Jim Yanik wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in
:


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.

can you get a narrow enough wheel for an angle grinder?
Perhaps a Dremel and cutoff wheel.

The cutoff wheels I use in my angle grinder are about 1/16" thick.