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Author
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Topic: Removing broken screw
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John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 21 July 2004 07:12 PM
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One of the pickup mounting screws is broken off on my GFI. It was that way when I got it, and I thought it was just missing. Looked in the hole with my bore-sighting flashlight, and saw that about half of the screw was broken off. I've managed to get the pickup off. Wasn't easy. Now I need to remove the remainder of the screw. But this die-board stuff is really hard, and I'm afraid that if I just put pliers on it, and try to unscrew it, it may break again, leaving the screw irretrievably stuck in the board.
Any ideas? Heat? Penetrating oil? Help!
JB |
Jim Smith
Member From: Plano, TX, USA
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posted 21 July 2004 07:18 PM
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The screw probably broke because someone tried to screw it in beyond the depth of the hole. Unscrewing it with pliers or vice grips shouldn't break it again. A little penetrating oil wouldn't hurt though. |
Bill Hatcher
Member From: Atlanta Ga. USA
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posted 21 July 2004 08:13 PM
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I would go ahead and use whatever tool will give you the absolutely best grip on the screw and try to turn it out. If it breaks off or refuses to turn then I would take a length of small diameter metal tube that is just a little bigger than the screw. Take a file and cut some teeth on the bottom of the tube. Chuck that up in a drill and then drill around the screw and when you just get to the end of the screw remove the "hollow drill bit" and wedge something in the round hole and break out the screw that will have a small amount of wood with it. Make a dowel the same size as the hole and glue it in. This is a pickup screw. There is not a lot of torque on the screw holding the pickup down. This will be a repair that will look good and work fine.Edit. When you get the repair done, buy some machine screw anchors and drill a hole where each screw goes in and screw in the anchors. Then replace the wood screws with machine screws. You will never have this problem again. This is a standard repair when fixing broken screws on guitar machine heads.[This message was edited by Bill Hatcher on 21 July 2004 at 08:14 PM.] |
John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 21 July 2004 08:32 PM
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I certainly think the idea of machine screw anchors is a great one, and one that I never considered. I've been thinking about this for a day now, and had considered that I might have to remove the broken screw, and dowel the hole. But I'd sure like to get it out without breaking it off.
As a former carpenter and furniture restorer, I've seen my share of difficult repairs,,,, but I've never had to work with any wood that's as hard and dense as this die-board.
Whatever I do, it'll never be seen once the pickup is re-mounted. Does one tap the holes for the machine-screw anchors? I would think they'd be darn hard to get into the die-board any other way.
Thanks Jim and Bill! JB |
Walter Jones
Member From: Athens, Ohio USA
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posted 21 July 2004 09:37 PM
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John, I had some tuning key screws rusted and broken off in wood, nothing as hard as dieboard. I used my soldering gun and some heat, and small set of vice grips. I applied heat, watched for a whisp of smoke, smelled like it was doing some good. I applied pressure in opposite directions easily until they broke loose. It worked for me, nothing high tech, trust your eyes and your nose and good luck. Some were really stubborn and burned away some of the wood before they came out. I drilled a small hole and glued in a short piece of dowel rod, screws are holding good and the repair was covered by the tuning key covers. |
John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 21 July 2004 09:57 PM
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Walter, what did you use? Soldering iron? I put some penetrating oil on it a couple of hours ago. If I heat it, I'll prolly burn down the house! Think I'll try it tomorrow, when most of the oil has evaporated, at least I hope evaporated! |
Mark MacKenzie
New Member From: Franklin, Tennessee, USA
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posted 22 July 2004 06:28 AM
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If Vice Grips aren't able to get it out, maybe with a little penetrating oil, the best way to remove it is to use screw extractors from Sears or any good hardware store. You will have to drill a small center portion of the old broken screw out and the extractor will grab it as it is turning counter clockwise pulling it out. Just be careful drilling out the center as the drill will want to wander before it takes a good bite. |
Erv Niehaus
Member From: Litchfield, MN, USA
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posted 22 July 2004 07:19 AM
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I doubt if you can find a screw extractor that small.  |
John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 22 July 2004 07:49 AM
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The mounting screw looks to be about a #4 x 1 1/4".Thanks for all the tips, guys. If you look at my other question, the one about "Which George L's", You'll see that Gene Fields chimed in and told me not to worry if the screw breacks off.
Thanks again, JB |
Darvin Willhoite
Member From: Leander, Tx. USA
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posted 22 July 2004 08:05 AM
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I have removed several broken screws with left hand drill bits. These can be purchased from McMaster Carr or any industrial supplier. I keep an assortment on hand. Use one a little smaller than the screw, put it in a hand drill and run it in reverse. The bit will usually catch in just a few seconds and spin the broken screw end right out, with very little or no damage to the threads in the hole.------------------
Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 22 July 2004 08:22 AM
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Dar, I don't think I could do that with this small diameter screw. It looks to be a number 4 screw. Very small! |
Terry Sneed
Member From: El Dorado, Arkansas, USA
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posted 22 July 2004 09:51 AM
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If you have a small pair of vice grips, or a good pair of pliers, just squrit a little WD 40 on the screw, or in the hole where the screw is, and carefully work it back and forth(that is if it's hard to unscrew)and use this method untill the screw is out, or till it will turn easily. don't let it over heat. give it a break if it starts gettin hot.
Terry------------------
84 SKH Emmons Legrand D10
session 400'rd Steelin for my Lord.
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John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 22 July 2004 01:32 PM
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It's out guys! Thanks for the tips. |
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