Dave Coin - Posted - 04/18/2024:  10:20:52

Hi friends. My Afton Star is missing two of the resonator attachment screws, and one of the little Allen screws in the tailpiece to which a string attaches. Anybody have any advice? I contacted Stelling and also Stew Mac but no dice. Thanks all.

Culloden - Posted - 04/18/2024:  12:28:50

I don't know about the resonator screws but you can get the tailpiece screw at Home Depot. Just take one of the other screws along to match the threads.

Dave Coin - Posted - 04/18/2024:  13:57:25

Yes thanks Mark. Maybe I'll carry the tailpiece in and see what fits it. Right now strings 3 and 4 share one screw.

Old Hickory - Posted - 04/18/2024:  15:48:08

If the fasteners aisle of your nearest Home Depot is anything like mine, I believe you'll have better luck at any neighborhood or shopping center hardware store such as an Ace or True Value. I find their bins and drawers of single nuts, bolts, and screws far more orderly and reliable than those at Home Depot.

Anyway, if you're lucky they'll have what you're looking for in stainless steel which is sometimes close enough to nickel in appearance.

One lucky find I had at Home Depot was chrome plated nuts and washers in a size that worked on the tail end of coordinator rods. Maybe larger outside than the ones that come with co-rod sets, but really did the job. I've also used stainless steel for this.

banjoT1 - Posted - 04/18/2024:  16:50:12

Dave.......... good suggestions sent your direction- surprising what range of small fasteners and doodads that Home Depot has when/if they are in stock. Usually you'll find the the doodads somewhere in or around the sliding panel hardware displays.

I personally find both of the Stelling tailpeice stainless cap screw sizes at a local industrial fastener supplier > can be polished up to mimic nickel.

I have a small stash of the two cap screws so if for love nor money you can't find what you're looking for PM me and I'll help you out, but you may need to carefully grind it to length.

You likely know this but anyway, a quick tightening tip before rotating them in would be of course an eensy dab of LocTite or, what I do, is a very, very slight hand pressure on side cutters at one thread spot only to distort the threads a couple of thou.

Dave Coin - Posted - 04/18/2024:  17:58:05

Thanks guys, great advice.

TTtheBear - Posted - 04/19/2024:  06:09:31

FWIW I am also missing a resonator thumbscrew for my 75 Bellflower. They are shorter than any of the ones I have laying around and they are angled somewhat due to the unusual resonator geometry. Gonna re-plate all the hardware at some point and would love to have all four resonator screws.