"Liz Megerle" wrote in message
news:t8mYj.1241$ay2.1029@trndny01...
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.

Happens all the time.

Basically, you have to cut off the bolt at the "hex" end.

If a washer was used under the hex nut, you can try a hack saw or a powered
version of the same (a "saws all").

The next step down is to drill out the volt from the "hex" end. When the
nut gets loose, you drive out the bolt.

The "final answer" is to grind off the hex nut with whatever power grinder
you can get in there.

"Sometimes" you can get a nut off with an impact wrench. Or you can "fix"
the flush end with glue and after the glue sets try turning the nut again.

Carriage bolts just are not designed for most soft woods. When you torque
down, you often bring the head below the surface of the wood. Folks also
tend to drill a hole that a little oversized for starts and soft woods
simply fail to hold the square all too often.

Where you NEED them because of the nearly flush surface they provide, you
might give them a little help with a drop or two of glue.

If you don't NEED them, use regular bolts with good sized washers.




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