hello! i have managed to strip one of my rack screw heads holding a piece of equipment in place and now need to remove it. kicking myself! does anyone have any solutions to this problem? cheers

hari

Assuming it is a regular 6mm cap or phillips head bolt, drill the middle out with an undersize drill, insert stud extractor and wind that puppy out.
Stud extractors come in all diferent sizes - I get mine from either Machine Mart or Screwfix, as I am always lending them out & never seeing them again.
Be warned!

P.S. they generally come with instructions, too.

p.p.s. the cheapo but risky way is to cut a straight slot in the head and use a BIG straight blade screwdriver.

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Me? But I`m such a loveable old bugger!

thanks for the reply the only thing is that I don't want to damage the piece of equipment that is being held in place by this screw and by drilling would it not risk damaging the case? if I could remove the screw by hand it would be better. I'm looking at Stud extractors at the moment though and thanks for the tip!

hari

It all depends on what kind of screw head it is that you have damaged.

A straight slot head can often be repaired sufficiently with a file or by re-cutting the slot -- although that does risk damage to the secured equipment if access is difficult. And sometimes just using an oversized screwdriver blade can get the job done.

A cross-head (philips-style) head can sometimes respond to different sized or different style screwdriver tips. There are at least two different profiles used in cross-point heads, and using the 'wrong' one can often work. So try smaller or larger screwdriver tips and with different profiles to find the one that sits most securely in the remains of the head.

The stripping problem is usually caused either by using the wrong tip size/profile in the first place, or by allowing the screwdriver tip to ride up as it is turned. You MUST apply and maintain pressure as the screw is rotated -- and that applies to all screw types. Most damage is done by not maintaining pressure and consequently allowing the screwdriver (or key) to slip up and out.

An impact screwdriver (see a tools supplier's catalogue) is a useful last resort for stubborn and damaged screws, and cutting a new straight slot is another alternative.

If it's a Allen headed bolt that has had the internal corners rounded off through the use of the wrong key size you have few options. Cutting a slot across the top is one.

The drilling option is not as scary as it sounds, and is often the least risky too. With Allen bolts and cross-point heads the drill is self centring so shousldn't slip out. Provided you choose the drill size carefully you shouldn't damage anything. It's not quite so easy with a slotted head, but can still be done (it's easier if you start with a very small drill that will sit in the slot, and then gradually incrase the hole size with progressively larger drills).

You can then use an extractor as already described above, or just drill off the screw head so that the equipment is no longer retained. The threaded stud can then usually be persuaded out with pliers.

Hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

Problem solved! Thanks for the advice turned out that a little bit of pressure did the trick. Back on track!

Hari