ruined a phillips screw, any inspired solution?


Not strictly audio but related and a real mess. I wanted to open up the cabinet of a cdp to change a tube inside which involved removing 6 small phillips screws with a recessed head,... and of course, there is always one that pretends to be sword Excalibur. Sadly, after I had attacked it with every imaginable screwdriver, I noticed that I had literally milled out the head. So I now have an unbudgeable screw with a perfectly round cavity on the head sitting on a rather sensitive piece of gear (the plate I have to remove holds most of the electronic circuitry, the cd drive and the tube, go figure). Anyone faced a similar conundrum and solved it?
Thanks for not laughing 8^(
karelfd

Showing 1 response by bob_bundus

Here's a trick for the future & for the benefit of others as well; I learned this from an old pro machinist. If a stubborn screw won't loosen, then before you badly muck up the head try to TIGHTEN it just a bit first, then loosen. This has saved me I dunno how many times but doesn't always work of course.

Also there's a liquid called "Screwdriver Helper" which is applied to the head; it increases the gription somehow & this stuff actually does work. I got a tube from a boating supply house; I think it was Overtons but might have been West Marine?

The Dremel tool approach has worked for me too, as have the screw extractors. Sometimes you can grab onto the head with a pair of Vice Grip pliers (usually the mini model). Drilling through the head has also worked successfully. However drilling can be a very long process for stainless steel hardware.

To prevent a screw from seizing, you can apply a dab of LockTite to the threads before installing it. Use the blue or sometimes the green; never the red. Also there's an AntiSeize product made of copper powdered paste (from Overtons) which works great. Also you can sometimes dip the threads in a liquid gasket sealer. Sil Glyde paste from NAPA auto parts also makes a good thread coater for future easier removal. Your approach will vary according to the application of course.