Stripped saddle threads in licensed Floyd Rose baseplate

[Aentons]

I have a midrange 80s Charvel Fusion super strat that belonged to my late brother and one of my kids has claimed it. It has a "Made in Germany by Schaller" licensed Jackson branded Floyd Rose bridge. Many of the M3 size saddle screw holes for intonation that go down into the baseplate are stripped from over-tightening. I don't want to replace it and I'd like any fix to be solid for the long term.

I was originally going to just fill with JB Weld and re-tap but I'm afraid that it will just strip out again and I'm also unsure if JB Weld is even ok to use on the cheap "pot metal" or whatever the baseplate is made of.

I've seen most questions like this suggest helicoils or other threaded inserts but others say that those are a one-time use and will deform and back out if you ever remove the screw.

(Edit: I forgot to mention, an M4 is too wide to fit between the saddle "forks")

Anyone have any suggestions for a fix?

[Govmnt_Lacky]

If the holes are stripped and you cannot go up a size and re-tap, then the only alternative is to have the holes filled again, re-drill, and re-tap. Even that would most likely only last a short time 

If I were to tackle this issue, unfortunately I would recommend getting a replacement.

[flanagan0718]

Hardware like that is tough. I do suggest replacing it. If you are looking for parts floydrose.com is a good place to start. I see that "Jackson" is stamped into the bridge so you should be able to salvage 90% of it. If the stripped screws will not come out at all here is a trick I used to used when I repaired medical equipment that used set screws.

-get a handheld Dremel with a cutting wheel attachment

-VERY carefully cut a slot in the center of the top of the screw head using the cutting wheel. Be careful not to go to the edges as you do not want to damage the bridge.

-be sure to cut the slot across the Allen insert and make sure it is wide and long enough to fit a, fairly beefy <- technical term, flat blade screwdriver.

-spray a little WD40 after cutting the slot. This will get into the threads a little easier now and also cool the screw head down.

-Then use said "beefy" screw driver to remove stuck screw.

I have used this with success many times on many different things. After you get the screw out you should be able to match the thread count and screw head size on a hardware site. If the floydrose.com site doesn't have the exact screw you may want to check McMaster-Carr or another hardware site. They have loads of strange screws and other random hardware. They even have diagrams on how to match thread count or measure thread pitch. I hope this helps.
-Mike-


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[Aentons]

Thanks guys, but to clarify, it's the intonation holes that are stripped, not the screws.

Also, I'm not 100% sure but I think it already has hardened steel inserts in the holes. I read somewhere that was the case with the license Schaller versions.