"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. 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



Try using some side-cutting wire cutters (sometimes called dikes). Try to
grab the edge of the bolt head with the cutting edges. I'm trying to
explain this as best I can, but the wire cutters need to be at a 90 degree
angle to the bolt head; i.e. sticking straight out. Grab them as tight as
you can to keep the bolt from spinning & try loosening the nut.