Wrong screw dilemma!

[Helen Mayson]

After excitedly unpacking my new bed from Argos and avidly reading the instructions, I've foolishly proceeded to put the wrong screw in the headboard! Rather than the short, fat screw (apparently the 'long screw' according to the instructions) I tried to screw in the longer, thinner screw (just called 'screw' on the sheet). Now, despite several attempts to get it out, it's just spinning and spinning in the hole!

The screw is a cross head and is resting in a metal barrel fixed into the wooden headboard. Would a magnet help remove this? The screw is recessed in the barrel about 1cm and is pretty much flush to the sides with only a tiny gap so I can't get anything around it. It will move up and down about half a cm, but seems to keep catching just short of coming out!

It's really frustrating me so any help appreciated!

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Can you show us a pic?

[Helen Mayson]

I'll grab one when I get home tonight and post it up tomorrow. The frame is the Naples from Argos if that's any help!

I was so proud of myself having a go at putting it together...

[Roger Mills]

I can't quite visualise which screw you mean - but can't you lie the headboard down so this screw head is pointing downwards, and then shake it out. It obviously isn't gripping on the threads.

[Helen Mayson]

Hi Roger,

I've had a go at this but gravity doesn't seem to be my friend - it keeps catching on something in there!

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

> And I was so proud of myself having a go at putting it together... Well thats the bed sorted now for a pic of the screw...we wait?

When putting summat together always lay the screws out in sets ie 6big ones

4 medium 2 small :-)

[Pete C]

Hi,

Try some double sided tape, sticky pad, blue tack, hot melt glue, chewing gum etc to stick the screwdriver point to the screw head, and gently pull while unscrewing.

Once the thread of the screw catches on the thread in the barrel it should come out OK.

If the above fails try glueing the screwdriver to the screw with a tiny bit of epoxy/Araldite or similar strong glue.

cheers, Pete.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Which will all fail. ;-)

[Rob Morley]

Superglue on the end of the screwdriver?

[Guy King]

The message from Rob Morley contains these words:

Nah, that'll never work. Superglue just doesn't work like that. In fact, superglue is pretty much useless for pretty much everything you might /actually want to do/.

[Ian Stirling]

The key is tricking it. Put the glue on the end of your finger, then poke the screw.

[Pete C]

Well the 'from Argos' bit doesn't help, it looks great in the catalogue but...

A few years ago I ordered a futon, when it was delivered took one look at the mattress and decided to send it back!

Then ordered one off the web from a shop in Oxford which arrived the next day. Cost 50% more but better VFM.

Fool me twice, I bought a couple of stools in their sale, they looked like they had a thick padded seat, but in reality were hard as rock!

That said they have some good deals on power tools from time to time if you're not a label snob ;)

cheers, Pete.

[Guy King]

The message from Ian Stirling contains these words:

Then it'll just stick in the hole.

[TMC]

Presumably the screw is designed to hold 2 parts together try applying some leverage between the parts (ideally on surfaces that won't be visible from the outside) whilst at the same time undoing the screw

Tony

[Ian Stirling]

Ah, but now you have an excuse to call the fire brigade, who can get it out with the jaws of life.

[The Medway Handyman]

Would the offending article look like this?

[Guy King]

The message from Ian Stirling contains these words:

Don't joke. My cousin's a senior (well, was, he's retired now) fireman in Kent. He reckons one of the hardest things to do is stop the crew taking the tops off cars.

"He's trapped, skip, we'll have to cut him out" "Really? Shall we ask him if he'd rather step out through the door in the usual way?" "Door's jammed, skip" "Have you tried? After all, he's only rolled gently down a bank into a tree"

[Nigel Molesworth]

Isn't it funny that as soon as the huge excess of Araldite that you have mixed has gone off, you find something else to mend.

[Chris Bacon]

:) Same goes for filler....

[Mungo]

We (foolishly) bought a single bed with pull-out lower bed for my teenage son from Argos and got it at a "good" price. After a few weeks he complained that the bed "squeaked" and eventually I got round to having a look at it. Keyriiiist. The mattress rested on the base of the main bed. The base was made of cardboard - I could tear it with two hands. The cardboard was stapled on to a "frame" - a perimeter of thin wood and then THREE (yes, three) straps about an inch wide across the top, middle and bottom of the frame.

I should have returned it, but instead I unpicked all the staples then beefed up the strapping with a dozen or more bits then replaced the cardboard with two sheets of 3mm hardboard. Sorted.

It was a shock when I saw the pitiful state of our purchase. You aren't guaranteed to buy quality if you buy expensive, but there's more chance of buying crap by buying cheap.

Mungo