How would I remove a screw that's stuck in a frame? There is not "leading edge" for me to grab and turn. Thanks.
How would I remove a screw that's stuck in a frame? There is not "leading edge" for me to grab and turn. Thanks.
Depends on a couple things. If there is room you could use a slotting file to make enough of a groove for a screwdriver to grip. Hilco makes a screw remover tool. Or you can take the daring route, grab your Dremel and drill it out. The last two options will obviously need to be tapped to a larger screw size.
that Bullseye works often but not always, hilco also has screw extractors that work sometimes. Drilling works also.
Western Optical has a great tool for this. A bit pricey, but works really well. The Shootout. A must have for your toolkit. https://westernoptical.com/search?q=shootout
Sort of unrelated but I sure missed the old brass screws that were replaced with stainless steel in the late sixties. As they were much softer than the nickel used in today's hinges they were easily removed by drilling or punching. Hardly ever damaged the hinge. You could also peen them over to prevent their loosening. You might be able to get some brass screws and nuts today.
Not only using the right tool like a screw extractor helps but use it properly. Do not place it on the broken screw and twist like hell.
Heat the frame up quit a bit in the bead pan or blower, get a good firm downward pressure on the broken screw and twist right and left about a 1/4 to a 1/3 turn at a time. At least that is the technique that has worked well for me.
Also, heat up the barrel with a frame warmer before hand. The heat will help work the screw out a bit easier. Doesn't need to be super hot
Western Optical Supply has a terrific screw loosening fluid #4110 that they developed for watch repair technicians that works great on hinge screws. Go to www.westernoptical.com to check it out.
The Hilco Hot Fingers always works if you have one
If you're going the route of something like the Shootout, we've had some success just taking a hammer and another screw (or similar narrow metal, like a small nail or durable bit of paperclip) and trying to knock it out. Definitely a last resort if a screw extractor isn't working, and it's better as a two-person job, but it may do the trick if all else fails. Keep in mind that you'll mangle the threads in the process, so you'll either need something like a self-tapping screw to replace it or use a hex nut if it's a real emergency fix.
You bring up a good point about stripping out the threads in the barrel. Instead of messing with an oversized screw to cut new threads or using a screw and nut there is an additional feature on Western Optical's Shootout tool. You can buy QuickFix Rivets to replace a screw quickly and inexpensively. There are demonstration videos at www.westernoptical.com under product #2042.
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