Jeff Wisnia wrote:

HeyBub wrote:

Liz Megerle wrote:

I built a picnic table several years ago. It took a hit from the snow
plow this winter. It's worth repairing, but I can't undo the carriage
bolts. The square part of the bolt head strips the wood when I put a
socket on the nut. Next weekend I'll try pounding a screwdriver under
the head parallel to the surface of the wood to engage a flat side of
the square. What do you experts do?
Liz


I take that to mean the bolt is counter-sunk? If so, how did that happen? I
mean whatever you used to counter-sink the bolt should be the same device
used to remove it.

If it's a carriage bolt, it has a nut somewhere. Can you attack it from that
direction?



I believe that Liz is saying that when she turns the nut, the bolt
turnes with it and the square under the bolt head reamed out the wood,
possibly because the nuts are a bit corroded onto the bolts.

If the nuts are accessable, she could buy a nut cracker and split them
so they'll slide off the threaded part of the bolts, then drive the
bolts out enough to grab the head and pull. Then buy some new nuts to suit.

Sears sells nutcrackers, and so do most auto parts stores:

http://tinyurl.com/4vbtwt


Since the carriage bolt heads are apparently above the surface given the
comment about the screwdriver, the easiest thing to do is to use a
hacksaw (or angle grinder with cutoff wheel) and make a slot in the bolt
head for the screwdriver.