Snapped screw!

[stuartpaul]

Fitting hinges to the flip top table and one of 12 screws has snapped leaving me with lots of swearing. I'd have kicked the cat but we don't have one!

Tried removing the stub but no success so I'm left with one hinge leaf with only two screws. Thought process moves to araldite to improve holding power and also to glue in a 'fake' screw head.

Any other ideas for either removal or strengthening what's left?

 

[GLFaria]

It might be easier to give you an answer (not necessarily a solution, though...) if you could post a photo. Also, it may depend on the wood (there are some tropical woods from which it is almost impossible to remove a broken screw)

 

[blackrodd]

A pic would help, but in the past I've got over this by centre pop and drill 3mm hole and
Either borrow, or buy a set of these, starts off at 3mm left hand thread.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5PC-SCREW-BOL ... 3f486b904f
Or carefully cut and drill around the screw until you can grip it and extract it, then drill and glue a dowel where the screw came out.
Regards Rodders

 

[stuartpaul]

These help?





Since thought about drilling out and plugging. Probably not as strong as original but stronger than araldite!

 

[blackrodd]

Good pic! looks to be about a 5mil. Have you got a dremel and saw? cut a driver slot and unscrew it?
Rodders

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's brass. Make a guide out of a bit of scrap metal, clamp it over the broken screw and drill it out. The hole will only be slightly oversized - glue a bit of softwood in it and put a new screw in. It's wise to drive a steel screw in and take it out again before putting your brass ones in as this often happens.

 

[porker]

It's brass. Make a guide out of a bit of scrap metal, clamp it over the broken screw and drill it out. The hole will only be slightly oversized - glue a bit of softwood in it and put a new screw in. It's wise to drive a steel screw in and take it out again before putting your brass ones in as this often happens.

+1 for this. I have got over this by making a guide before. Just a hole in a thickish piece of metal referenced of the edge of the rebated area to align accurately over the centre of the screw. (I have a mill and lathe but you could cut and file). Drill out and repair. I have used bits of dowel before. Drill oversize, glue in dowel, pare off and drill new pilot.

good luck!

 

[dzj]

You might try with a hollow drill, a kind of cylindrical screw extractor.
Possibly make it out of smaller diameter tubing, by filing teeth on one end.
(Next time use steel screw first.)

 

[CHJ]

Another alternate if you have some to hand is a bit of metal tubing just big enough to accept the screw remains, File a couple of tooth notches in the end and use it as a hollow drill to remove a plug including the broken bit.
Then Plug and Glue resulting hole and reset new screw.

dzj beat me to it.

 

[flat n smooth]

What about usin a plug cutter then just plug the hole with another plug?

 

[Brentingby]

After you remove the broken screw, plug the hole and re-drill, use a steel screw to cut threads in the wood before installing the brass one. Brass screws are soft. You're fortunate only one broke.

 

[AndyT]

I've just hit a similar problem and posted pictures of my solution here https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post958328.html#p958328

 

[iNewbie]

DZJ & CHJ hit the nail on the head - no pun!

Small piece of brass tubing with teeth filed on it - theres an expensive kit for this for guitar repair which shows the same procedure. See pic 2 & 3: HERE

 

[stuartpaul]

Thanks Gents,

Actually it isn't brass, screws came with the hinges and at a quick glance they appear to be stainless or similar. Can't believe stainless would snap so easily though.

And I did put another screw of exactly the same thread in first (and it was waxed!), hence the extremely bad language!

Closer examination shows this to be a small 'defect' in the oak and quite a bit harder than the surrounding wood.

Ah well ........

I might struggle to find a bit of tube small enough and haven't got access to a shell bit either so I'll probably drill around the remains until I can remove it and then re-drill so I can plug. I might try the trick with a dremel first and see if I can cut a screwdriver notch.

Thanks again.

 

[iNewbie]

Model Shops stock small tube.

 

[Aden30mm]

If you can centre pop the screw, you may be able to remove it by drilling a suitable hole to accept the smallest screw extractor. (a cobalt drill bit is best)

The tip is to keep lightly tapping the extractor head whilst you are unscrewing the screw to keep the extractor engaged.

 

[GLFaria]

Thanks Gents,

Actually it isn't brass, screws came with the hinges and at a quick glance they appear to be stainless or similar. Can't believe stainless would snap so easily though.

And I did put another screw of exactly the same thread in first (and it was waxed!), hence the extremely bad language!

Closer examination shows this to be a small 'defect' in the oak and quite a bit harder than the surrounding wood.

Ah well ........

I might struggle to find a bit of tube small enough and haven't got access to a shell bit either so I'll probably drill around the remains until I can remove it and then re-drill so I can plug. I might try the trick with a dremel first and see if I can cut a screwdriver notch.

Thanks again.

Most small diameter common stainless screws that I have used would break rather easily, more so than plain iron ones.

I doubt that so small a notch would stand the stress, but there's no harm in trying (except that if you tear the notch, the there will be less purchase on the remaining of the screw to eventually pry it out).

About ways to do, there's nothing I could add that has not been said in the preceding posts, except that a cheap hollow punch (aka carpet punch), with the edge suitably machined to work as a hole saw, could maybe be used for cutting around the screw.

G.

 

[Rob_Mc]

Could you use a micro screw extractor?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0TS2NLjNuc

 

[Dee J]

Small diameter tube for a hollow drill? Old telescopic aerial will give you a whole set of diameters to play with...

 

[Sheffield Tony]

The tools I have seen for removing snapped screws, rather than a bit of brass tube, look very like a roll pin with teeth filed in the end. This would probably be about perfect, the spring steel of a roll pin is probably quite similar to saw steel.

The teeth want to be filed so as to cut whilst drilling in reverse, so there is a chance it will grab the screw and remove it without having to drill it out completely.