FFS

[silentbob]

Just tried to replace the machine heads on my P project, marked up the holes, drilled the first four pilot holes, tried to screw in the first screw, got to within about two turns of being finished when the screw just sheared off. I'm now left with the threaded part of the screw stuck in the hole. Any ideas what to do?

[Mr. Foxen]

Drill your other pilot holes bigger/ deeper. 3 screws will work fine. Getting it out will be a huge pain, involving drilling a little hole either side and drip[ping it with end cutters and rotating till it is out enough to grip with something more substantial.

[robocorpse]

Good quality pair of pliers with nicely squared sides, a very steady hand, and some patience while you unscrew it sideways gripping the remaining stump.
If that fails, you will need a dremel with a small metal bit and an *extremely* steady hand to drill it out.

[silentbob]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='861482' date='Jun 8 2010, 09:09 PM']Drill your other pilot holes bigger/ deeper. 3 screws will work fine. Getting it out will be a huge pain, involving drilling a little hole either side and drip[ping it with end cutters and rotating till it is out enough to grip with something more substantial.[/quote]

Thanks Mr F, wasn't sure if three holes would be sufficient to hold it in place.

[silentbob]

[quote name='robocorpse' post='861488' date='Jun 8 2010, 09:11 PM']Good quality pair of pliers with nicely squared sides, a very steady hand, and some patience while you unscrew it sideways gripping the remaining stump.
If that fails, you will need a dremel with a small metal bit and an *extremely* steady hand to drill it out.[/quote]

Trouble is it's sheared off inside the hole, so nothing to grip. Thanks for the reply though.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='861482' date='Jun 8 2010, 09:09 PM']Drill your other pilot holes bigger/ deeper. 3 screws will work fine. Getting it out will be a huge pain,....[/quote]
+1
Then superglue the sheared head back into it's hole.

[silentbob]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='861544' date='Jun 8 2010, 09:50 PM']+1
Then superglue the sheared head back into it's hole. [/quote]

Great minds think alike

[geoffbyrne]

Putting a smear of vaseline on the screw before putting it in might help.......

G.

[Al Heeley]

i scrape the screw tip thru a bit of soap before screwing.
If u can get the tip of a soldering iron to the screw u can heat it up really hot, it expands and makes the hole a tiny bit bigger, then when it cools it contracts and its looser to extract.

Thanks to Dan erlwine for that handy tip.

[Ou7shined]

I used the bairn's crayons.

[Delberthot]

Gotoh's are they?

I've only ever had that happen once before and it was a set of Gotoh resolites I was installing

[robocorpse]

[quote name='silentbob' post='861493' date='Jun 8 2010, 09:14 PM']Trouble is it's sheared off inside the hole, so nothing to grip. Thanks for the reply though.[/quote]

So use the second tip and drill it out. That way, you won't scar the surrounding wood, then you can plug the hole with a sliver of toothpick and bung a new screw in. The soldering iron trick wont work if theres no head to grip.

[silentbob]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='861631' date='Jun 8 2010, 11:11 PM']Gotoh's are they?

I've only ever had that happen once before and it was a set of Gotoh resolites I was installing[/quote]

Indeed they are.

[rmshaw37]

i have to agree - if you have access to it, a pillar drill with metal drill bits

[silentbob]

All sorted now guys, thanks for all the advice.