are. Let's hope it's a true 0.1875 to make it easy.

Re: Vibrato bar adapter

Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2020 12:47 am
by vjmanzo
Great project, @vertigocycles! I do love a good “build” thread!!! 8-)

Thanks for these pictures; please keep us all posted!

Re: Vibrato bar adapter

Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:25 pm
by vertigocycles
Found my 3/16" chucking reamer. Someone put it in my drill bit drawer ;) What kind of monster does that?!

I left the head a little long with a 3/16"r corner figuring I can turn it to the correct length later on if needed. The extra length is in case I want to mill a hex on the OD rather than broach it for an allen wrench (which means I have to borrow and return a broach from a friend.)

Parting it off.

ImageB9CB00A8-CA52-4CC3-A915-B59271359F1D_1_105_c by Sean Chaney, on Flickr

Next to the original

Image01DB3BC0-2A0C-4455-B749-47659C1069B0_1_105_c by Sean Chaney, on Flickr

Re: Vibrato bar adapter

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 5:08 am
by mmmguitar
Gorgeous work! At this rate, the community will eventually be comprised of a bunch of bartering Fly owners fabricating their own parts.

Re: Vibrato bar adapter

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 5:19 am
by vjmanzo
mmmguitar wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 5:08 am At this rate, the community will eventually be comprised of a bunch of bartering Fly owners fabricating their own parts.
Love that!

Re: Vibrato bar adapter

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 1:12 pm
by vertigocycles
Thanks!

After installing it, it didn't look right at the length I left it so I brought it down to the same dimensions as stock. I don't have a 1/8" roundover bit and don't grind my own here in the shop so I profiled the corner by hand. I do think I'm going to borrow the rotary broach from my buddy and don't think the wrench flats on the OD would look right. A few more ops with this and it'll be done and I'll move on to sorting out my own spring.

ImageTweaked it by Sean Chaney, on Flickr

Re: Vibrato bar adapter

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 1:26 pm
by vjmanzo
Looking great! Keep it up!