Removing mangled screw?

[Rob Morley]

Why? Drifts are for fitting/removing interference-fit components, not knocking fixings flush.

[Set Square]

You may be able to remove enough of the screw head with the countersink bit to get the fitting off the screw. You may then be able to grip the shank with mole grips to remove it - or simply cut it off flush with a Dremel cutting disc.

[Rob Morley]

You'd have to fix it very firmly and feed the drill at a steady rate to stop it rattling all over the place and snatching/breaking the bit.

[Chris Bacon]

Hey! That sounds a good idea! I take it that you'd select a drill bit appropriate to the size of the screw, and a piece of very close-fitting tube on the bit?

[NickW]

Hmm, you are probably right.

Can you get attachments for drills which could grind the head off?

[ben]

You can get grinders for drills but i reconk the grinder stone will wear out befor the screw. :-(

[Lurch]

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 10:56:38 GMT, "ben" scrawled:

He can get a drill in there though. Have you seen the access to this screwhead? Do I care really?

[Cicero]

================ Buy a plug cutter like these:

might work used with a ratchet hand brace. The biggest in the set is about 12mm deep X 16mm diameter.

Cic.

[Set Square]

So how does he get it past the bracket which is currently being held on by the screw?

[NickW]

I reckon I'll have to risk a small, sharp cold chisel D-:

[meow2222]

Many options worth a go:

hand held file (ratstail) to file remains of head off. Then the steel brakcet comes off, and removal with pliers or after cutting a slot become easyish.

dremel type thing

long mortar rake in angle grinder, the narrow abrasive kind with a flat end covered in grit.

Liquid steel a metal shaft onto the remains, dry 24hrs and unscrew.

Use drill and tiny bit to drill various tiny holes into what remains until it all falls apart.

Use drill and bigger bit, forget about trying to drill in one place, just keep stabbing at the screwhead, each stab will take a small chunk off.

Lever the bracket with a bar, it might pop the half head off. Put shim of wood between bar and frame to avoid denting.

Use a left hand threaded drill bit (Tracey Tools) to drill the thing out. It will either catch and unscrew it or else dril the head off.

drill into the screw shank so the head has nothing left to attach to.

cut the bracket with tinsnips and tear it off, if thin.

pull bracket off with waterpump pliers, migt pull the screw out, might make a mess of the wood tho, so use with care

use rotary file in drill

drill, copper rod and abrasive paste

bolt croppers on bracket and/or screw

etc etc

NT

[Rob Morley]

Can you get a pad saw behind the bracket and cut the screw flush?

[NickW]

There is no room for movement, it's in a corner. I might get a centimeter of hacksaw blade on it.

[Set Square]

That's enough - as long as it's sharp, and the teeth go right to the end. Snap a bit off if necessary.

[Ed Sirett]

Dremel or clone - "white elephant" that once a year it earns its keep.

[Dave]

I always thought that a drift was something that you could use as a punching device, but didn't have the hardness of a punch.

e.g. a brass object could be a drift, bit not a punch.

Dave