Hi, I'm Stupid!

[mgkrame]

When attempting to tighten the pocket clip on
one of my folders, I stripped the hex-head screw. Any suggetions on how to get it out?

 

[A T Barr]

Your best bet is send it back to the maker. Tell him/her to replace those screws with either spline or torx. Why in the world would *anyone* use hex head?

A.T.

 

[Jim Smyth]

I have done that also with spline drive allen heads and I just drilled it out with a very small drill and used a small easy out.

 

[Darrel Ralph]

You can slot them with a dremal and a cut off tool also . Then use a flat head screw driver to get them out.


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Web Site At www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
Take a look!!!

 

[A T Barr]

Hello CJ, please tell me where I can purchase an "easy-out" that is small enough for
1-72 screws. They *are* a real pain to remove.

Thanks,
A.T.

 

[Darrel Ralph]

AT
Drill the head to the next size for a tap . Then buy a left hand tap. Tap the hole . Then use a left handed screw . An easy out is nice to. If you cant find one , you can make your own. Heat it twist it . Then heat treat to about 45 rc..

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Web Site At www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
Take a look!!!

 

[Cougar Allen]

There's another kind of screw extractor that's not twisted -- it's just a square bar with a little taper to it. You drill a hole that's smaller than the bar is corner-to-corner and drive the bar into the hole with a hammer and then you can put a wrench on it. I've had good luck with that kind of extractor and it'd be easier to make.

I have a lot of experience with stripped threads after restoring and customizing a '71 VeeWee. One of my favorite methods is the cold chisel trick, and I've come up with an improvement on the usual way it's done. The usual way is to take a *dull* cold chisel and strike at the edge of the screw head, but I prefer to cut a notch in the head with a sharp cold chisel, then stick a screwdriver in the notch and tap on that with a hammer.

That method works very well, works on screws that are in too tight for a screw extractor, and it's much faster.

For a 1-72 screw, though ... I guess you'd have to use a jeweler's screwdriver, and make a tiny cold chisel out of a heavy sewing needle or something, and you'll need a tiny little hammer.... I wonder what watch repairmen do with stripped screws. I wouldn't be surprised if they use my method; I think it would be more practical than itsy bitsy screw extractors that would be prone to breakage.

-Cougar Allen :{)

P.S. The advice above to send it back to the manufacturer is not bad advice, but that approach kind of takes the sport of it, doesn't it? Where's the challenge in that?

-Cougar Allen :{)


[This message has been edited by Cougar Allen (edited 24 January 1999).]