Broken screw and broken tap/screw extractor

[toon80]

Hi all,

So you are taking apart an old Aerodynic. Stuck bolts, penetrating oil, gentle taps, the works. Head snaps on you. Damn!
So you up the game and drill a bit into the bolt and in you go to insert Mr. Screw Extractor. Gentle you go, geeeentle, but hey! Now this guy breaks on you as well.
So you have a screw extractor stuck in a headless bolt, surrounded but so aluminum.

Tap/extractors are very hard metal, so good luck there.
I tried this kit of diamond burrs, bought at Lee Valley in Canada.

Keep it soaked in water for lubrification, but I was able quite easily to grind the tap away, exposing the bolt again. Then re-drill the bolt through (which I should have done in the first place), then re-tap and there you go.

The challenge is unless you have professional grade machinery, the drill bit won't keep on the broken tap/extractor, deviate in the aluminum, and destroy the alignment/hole.

Kit comes in a variety of shapes. I found the round tip better to get going, then cylindrical to finish off.


Hope this helps!

Antoine

 

[ur20v]

Professional equipment is not necessarily required! A couple of small c-clamps holding some bar stock with a guide hole is pretty easy to whip up. If you're working in a blind hole, I will use a drill bushing that fits snugly and use that to guide my new cobalt bit. A cheap flux MIG and various pieces of scrap copper plumbing for masking really come in handy for super-heating broken screws and small bolts without resorting to an open flame, and if necessary you can build up the weld enough to get your pliers on and twist out.

 

[shues]

Professional equipment is not necessarily required! A couple of small c-clamps holding some bar stock with a guide hole is pretty easy to whip up. If you're working in a blind hole, I will use a drill bushing that fits snugly and use that to guide my new cobalt bit. A cheap flux MIG and various pieces of scrap copper plumbing for masking really come in handy for super-heating broken screws and small bolts without resorting to an open flame, and if necessary you can build up the weld enough to get your pliers on and twist out.

Would you care to demonstrate some of these techniques? A video showcasing your skill would be most beneficial!

 

[ur20v]

I will keep it in mind and the next time I have a broken screw or bolt I will try to record the extraction.