Hex Screw Removal
jumpindick
Posts: 428
in Electronics
So I was trying to get the top of the preamp off. It had a few hexagon head screws on it. One of the screws was stripped to start with. How do I remove it? I have tried the rubber band trick, latex glove and few other, but so far no success. Any suggestions?
Comments
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If it is stripped socket but the screw isn't tight anymore, I'd super glue an alan key into it and remove it that way. If it is stripped and tight good luck! I'd say you could try the same or JBL Weld epoxy or the like, but I wouldn't hold out much hope. I usually have to grind a slot in them for a slotted screwdriver blade but that will definitely mess up the surrounding cabinet sheet metal.George / NJ
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Gardenstater wrote: »If it is stripped socket but the screw isn't tight anymore, I'd super glue an alan key into it and remove it that way. If it is stripped and tight good luck! I'd say you could try the same or JBL Weld epoxy or the like, but I wouldn't hold out much hope. I usually have to grind a slot in them for a slotted screwdriver blade but that will definitely mess up the surrounding cabinet sheet metal.
Yes the socket and stripped with the screw tight too. I just ordered micro screw extractor to see if that would help. It's gonna be a pain in the neck to get it out for sure. -
If the screw extractor doesn't work, tape the area off really well, and drill the head off. You might be able to extract the remaining screw down the bottom.
Be careful with the extractor so as not to snap it inside the screw head.
Also, if you have a large soldering gun or even just a soldering iron, try applying some heat to the screw head with some of Gardenstater's tips as long as there's no direct contact with plastic.I disabled signatures. -
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If it is metric try and find a standard size that you could lightly tap in and see if that would grip enough to loosen. Also maybe try a torx bit that could be tapped in and see if it would grab enough. Not sure how sensitive the electronics are so?2 Channel
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Drill it out.Political Correctness'.........defined
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Drill it out.
+1 to that. Use a drill bit with 90 degree tip. Maybe even try one with a 60 degree tip, used mostly for plastics. That way you remove more from center than edges compared to a 118 or 135 degree tip. You are less likely to mess up the countersink in the cover that way.
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If you do decide to drill it out use a left hand twist bit. If you're lucky it may save using an easy out and the possibility of breaking that off.
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If it is metric try and find a standard size that you could lightly tap in and see if that would grip enough to loosen. Also maybe try a torx bit that could be tapped in and see if it would grab enough. Not sure how sensitive the electronics are so?
LOL Beat me to it! After sleeping on it I was going to say to try a slightly oversized torx bit and tap it in. One could even make the splines sharper with a dremel fine cutoff wheel. Wouldn't hurt to tap it in with some JB Weld and let that cure a couple days. Then see what's what.
PS: If you happen to have some liquid nitrogen (it could happen) try freezing the torx bit first to shrink it lol.Post edited by Gardenstater onGeorge / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
Thank you all for the ideas. This weekend will be fun as I go through it.. Idea about drilling makes most sense, but equally terrifying.
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Maybe step it up to hammer drill. For good measure.I disabled signatures.
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jumpindick wrote: »Thank you all for the ideas. This weekend will be fun as I go through it.. Idea about drilling makes most sense, but equally terrifying.
Well, if it were me I'd try the press fit oversized torx bit with a little epoxy first. You can always drill later if need be. Can't do it the other way around. Just sayin'.George / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
Carnage report?
Did it escalate from measured approach with precision tools to bench vise, animal fat, and hedge trimmers?I disabled signatures. -
Also what kind of preamp is it?
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Carnage report?
Did it escalate from measured approach with precision tools to bench vise, animal fat, and hedge trimmers?
Lol... I really wanted to use miter saw with 12" blade, a compound miter saw in particular. I got this awesome idea that I should slide the blade, while it is spinning, to create one deep notch on the screw head, and then use a flat head screwdriver to take it out
. But then, fudge it... I don't want to damage my saw either. May be I have cursed hands that whatever I touch gets bad or damaged..... In all seriousness though, the preamp has gone back to the dealer who is going to take care of it. The issue is that the front display panel would be lit some times displaying the info, and not lit the other times. Function wise, the preamp is jut fine and works without any issues. We needed to run the firmware again to take care of it. So had to ship it out to the dealer. -
Lol
Ah, probably best. I probably wouldn't have had the patience for that until I removed all other screws and bent and twisted the cover off. And the screw would remain. Without a scratch on it.I disabled signatures. -
Lol
Ah, probably best. I probably wouldn't have had the patience for that until I removed all other screws and bent and twisted the cover off. And the screw would remain. Without a scratch on it.
That's what I would do, too (FWIW). And I would use a bevy, nay, a fusillade of socially acceptable words whilst doing it, and probably for most of the remainder of that day.
(it pays to keep a list of expletives handy for times like those)
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Assuming this is already resolved but personally I would have used a dremel tool with a small abrasive disc to cut a notch in the top and remove with a flat head screw driver. Or maybe an angle grinder with a thin cut off wheel if you have balls of steel and steady hands. Taping the top off first is a given of course. I fabricate a lot at work and drilling out machined threads is my last resort.Rega Planar 8, Apheta 3 MC , Aria mk2 Phono
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Needle nose vise grips. Although I have also used the method above with success.Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
