Screws Broke - Help save the leg?!

[Hoosierpopi]

The leg of my "office chair" broke off last night.

Its a swivel base affair with four (Oak) legs held together by a metal bracing on the top and bottom of each leg.

Eacd leg is essentially a section of "2x4" Oak shaped pleasantly, of course and held in place with a single 1.5" screw at the top and two

2" screws at teh bottom via the respective steel plates.

All three screws broke when the head came of the one at the top. That screw left enough of the screw showing to allow a Vise Grip to extract it.

Not so for the two screws at teh bottom - they broke off about 1/4" or so below the surface.

Any ideas on how to remove these screws so as to save & re-use the leg?

[Puckdropper]

Hoosierpopi wrote in news:94c0f27a-ad80-4f4c- [e-mail]:

I'd leave the screws in there and simply put new ones in at a slightly different location. Most twist-style drill bits can handle metal as well as wood, so if the steel plate isn't too thick it might be worth a try.

Puckdropper

[Lee Michaels]

"Puckdropper" wrote

And I would possibly go to a bigger screw. And the best quality fastener possible. You don't want to do this all over again two months from now.

[Lew Hodgett]

"Snot" (epoxy thickened with micro-balloons) to the rescue.

Based on your description, the steel plates will cover the oak thus hiding any repair.

I'd make a 1/2" hole saw from a piece of steel tubing and drill out the wood around the buried screws until you can grip the screw body and remove then, then clean up hole with a 1/2"-5/8" drill x depth of screw.

Mix up some epoxy thickened with micro-balloons and pour into holes, filling proud.

Let cure 24-48 hours, then sand flush.

Drill pilot holes than are 75% of the new screw OD.

Use coarse thread, self tapping, sheet metal screws, not wood screws to reattach.

(Wood screws don't do a good job in snot)

Once plates are back in place, you will never see the repair.

Have fun.

SFWIW: I'd probably use #14 pan head screws and a 3/16 pilot drill.

Lew

[Hoosierpopi]

Mix up some epoxy thickened with micro-balloons and pour into holes, filling proud.

Micro Balloons?

While we are at it, I like the 1/2" steel tube/hole saw idea. Indeed, If I could fine one with an i.d. of abot 1/8" it would be perfect.

Any brand/type of Epoxy (available at HD/Lowes or the like?

I have some cheap generic stuff, Would sawdust serve as well as MB's?

THANK YOU

[Lew Hodgett]

Micro Balloons?

A filler for thickening epoxy available from the epoxy supplier.

If I could fine one with an i.d. of abot 1/8" it would be perfect.

1/8" would be TOO SMALL to make an effective epoxy plug. Needs to be at least 2-3 diameters of the fastener.

Got to thinking about it after my earlier post.

You can buy a standard 5/8 hole saw for $5-$6.

Add a pilot arbor, remove 1/4" bit and you are good to go.

Use a drill press with the oak piece clamped in place on the table.

With everything clamped in place, you don't need 1/4 pilot bit.

Back the hole saw out every 1/2"-3/4" of penetration to clear sawdust.

DAMHIKT.

Any brand/type of Epoxy (available at HD/Lowes or the like?

Forget Lowes, H/D, etc. It is not their business.

Do a Google for "System3" and/or "West Systems".

Either one will have good products as well as good distribution.

NO!!!!

Trying to use sawdust, talc powder, etc as a filler is a waste of good epoxy.

You're welcome

SFWIW:

Working with epoxy ism like working with an old fart.

Neither one likes to be cold or hurried.

Maintain at least 65F-70F and allow 48-72 hours to cure and gain strength.

BTW, I like S/S sheet metal screws.

Have fun.

Lew

[Lew Hodgett]

Just checked Systems3 web site.

They offer premixed fairing putty kits ready to go.

A 24 Oz kit is less than $30 and would do a good job.

HTH

Lew

[Stuart]

Been reading this thread, don't you guys have screw extractors in the states?

[mac davis]

Yeah, but we call them "divorces"

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[Lew Hodgett]

For any fastener smaller than a 1/4 bolt, have found them to be a total PITA, especially in wood.

YMMV

Lew

[Stuart]

They've only never worked for me with severely rusted-in fasteners but I guess everyone's experience is going to be different. The trickiest bit I have found is drilling the hole in the broken screw and trying to get it central.

I would certainly give it a try as my first shot before adopting other methods.

Stuart.

[Lew Hodgett]

I have never been able to master it which is why I use the holesaw and epoxy fairing putty approach.

Neat, clean, simple and stronger than the original.

Using epoxy putty is very addictive.

Once you use it, you start finding more and more applications

Lew