Defeating security Torx

May 10, 2011 82 Replies

Toaster's on the blink and I want to have a crack at it.



The base plate is held on by six screws [1]. Four are cross-head; two at one end are security Torx - i.e. Torx with a pin in the middle to stop you using normal Torx drivers. (Onfgneqf).



Anyone had success with drilling out the central pin?



I could just drill out the screw entirely. I'm sure the remaining four screws would do an adequate job.



Thoughts?



[1] Would "bolts" be more accurate?

Your best bet would be to buy a security bit set like

Obviously contains more bits than the one you need, but it's a really useful bit of kit to keep for occasions like this

David

It would be easier to just buy a set of security bits - google will lead you. Think Screwfix has them.

You'll probably find that if you bend it from side to side a few times it'll snap off. Or just get a set of "security" bits. These fixings are anti tamper not security.

Yes; although it's easier to snap it. Or just buy a set of "Security Bits", and do it properly.

But not, according to the reviews, for anything requiring appreciable force.

-- Richard

The bits are easy to buy nowadays, screwfix do a couple or more sets .. If you cba to buy anything a flat bladed screwdriver tapped into the top often breaks the pin off ... ;)

This works for real security Torx, made by Torx, of reasonable size.

For monkeymetal screws under toasters, it's another game. The pins aren't hard, they just flop around. There's a risk of chewing the head as fast as you get the pin out.

Far easier

In article , Fevric J. Glandules writes

If the screw head is not recessed, a small flat-blade screwdriver wedged against the pin and given a sharp tap with a hammer breaks it off. You can then use a standard Torx driver to remove the screw.

I had one or two on my pressure washer, and snapped the centre pins off, using a spring-loaded centre punch.

Rummage around in your nuts-n-bolts tin and find some nuts large enough to sit over the entire screw heads. Carefully fill the centre hole with weld. Allow to cool and undo with appropriately sized spanner. If you can't find an appropriately sized spanner, rummage around in your nuts-n-bolts tin and find some bigger nuts large enough to sit over the entire nuts. Carefully fill the centre hole with weld. Allow to cool and undo with appropriately sized spanner. If you can't find an appropriately sized spanner, rummage around in your nuts-n-bolts tin and find some bigger nuts large enough to sit over the entire nuts. Carefully fill the centre hole with weld. Allow to cool and undo with appropriately sized spanner. Etc.

I shall attack it with pliers.

Much less fun. Slower, too. I live in a land far far away from the concept of DIY. So I pretty much *have* to order this sort of thing from the UK.

Forrisn I loved in had more concept of DIY than the UK. Indeed, I belvie their major DIY stores (Castorama) own the larger UK ones (B&Q), now.

Are you TNP in-disguise?

No, they're both owned by Kingfisher

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In addition to the other suggestion, if you have access, you can use a hacksaw to cut a normal screwdriver-slot across the head.

I eventually noticed that one of my cheap'n'nasty sets of fold-out Torx drivers were of the anti-anti-bozo type anyway.

And having inspected the leccytronics inside - it's transistorised, FFS - I don't think there's much I can do.

Yup, should have had a valve in there to warm the toast up... progress, what are they thinking off?

Mhmm, I'd quite like a toaster built to toast bread with a laser beam. With the right guidance, it could write the morning paper's headlines on there, an image of the lass on page 3, or scribe the time the slice came out of the toaster so ye could choose the freshest bit.

OK, this should be possible with DIY. How many mW or MW required?

If ever a toaster worked reliably for more than about 12 months, all the toaster manufacturers would go bust.

Murff...

In message , Fevric J. Glandules writes

Well you could buy some security Torx drivers, but that's no fun . . . I had a similar problem on holiday, when I have to disassemble the villa's microwave, just used my travelbag's always present multitool in long nose plier mode to grip and turn the screws, and managed to get all the security Torx out and back again.

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