Here’s the deal. NOT a home improvement issue. Buddy of mine does lighting for theatre. He’s taking apart a light to repair a bad motor. There is a small hex setscrew that needs undone to remove the part. The setscrew is about a 1/16″ screw. He’s twisted several hex wrenches and broken a few trying to unloosen the dang thing. He called me up asking for tips. I have none. The theory is the light is so hot that it expands/contracts the fitting the screw is in and as such it really wedged itself into the threadings. Any ideas how to remove it? Because it’s so small it’s easy to round off the hex edges of the screw itself and it’s starting to show signs of such wear.
If at first you don’t succeed, try using a hammer next time…everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
Replies
I assume the screw is flush and there is no hope of attaching a vise grip to the sides....
http://www.mytoolstore.com/hanson/extractr.html
Break out the drill and go to town. Most auto parts stores carry screw extractors.
Thanks for the link. Yeah, it's flush.If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
On second thought, turn that light on for a while or a direct heat application to get it nice and hot. Then wrap a piece of teflon pipe tape around that allen wrench and try again.
I've had decent chances with a wrap of teflon on allen wrenches. The heat will help a lot too. In an awesome physics environment, you could heat the light housing and chill the screw. Good luck!
"On second thought, turn that light on for a while or a direct heat application to get it nice and hot. Then wrap a piece of teflon pipe tape around that allen wrench and try again."Are you talking about the kind of teflon used for pipe threads.What is the purpose of the teflon? Unless you use a mile of it is too thin to keep from burning your hand..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Just a little on the tip being inserted into the screw head. I've been able to regain grip on a slightly stripped allen bolt with it. Along the lines of using super glue or "screw grab".
What I've done in the past is drill it out, then drill and tap a new hole for a new setscrew if the old hole isn't usable.
Otherwise, he can try sticking a stub of hex wrench in there (cut off a mucked-up one) and hammering, try heat, try Liquid Wrench. If he can find a socket-wrench-style version of the hex wrench then an impact wrench (preferably the manual hammer type) may work.
Sometimes what you find is that the screw was too short and has actually gone all the way through and cocked a bit. Just about impossible to remove short of drilling.
Like DanH suggested, I'd cut off the appropriate size hex key. Tapping it with a hammer can often help to loosen it some. And then possibly try chucking the cut off key into a high torque, low RPM drill and seeing what shakes out. If theres a chance of corrosion, I have good luck with PB Blaster on all sorts of things.
Best small tool I have bought in years..
http://www.aldn.com/grabit/
First try Liquid Wrench or equivilent , soak for while , tap allen key with a hanner to shock the screw.Heat helps
But if everything fails Lowes and other places sell those extractors and they work !
Edited 3/25/2007 11:03 am by dovetail97128
The small size allen keys have so much spring to them that they won't shock a bound up screw loose. A hardened bit like an Apex brand in a screwdriver holder would be better than a key. Or buy a cordless impact, fit a bit in it and see if that works. Then you have a new tool. Life is good. The cheap Ryobie would be better than an allen key.
Or get your friend to get one, then you can try it out sometime.
Try a left-hand twist drill bit in a reversible drill. Odds are that it'll catch and unscrew the set screw before doing much drilling. Probably be hard to find locally unless you got a Grainger, Enco or McMaster-Carr nearby.
I once resorted to hitting the allen and screw junction with the MIG and dabbed a blob on both, then vice gripped it out, of course, both the setscrew and allen were trashed for re-use.
Inmate # 40735 At Taunton Federal Penitentiary.
I'd tap a 1/4" drive hex bit quite hard with the thing on something solid to get best effect. 95% of the time that works.
If not, the hardened bit has probably stripped the hex. If for some miraculous reason the bit broke, buy a better brand of bit, heat the part just to the point it will boil drops of water and try smaking the bit with a hammer and the big twist. Heat will take care of most thread lockers and adhesives.
At this point there's no doubt in my mind that the bit will have stripped the head. Drill completely through trying to not cut into the threads and use an easy out. In the worst cases the easy out that has a splined, hardened, non-tapered rod that's driven through the screw and used to twist out the parts provides the most torque. This will take care of all but a few % of the most stubborn screws.
If for some crazy reason the easy out just can't do it, even after more heat, then completely drill out what's left of the setscrew and use a helicoil incert to repair the threads.
Good luck!
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
PS If you have a small butane torch it's not that hard to put some real heat to the part without damage to the surrounding. Use a wet cloth to protect the surrounding metal from loosing any temper it may have. Many times the surrounding metal isn't heat treated in the first place, even if it looks like it would be.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
A little valve grinding compound on the tip on the allen wrench works wonders too. Add just enough friction to get it sometimes. I use it all the time on philips screws that are refusing to come out. When that doesn't work it's usually time for an EZout or a drill.