Cutting a screw (down a hole) - Dremel or Rotozip?

[Roger]

I have just had a new sash window made. The joiner forgot to put the pulleys in so I bought some and asked my builders to put them in before they fitted it. "Of course", they said, "It would be pretty impossible afterwards".

Needless to say, the window is now plastered in place. Looks very nice...but no pulleys. The pulleys need to go right at the top because the cord has to pass above a non-opening side pane to reach the weight boxes. I have just drilled some little slots to take niftly little yachting type pulleys (27mm high * 11 mm wide) but I have run straight into the big 3" screws that hold the frame top onto the sides. Straight through the middle of all 4 slots.

Now one solution would be to get the builders back, get them to Kango-hammer all the plaster off, remove the frame, unscrew the 4 screws and replaster everything.

What I'm wondering is whether I can avoid this somehow by cutting the screws (having first put a few nails in elsewhere to hold things together). Would something like a Rotozip, Dremel or a small die grinder get in there and destroy the screws - or are these things only any good for wood and plasterboard?

(and are they such a GOOD THING that it is worth buying one anyway just for the fun of having it?).

Roger

[fred]

In article , Roger writes

I'm assuming you have cut narrow slots and are now drilling a 12mm ish hole at either end of these slots to make a neat job at the ends?

Could you instead drill a 6mm hole off centre at the end and then use a junior hacksaw blade to cut the screw?

[Phil]

pulleys in so I bought some and asked my builders to put them in before they fitted it. "Of course", they said, "It

nice...but no pulleys. The pulleys need to go right at the top because the cord has to pass above a non-opening side pane

niftly little yachting type pulleys (27mm high * 11 mm wide) but I have run straight into the big 3" screws that

Kango-hammer all the plaster off, remove the frame, unscrew the 4 screws and replaster everything.

screws (having first put a few nails in elsewhere to hold things together). Would something like a Rotozip, Dremel or

things only any good for wood and plasterboard?

for the fun of having it?).

I have a B&D version of the Dremel, a Wizard I think it's called, and used it to cut down some thick nails that I couldn't get out by any other means and didn't fancy just bashing over flat against the wall like the pros would have done. As long as you've got the correct cutting disc attached it shouldn't be problem - assuming that you've actually got enough space to get it in there.

Phil

[stuart noble]

pulleys in >so I bought some and asked my builders to put them in before they fitted it

You sound like a dream to work for :-)

a >non-opening side pane to reach the weight boxes.

Can't quite visualise this but can't you remove the non-opening pane and put the pulleys lower down?

[Roger Moss]

You can't get close enough to saw it, it is right up against the ceiling (or at least, the top of the frame).

Thought about that but using a saw blade one handed, poking the end through a small hole, isn't my idea of fun. I suspect I will end up doing some "dentistry" - cutting the wood away all around the screw and pulling the whole thing out.

[Roger Moss]

There isn't room for a disk of any kind. I was thinking more in terms of a

1/2" diameter grinding burr on a long stalk.

[Roger Moss]

Well I hope so. The builders are good guys, they've done everything from replacing 200 kg lintels to laying wooden floors, fixing the puncture on my wheelbarrow and un-seizing my generator.

I just don't want to see the cord going horizontally across the middle of that pane to reach the pulleys for the centre sash. Yes, in theory I could feed the cord across half-way down - but then it is difficult to get enough height for the weights to move far enough up & down.