Removing broken screws and other things
 

hello
I hope someone may be able to help or point me in the right direction.
I have some tubular chromed chairs with leather back and seats. They've
been up in the loft a few years and after cleaning them up am trying to
reassemble them.
The tubes are joined together with 2 inch self tapping (at least they
look like they're self tappers)screws and a spacing sleeve.

Two of these chairs have one of the four holes that take these screws,
blocked with a piece of broken screw. Now I know that I would drill
these bits out but, not being a consummate DIYer, I thought I'd ask this
group, the best way of doing this and if there are any gadgets around
that would make this easier/safer. I obviously want to avoid damaging
the thread that's been cut in the tubes by the previously unbroken screws.

The other question I have is how do I go about determining the size of
the thread for these screws? Or do I just go trying various packets in
B&Q and Homebase until I find the right ones - it's difficult on sites
like Screwfix and can work out expensive if you get the wrong ones.
Thanks for any help anyone can give.
--
Brush-Head

"The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights"

John Paul Getty 1892 - 1976

brush-head has brought this to us :
hello
Two of these chairs have one of the four holes that take these screws,
blocked with a piece of broken screw. Now I know that I would drill these
bits out but, not being a consummate DIYer, I thought I'd ask this group, the
best way of doing this and if there are any gadgets around that would make
this easier/safer. I obviously want to avoid damaging the thread that's been
cut in the tubes by the previously unbroken screws.

If they are self tappers, you will find these are hardened steel, much
harder than the material they self tap into - so impossible to drill
and even if you could the drill would wonder into the softer steel of
the chair frame. If you can't get them out with a self-grip wrench (or
mole grips), then I would be inclined to try using an electric welder
if you have access....

Deliberately get a welding rod to stick on the screw rather than form
an arc, allow the rod to cool then use it to turn the screw out.


The other question I have is how do I go about determining the size of the
thread for these screws? Or do I just go trying various packets in B&Q and
Homebase until I find the right ones - it's difficult on sites like Screwfix
and can work out expensive if you get the wrong ones.
Thanks for any help anyone can give.

Find a local fixings supply company or a nut, bolt and screw specialist
and show him a sample of what you require.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.org

In article ,
brush-head
wrote:
Two of these chairs have one of the four holes that take these screws,
blocked with a piece of broken screw. Now I know that I would drill
these bits out but, not being a consummate DIYer, I thought I'd ask this
group, the best way of doing this and if there are any gadgets around
that would make this easier/safer. I obviously want to avoid damaging
the thread that's been cut in the tubes by the previously unbroken
screws.

You won't drill out self tappers - they're made of harder steel than a
normal drill.

--
*Why does the sun lighten our hair, but darken our skin?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

brush-head wrote:
hello
I hope someone may be able to help or point me in the right direction.
I have some tubular chromed chairs with leather back and seats. They've
been up in the loft a few years and after cleaning them up am trying to
reassemble them.
The tubes are joined together with 2 inch self tapping (at least they
look like they're self tappers)screws and a spacing sleeve.

Two of these chairs have one of the four holes that take these screws,
blocked with a piece of broken screw. Now I know that I would drill
these bits out but, not being a consummate DIYer, I thought I'd ask this
group, the best way of doing this and if there are any gadgets around
that would make this easier/safer. I obviously want to avoid damaging
the thread that's been cut in the tubes by the previously unbroken screws.

The other question I have is how do I go about determining the size of
the thread for these screws? Or do I just go trying various packets in
B&Q and Homebase until I find the right ones - it's difficult on sites
like Screwfix and can work out expensive if you get the wrong ones.
Thanks for any help anyone can give.

In my experience trying to drill out screws almost always ends up with
the thread getting wrecked but maybe I'm just not cut out to drill
screws out :-). I have had some success where I have clamped the piece
and braced the drill with something.

You could try super glueing a small rod on to the end of the broken
screw. I think you are likely to get glue in the thread though.

"brush-head"
wrote in message ...
hello
I hope someone may be able to help or point me in the right direction.
I have some tubular chromed chairs with leather back and seats. They've
been up in the loft a few years and after cleaning them up am trying to
reassemble them.
The tubes are joined together with 2 inch self tapping (at least they
look like they're self tappers)screws and a spacing sleeve.

Two of these chairs have one of the four holes that take these screws,
blocked with a piece of broken screw. Now I know that I would drill
these bits out but, not being a consummate DIYer, I thought I'd ask this
group, the best way of doing this and if there are any gadgets around
that would make this easier/safer. I obviously want to avoid damaging
the thread that's been cut in the tubes by the previously unbroken screws.

The other question I have is how do I go about determining the size of
the thread for these screws? Or do I just go trying various packets in
B&Q and Homebase until I find the right ones - it's difficult on sites
like Screwfix and can work out expensive if you get the wrong ones.
Thanks for any help anyone can give.
--

If you cant grab 'em with pliers or wiggle 'em out with a small screwdriver
then get a small punch and a big hammer :-)
seriously just punch them into the tubing and then use a fatter self tapper.

Regards Jeff

In article , "brush-head
" brush-
head
says...
hello
I hope someone may be able to help or point me in the right direction.
I have some tubular chromed chairs with leather back and seats. They've
been up in the loft a few years and after cleaning them up am trying to
reassemble them.
The tubes are joined together with 2 inch self tapping (at least they
look like they're self tappers)screws and a spacing sleeve.

Two of these chairs have one of the four holes that take these screws,
blocked with a piece of broken screw. Now I know that I would drill
these bits out but, not being a consummate DIYer, I thought I'd ask this
group, the best way of doing this and if there are any gadgets around
that would make this easier/safer. I obviously want to avoid damaging
the thread that's been cut in the tubes by the previously unbroken screws.

If there's room for them to fall through the other side of whatever
they're screwed into then carefully attacking them with a drill might
persuade them to do that. Otherwise self-tappers are very hard and
won't really drill - the drill will probably slip and chew up the
chair instead. If there's a bit of screw sticking out (or even if
it's just flush) I'd try placing a small nut on it and then MIG-
welding through the hole - hopefully you can then remove the screw
with a spanner.

"brush-head"
wrote in message ...
hello
I hope someone may be able to help or point me in the right direction.
I have some tubular chromed chairs with leather back and seats. They've
been up in the loft a few years and after cleaning them up am trying to
reassemble them.
The tubes are joined together with 2 inch self tapping (at least they
look like they're self tappers)screws and a spacing sleeve.

Two of these chairs have one of the four holes that take these screws,
blocked with a piece of broken screw. Now I know that I would drill
these bits out but, not being a consummate DIYer, I thought I'd ask this
group, the best way of doing this and if there are any gadgets around
that would make this easier/safer. I obviously want to avoid damaging
the thread that's been cut in the tubes by the previously unbroken screws.

The other question I have is how do I go about determining the size of
the thread for these screws? Or do I just go trying various packets in
B&Q and Homebase until I find the right ones - it's difficult on sites
like Screwfix and can work out expensive if you get the wrong ones.
Thanks for any help anyone can give.

If you can grind a slot on the remais of the shank you can use a screwdriver
to unscrew the screw. A Dremel-type mini-tool is good for this, with a
ceramic
cut-off disc. Of course, if the screw is broken flush with the tube surface,
some
damage will be occassioned to the tube as well. You could reduce this by
wearing the grinding disc down to a smaller diameter before using it to cut
a slot
in the screwshank.

Andy.