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Adrian
Tinkerer
Username: Adrian
Post Number: 7
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 08, 2006 - 08:06 am: | 
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Before you say it, I'm a fool!
I have potentially destroyed something rather nice (I won't say what, in case I cry) by rushing in and not using (a) due care and attention and (b) my good set of jewellers screwdrivers.
I've ended up with a brass screw with a destroyed head. Due to its position in a cast body drilling is not an option (and has even more potential for disaster), so has anyone any idea what else I can try to shift the ******? I am in the UK, which may affect availabilty of wonder-products.
Thanks,
Adrian
(P.S. I'll think about a source for replacement screws later - one crisis at a time is plenty!) |
Wernerjb
Tinkerer
Username: Wernerjb
Post Number: 22
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 08, 2006 - 10:40 am: |
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Adrian, maybe this is some consolation to you, any serious tinkerer has at least once done something similar, shxt just happens (one of those unwritten Murphy's laws).
The last time it happened to me I was able to scratch a makeshift slot into the remaining parts of a brass screw with a sharp screwdriver after I had been waiting for a little wonder to occur (wishful thinking, most probably, as the tinkerers' gods, as always, were inattentive).
It was however possible to unscrew the screw the ordinary way after my carving. Yes, I did leave marks of my amateurish attempts to get the screw out, of course.
If I had to do the same kind of job again I would perhaps try one of those mini drilling machines ("Dremel", or the like) with a flexible rod. |
Roy
Tinkerer
Username: Roy
Post Number: 3
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 08, 2006 - 01:35 pm: |
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We've all done it Adrian. I've had to remove hundreds of broken screws as an engineer, but cameras are difficult because of the small size of some of the screws. If the screw is still holding something in place then, if possible, drill the head off! This immediately takes the locking pressure(torque)off the threads, and provided the threads are not jammed in place removal by WJB's method usually works. If the head is still in place and the screw is so tight that a screw driver butchered it removal without taking the head off could be very difficult in deed.
Drilling a brass screw head off is not usually that difficult with the right gear, the safest bet, if you have to resort to drilling, as I suspect you will, is to use a hand powered drill, forget powered types you cannot control them well enough, and purchase a Centre Drill, some times called a Slocombe Drill. These are designed for use on a turning lathe and are short so that they don't 'wander'.
The only other thing I can say is that it gets easier with practice!
Good luck.
Roy. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 43
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 08, 2006 - 09:04 pm: |
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The easiest and safest way to remove the small brass and steel screws encountered in cameras, is to use a new drill bit in a pin-vice. My pin vice has a number of collets and a rotating finger rest on the end.
The 'drill' can easily be controlled and rotated with one hand, the other hand supporting or steadying the camera. The drill bit is held in the collet with only sufficient length protruding, this gives a rigid and wander free tool. It is very important that a new bit, or ones kept especially for this job are used. It is impossible to sharpen very small diameter drills (without the proper grinding equipment), so that they do not drill off centre.
You can remove the head and then try the sharpened screwdriver on the remaining stub. Alternatively; one can drill a fine hole in the screw shank and use a tapered, triangular 'prick' to wind out the shank
I have used this method to remove dozens of mangled screws in cameras, lenses and other optical devices. |
Roy
Tinkerer
Username: Roy
Post Number: 4
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, September 09, 2006 - 04:22 am: |
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Good idea Glenn, I'd clean forgotten about pin vices. As you're in the UK Adrian if you go Glen's route and can't locate a pin vice Axminster Power Tools on the net stock them. Must get one myself! |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 45
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, September 09, 2006 - 09:02 am: |
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Roy,
I was trying to remember the Axminster name when I posted the above-did not have catalogues to hand. Always found them most helpful.
Glenn |
Adrian
Tinkerer
Username: Adrian
Post Number: 8
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 11, 2006 - 02:15 am: |
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Thanks for the suggestions, Gents! I have a friend who loves his tools, so I shall try him (he's also far more practical than me!), and if he hasn't one I shall investigate getting one myself.
It may be a little while, but I'll let you know if I can fix it.
Adrian |
Adrian
Tinkerer
Username: Adrian
Post Number: 9
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 11, 2006 - 04:05 am: |
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Actually, having just seen the prices on the website I'll just get a pin vice anyway - I'm sure it'll have extra uses!
Adrian
(the edit post facility doesn't seem to work - is there a problem, or am I missing something obvious?) |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 46
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 11, 2006 - 09:31 am: |
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Adrian,
No, I do not think you are missing anything. Seems the edit facility is only usable by the Administration, allows the removal of our online tantrums - should the need ever arise of course. I guess also, that if one posted some erroneous instructions, you could always politely ask that they be removed.
Glenn. |
Adrian
Tinkerer
Username: Adrian
Post Number: 10
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 11, 2006 - 10:34 am: |
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OK, cheers, Glenn! I hoped to add the last message into the previous post, but it's not that important.
Adrian |
Clickstop
Tinkerer
Username: Clickstop
Post Number: 3
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 05:08 pm: |
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Hey - strange coincidence, as I've just posted something similar. It's got me thinking, however, and I wonder if there might be a market for a anti-clockwise screw of some sort that can get a grip in the mangled Phillips hole and be screwed out in the opposite direction - or is this science fiction? |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 56
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 07:30 pm: |
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Wind-outs/stud removers are available in many sizes/diameters. However I have not seen any really small diameter ones on the market that would be of use to the members of this Forum, hence my comments above on using a small triangular 'prick'. I made mine from a tapered three corner Swiss file - ground off the teeth to sharpen the corners. Thought I might have had to draw the temper to stop it breaking at the tip, however it is still at the original length. Surprising really as it has removed quite a few screw shanks that had bottomed out - perhaps grinding off the teeth did the trick, even though coolant was used. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 70
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 07:44 pm: |
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in this small of a size the risk of breakage of the tool is very real. go very cautiously.
a tool that is very handy if you can find one in a small enough size is a left-hand-twist drill bit: once it starts to cut, if it gets a grip the scrw will begin to come out... it will either unscrew it or drill through, in either case you win. |
Charlie
Tinkerer
Username: Charlie
Post Number: 24
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 08:12 pm: |
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Commercially sold as EZ out. I am not sure how small they come. |
