"Safety-Screw" Removal ?

[Bob]

Hello,

The pushbutton, all plastic, piece that opens my microwave door broke, but I was able to get a new one from a parts place on the internet.

But, the screws that hold the metal microwave cover in place are apparently some kind of a safety-screw, which I'm having a lot of trouble with.

Obviously, Whirlpool doesn't want the home user to take the cover off.

The small screw heads look like either Allen or Torex, but they have a pin in the center to prevent any normal wrench from engaging. Have never seen any Allen or Torex or..., with a hole in the center for getting over the screw's pin.

Any idea what kind of wrench might be called for ?

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks, Bob

[dpb]

On 4/13/2011 1:41 PM, Bob wrote: ...

The right kind... ( :) sorry, couldn't resist)

...

I don't have a link at hand but I've seen sites that have various of these available online.

If indeed a Torx would fit the outer, I'd possibly try to modify one to work. Some of the cheapies at the $1 tool bin are likely candidates to be soft enough can drill and not out anything if screw it up.

Pictures are, of course, always useful in such sitchyashuns for eyeballing and engendering ideas...

--

[trader4]

Yes, agree with the above, which is what I was thinking. I have one of the HF kits and it's well worth having. Think it only cost me $8 or so and it has like a 100 various security bits. Not sure if it has the one in question. But if needed, I could go look.

[Bob(but not THAT Bob)]

Harbor Freight sells a set of tamper-proof bits

[DerbyDad03]

Grab a drill and chuck up a drill bit just small enough to fit between the pin and the side of the hole of the screw.

One quick squeeze of the trigger and the pin will snap off and pop right out.

Now grab whatever "normal" tool you need...torx, allen, whatever.

[trader4]

Geez, if you want to take the center pin out, a simple screwdriver, chisel, etc plus a hammer would be a better idea no? What makes you thin the pin will snap instead of the drill?

[DerbyDad03]

quoted text -

No.

Because I've done it (popped the pin) more times than I can remember. I wouldn't have suggested it just on a whim.

Some "security screws" are so small that the only screwdriver you can get in there is a jeweler's screwdriver, whose fragile blade is more apt to break than a drill bit...and replacing a drill bit, should it break, is a lot cheaper than replacing a jeweler's screwdriver.

All I can say is that I speak from experience, having popped many a pin with a drill. Of course, YMMV.

[bob haller]

harbor freight sells wrenches for such applications hopefully they will fit yours

[Jeff Thies]

Nope. But any good hardware store should have set of security bits. There are a lot of different kinds and sizes. Forget looking at HD.

Jeff

[larry moe 'n curly]

Those are called "security" screws, and if there's no local Harbor Freight to get the set of security bits that Stormin' Mormon mentioned, you can take a tiny screwdriver and hammer it sideways into the center nub to remove it.

[bob haller]

I wouldnt hammer at any part of a microwave, these days they are light construction easily damaged!

I would buy the tool set from harbor freight on line:)

[Percival P. Cassidy]

I found a set of "Security Torx" drivers at Advance Auto Parts or AutoZone for less than $10.

Perce

[Thomas]

Automotive part stores sell security screws and tool for license plates. My plate and microwave look the same. I have no idea where my tool is so I can't confirm it would work. It was a while back but I recall it being about two bucks.

[bob haller]

doesnt everyone lose tools that are rarely needed? I have several sets of the exact same tool for this reason:(

[mm]

Absolutely. I had to beg the woman on the phone at the Amana parts counter for a schematic of my Model-2, and convince her I knew what I was doing and wouldn't kill myself. Even then I think she gave me instructions on putting the metal microwave gasket back in exactly the same place it was to begin with. (But you don't have to touch that.)

(The first parts person thought it was the microwave tube, $150; the second thought it was the diodes ($50), and it turned out all I had to do was put GE Silicone all over the wires to the diodes and it lasted another 10 years (under a dollar).)

It's probably a torx and the pin in the middle makes it a security torx.

Before screwdriver tips were available, I'd drill out special screws using a reversible drill running in reverse, and a left-handed drill bit. Usually the bit would catch the screw and unscrew it before I was done drilling, but not always.

There are probably a lot of places that sell sets of tips. HF does and they are also the only place I know that sells left-handed drill bits cheaply. I think there is only one name-brand maker of them, and they're sold one at a time.

But drilling is a bad idea now that the bits are sold.

[mm]

They shouldn't permit two auto stores to both start their names with A.

Unless it's AAAAutoZone.

[John Gilmer]

When my Monkey Ward uWave oven finally failed after 25 years of faithful service, I did replace it, functinally, with an over the stove/hood replacement uWave.

Anyway, I was curious about what when wrong.

Since the replacement was in service, I didn't go out of my way to be "nice" to the sheet metal and I found a few places where, indeed, I decided I had to break a spot weld to get things apart.

I don't remember the details but I found that what killed my UWave was a $.25 SCR. For some stupid reason I have "saved" many of the parts to include the magnets (fun to use around the house). It had some pretty good contactors in good shape. The control panel still functions so if I ever want to control something that sort of wants the timing of a uWave I'm in good shape!

I think I still have the transformer and the voltage doubler that powers the uWave tube. I have asked on several groups whether anyone can think of any SANE use for any of these but I haven't gotten any answers.

[gfretwell]

Radar jammer?

[bud--]

[Sjouke Burry]

John Gilmer wrote: cut

A De Graaf generator? Spray charge on a moving plastic belt, which ends in a bucketlike metal enclosure with an open bottom, and discharge the belt by touching inside metal cam.

Will let you play with a few million volts :)

I dont know if such a project is sane, but it sure is fun.