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Campfire Outfitter
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OP
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Joined: Sep 2004
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I think I applied a wee bit too much torque on a scope base screw and broke it. (Note to self - time to buy a mini torque wrench) I don't have a vertical drill press to drill it out with. What are my chances doing it "freehand" with an electric drill?
What could possibily go wrong? It's an SS screw in a SS receiver. Tips appreicated.
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Joined: May 2005
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2005
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You have a very expensive receiver and I would not try myself. Put your pride aside and get a good gunsmith. The drill bit will wobble around in that hole and tear up or destroy the hole and threads. powdr
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Joined: Apr 2002
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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My vote is no hand drill.
What you have done is not nearly as important as how you have done it!!!
The Old Fart 2008 A.D.
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Joined: Jul 2001
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Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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NO HAND DRILL!
You have probably already done this - it's a long shot but by chance, have you removed the base to see how much of the screw is left sticking up? I have had cheap heads come off the screws and removed the base to find enough of the screw to remove with vise grips.
"Any inanimate object will just sit there until a person picks it up.
What they do with it depends on what kind of respect they've
been taught for human life"
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Joined: Aug 2012
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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NO HAND DRILL!
You have probably already done this - it's a long shot but by chance, have you removed the base to see how much of the screw is left sticking up? I have had cheap heads come off the screws and removed the base to find enough of the screw to remove with vise grips.
That might be worth a try. Personally I think he's xcrewed. SS screw snapped??? You've gotta think the screw was glued (locktite) in or somehow welded/rusted tight from firing. I'd try lubricating and or heating the screw first before trying to rotate it back and forth...just to get it loose. Once you get it to "move" just a little, you might be able to gradually work it out?! Drilling thru SS you would need special diamond tipped bits (something harder than SS) to either drill the hole out completley or enough to be able to get a screw extractor to bite and hold. (heat and lubrication) (locked in a vise and variable speed drill press, one that doesn't wobble preferably) I'd bet he.d be lucky to find one gunsmith in his state that wouldn't botch the job. If that screw won't budge, might be better of grinding, sanding, polishing flat and look to drill and tap in another location. I've got a similar problem, two screws on my scope base (hex head) will absolutely not move. Fact is I'm starting to strip one hex and I.ve stopped before I completley eff it up. The other hex screw I snapped an Allen wrench !!! trying to turn it out!!! Whoever mounted this base, sure didn't want it to move? WTF
It was Jerry "Mad Dog" Shriver (SFC E-7)who said:
"No, no, I've got them right where I want them -- surrounded from the inside." http://www.macvsog.cc/1969.htm
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Joined: May 2003
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2003
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NO HAND DRILL!
You have probably already done this - it's a long shot but by chance, have you removed the base to see how much of the screw is left sticking up? I have had cheap heads come off the screws and removed the base to find enough of the screw to remove with vise grips.
That might be worth a try. Personally I think he's xcrewed. SS screw snapped??? You've gotta think the screw was glued (locktite) in or somehow welded/rusted tight from firing. I'd try lubricating and or heating the screw first before trying to rotate it back and forth...just to get it loose. Once you get it to "move" just a little, you might be able to gradually work it out?! Drilling thru SS you would need special diamond tipped bits (something harder than SS) to either drill the hole out completley or enough to be able to get a screw extractor to bite and hold. (heat and lubrication) (locked in a vise and variable speed drill press, one that doesn't wobble preferably) I'd bet he.d be lucky to find one gunsmith in his state that wouldn't botch the job. If that screw won't budge, might be better of grinding, sanding, polishing flat and look to drill and tap in another location. I've got a similar problem, two screws on my scope base (hex head) will absolutely not move. Fact is I'm starting to strip one hex and I.ve stopped before I completley eff it up. The other hex screw I snapped an Allen wrench !!! trying to turn it out!!! Whoever mounted this base, sure didn't want it to move? WTF DOn't know where this guy gets his info, "a diamond tipped dill bit"?? a normal high speed steel drill will work just fine but make sure you have it done by a pro. You need to have it done in mill to locate the center of the screw. I do it all the time. Used to have trouble with the old allen head screws but now with the torx they are much easier to remove.
+Professional member American Custom Gunmakers Guild
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Joined: Apr 2009
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Campfire Tracker
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I was a machinist for years. News to me that you need special tooling to drill a hole in stainless steel
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 30
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 30 |
I'd get a left hand drill bit and run it slow with plenty of pressure.. Once it gets a bite in that stainless screw it'll probably back out......as long as you didn't use loctite. If you did it'll take some heat to do it.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,161 Likes: 3 |
Listen to Jkob and the pros. You have a situtation that should NOT see any "bubba smithing" or you're going to regret it.
Find a smith with the equipment to drill that screw and remove it with an Ez out tool. Drilling it is the trick, to not cut into the receiver threads.
You got too much at stake here, to screw it up.
IMHO,
DF
Last edited by Dirtfarmer; 06/04/13.
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Joined: Feb 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2003
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No hand drill is absolutely the correct advice. I recently did this and ended up having the holes professionally redrilled on a mill to 8-40 to cover up my VERY stupid mistake. Don't try it!!
Sent from my Dingleberry Handheld Wireless
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I have found that SS screws are much easier to strip or break their heads off than steel screws.
The problem with drilling it out, with any type of drill, is, if the head is broken off at even the slightest angle, the drill is not going to start straight.
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Campfire Outfitter
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OP
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It was a new scope base installation and no loctite was used. Pretty much sheared flush with the top of the receiver, so there is no projection to get a purchase on with pliers.
I'm thinking I may try to superglue a toothpick or slightly larger dowel onto the screw and then back the screw out. Worth a try at least . . .
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,828
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Drilling what's left of the screw with a center drill will provide a "divot" that is on center and the drill bit will have less of a tendency to wander off. When I was working as a Tool & Die Maker I kept a selection of tap drill sized left handed drills. Many times drilling with a LH drill bit walked what was left of the screw out. When drilled on center with a tap drill, many times what is left (looks kinda like a spring) can be removed with a dental pic. Easy-outs were a last resort due to the possibility of damaging the thread, especially on #6 or #8 screws like scope mount screws.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
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It was a new scope base installation and no loctite was used. Pretty much sheared flush with the top of the receiver, so there is no projection to get a purchase on with pliers.
I'm thinking I may try to superglue a toothpick or slightly larger dowel onto the screw and then back the screw out. Worth a try at least . . .
I wouldn't bet the farm on that plan working, especially if the screw was in there tight. What if some Superglue gets into/onto the threads? DF
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Joined: Jun 2013
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Sometimes when the head breaks off it releases the tension on the threads. One time I got lucky and removed a broken screw by pushing the eraser on the end of a pencil against the flush broken screw to get a little traction and it twisted right out. It probably wont work but you can hurt anything so its worth a try.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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No hand drill is absolutely the correct advice. I recently did this and ended up having the holes professionally redrilled on a mill to 8-40 to cover up my VERY stupid mistake. Don't try it!!
I'd use a hand drill, but that's just me  . No problemo..Probably wise for the OP to seek professional help though.
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Campfire Regular
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I was a machinist for years. News to me that you need special tooling to drill a hole in stainless steel m Experience, correcting other peoples phuc-ups.
It was Jerry "Mad Dog" Shriver (SFC E-7)who said:
"No, no, I've got them right where I want them -- surrounded from the inside." http://www.macvsog.cc/1969.htm
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I'm thinking I may try to superglue a toothpick or slightly larger dowel onto the screw and then back the screw out. Worth a try at least . . . Bad idea. Any type of glue is much weaker in shear than the screw. Plus the thinner super glue will suck into the tiny space between the threads on screw and in the hole. About all you can do with hand tools is use a sharp prick punch and a hammer to attempt to bump the screw out. Disaster ensues if the punch slips and skids across the receiver. Of course the receiver has to be supported in a padded vise. This is a good one for a gunsmith or machinist.
The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh
Which explains a lot.
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I have removed several with a prick punch.
As mentioned above, when the screw head breaks off, tension is removed from the threads
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You may be able to put a drill bit on the screw and turn it on thru so it comes out in the receiver.
"I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man." --Robert Duvall.
"Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!" --John Wayne.
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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