Stuck panel screws

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I was reading a previous thread from May about owner assisted annuals. I
noticed a number of comments about drilling out stuck inspection panel
screws. Back when I used to work on airplanes as an avionics tech, someone
showed me a neat trick for getting stuck screws loose. When you find a
screw that doesn't want to come loose, or that the screwdriver tip cams out
of, put a little dab of valve grinding compound on the screwdriver tip.
Valve grinding compound comes in a tube about the size of a small tube of
toothpaste at auto parts stores, and has a fairly coarse grit in it. It
gives your screwdriver tip much better traction in a screwhead that's
already been a little damaged, and does a great job of preventing the
screwdriver tip from camming out. There's also something similar available
called "Screw Grab" that I found at a hardware store locally, that has the
same grit in it but in a thinner solution. It works just as well. It comes
in a small plastic tube. I've rarely had to drill out screws since I started
using those compounds.
Scott Wilson

[Vaughn Simon]

> wrote in message ...
>When you find a
> screw that doesn't want to come loose, or that the screwdriver tip cams out
> of, put a little dab of valve grinding compound on the screwdriver tip.

Hmmm, that sounds a lot easier than my favorite trick. I use one of those
little cutting wheels on a Dremel tool and cut a new screwdriver slot across the
head of the screw. Works for conventional, Phillips, Torx...

Vaughn

[[email protected]]

Valve grinding compound and, when that doesn't work, cutting a slot in the
screw head -- two good ideas. You may be able to avoid problems entirely by
using a top-quality, brand new phillips head screwdriver or bit. That will
assure that maximum torque is applied to the screw head.

For round-head or pan-head screws, there is one last, desperation move you
can try before drilling the screw out. Using a flat file or the grinding
wheel on a Dremel tool, CAREFULLY create two "flats" on the edges of the
screw head and use a vice-grip pliers to grasp them. This will allow you to
put much more torque on the head than you can with any screwdriver.

Needless to say, you should not reuse a screw that has ANY damage to the
head

-Elliott Drucker

[joe]

Just drill it and use an easy out....... do it every day



wrote:
> Valve grinding compound and, when that doesn't work, cutting a slot in the
> screw head -- two good ideas. You may be able to avoid problems entirely by
> using a top-quality, brand new phillips head screwdriver or bit. That will
> assure that maximum torque is applied to the screw head.
>
> For round-head or pan-head screws, there is one last, desperation move you
> can try before drilling the screw out. Using a flat file or the grinding
> wheel on a Dremel tool, CAREFULLY create two "flats" on the edges of the
> screw head and use a vice-grip pliers to grasp them. This will allow you to
> put much more torque on the head than you can with any screwdriver.
>
> Needless to say, you should not reuse a screw that has ANY damage to the
> head
>
> -Elliott Drucker

[FlyWithTwo]

wrote:
> I was reading a previous thread from May about owner assisted annuals. I
> noticed a number of comments about drilling out stuck inspection panel
> screws. Back when I used to work on airplanes as an avionics tech, someone
> showed me a neat trick for getting stuck screws loose. When you find a
> screw that doesn't want to come loose, or that the screwdriver tip cams out
> of, put a little dab of valve grinding compound on the screwdriver tip.
> Valve grinding compound comes in a tube about the size of a small tube of
> toothpaste at auto parts stores, and has a fairly coarse grit in it. It
> gives your screwdriver tip much better traction in a screwhead that's
> already been a little damaged, and does a great job of preventing the
> screwdriver tip from camming out. There's also something similar available
> called "Screw Grab" that I found at a hardware store locally, that has the
> same grit in it but in a thinner solution. It works just as well. It comes
> in a small plastic tube. I've rarely had to drill out screws since I started
> using those compounds.
> Scott Wilson

Hi Scott,
An A&P friend showed me a trick on an access panel that had some stuck
fasteners. He used a 1/4" speeder wrench with a phillips head socket.
The speeder wrench looks like an old "bit and brace" drill. It allows
you to push hard on the bit and still keep it square when you turn it.
Using this tool, he started by turning the fastener tighter, just a
slight bit of a turn. This was to break the sticking threads loose,
and then it took less torque to back the screw out. Sometimes old
fasteners have a bit of rounding in the direction used to back them
out. The use of valve grinding compound to allow the bit a better
interface also sounds like good advice.

Good Luck,
Brian

[BTIZ]

ahhh.. an old mechanic taught me that one 35 yrs ago.. gald to know it still
works
BT

> wrote in message ...
>I was reading a previous thread from May about owner assisted annuals. I
> noticed a number of comments about drilling out stuck inspection panel
> screws. Back when I used to work on airplanes as an avionics tech,
> someone
> showed me a neat trick for getting stuck screws loose. When you find a
> screw that doesn't want to come loose, or that the screwdriver tip cams
> out
> of, put a little dab of valve grinding compound on the screwdriver tip.
> Valve grinding compound comes in a tube about the size of a small tube of
> toothpaste at auto parts stores, and has a fairly coarse grit in it. It
> gives your screwdriver tip much better traction in a screwhead that's
> already been a little damaged, and does a great job of preventing the
> screwdriver tip from camming out. There's also something similar
> available
> called "Screw Grab" that I found at a hardware store locally, that has the
> same grit in it but in a thinner solution. It works just as well. It comes
> in a small plastic tube. I've rarely had to drill out screws since I
> started
> using those compounds.
> Scott Wilson
>

[Aaron Coolidge]

FlyWithTwo > wrote:

: Hi Scott,
: Using this tool, he started by turning the fastener tighter, just a
: slight bit of a turn. This was to break the sticking threads loose,
: and then it took less torque to back the screw out. Sometimes old
: fasteners have a bit of rounding in the direction used to back them
: out. The use of valve grinding compound to allow the bit a better
: interface also sounds like good advice.

YES! The fastener is loaded in the "loosen" direction. Turning it slightly
"tighten" breaks the (decades) old rust bond. Tapping the head with a
small hammer works, too (tap gently!).
--
Aaron C.

[David Lesher]

With a torn-up Phillips, you can sometimes bash the head flat
again; driving the metal back into the head.

I've always wanted to try the dry ice on the head trick as well;
never have.

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

[[email protected]]

On 5-Jul-2006, "FlyWithTwo" > wrote:

> Hi Scott,
> An A&P friend showed me a trick on an access panel that had some stuck
> fasteners. He used a 1/4" speeder wrench with a phillips head socket.
> The speeder wrench looks like an old "bit and brace" drill. It allows
> you to push hard on the bit and still keep it square when you turn it.

In the Air Force we called that tool a "speed handle" but I'm sure your name
is more accurate. I'm sure I've got hundreds of hours turning those, we
used them for opening and closing all of the various access panels on the
F-4Cs and F-4Es I worked on waaay back when. Fighters use LOTS of panel
fasteners! You're right, this tool does work pretty well for freeing stuck
screws. Put a little valve-grinding compund on the bit tip and you can't
miss!
I used to know a fellow that had another type of stuck screw removal tool.
I'm not sure who made it, perhaps Snap-On, but it looked kind of like a
fat stubby screwdriver with a metal handle. You'd put an Apex bit in it,
stick the bit in the stuck screw, and whack the butt of the handle with a
hammer. The impact of the hammer pushed the bit into the handle a little,
and at the same time the bit was twisted slightly counter-clockwise. That
would break loose stuck screws pretty easily and quickly. You had to be
careful not to whack it so hard as to cause other problems though!
Scott Wilson

[Mark Hansen]

On 07/06/06 16:20, wrote:
> On 5-Jul-2006, "FlyWithTwo" > wrote:
>
>> Hi Scott,
>> An A&P friend showed me a trick on an access panel that had some stuck
>> fasteners. He used a 1/4" speeder wrench with a phillips head socket.
>> The speeder wrench looks like an old "bit and brace" drill. It allows
>> you to push hard on the bit and still keep it square when you turn it.
>
> In the Air Force we called that tool a "speed handle" but I'm sure your name
> is more accurate. I'm sure I've got hundreds of hours turning those, we
> used them for opening and closing all of the various access panels on the
> F-4Cs and F-4Es I worked on waaay back when. Fighters use LOTS of panel
> fasteners! You're right, this tool does work pretty well for freeing stuck
> screws. Put a little valve-grinding compund on the bit tip and you can't
> miss!
> I used to know a fellow that had another type of stuck screw removal tool.
> I'm not sure who made it, perhaps Snap-On, but it looked kind of like a
> fat stubby screwdriver with a metal handle. You'd put an Apex bit in it,
> stick the bit in the stuck screw, and whack the butt of the handle with a
> hammer. The impact of the hammer pushed the bit into the handle a little,
> and at the same time the bit was twisted slightly counter-clockwise. That
> would break loose stuck screws pretty easily and quickly. You had to be
> careful not to whack it so hard as to cause other problems though!

This is called an Impact Driver, and is available at pretty much any
tool supply store (even your neighborhood corner auto parts store).

They are great! I would never be without one.


> Scott Wilson



--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

[[email protected]]

Here's the tool I was talking about

http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/images/impactdriver.jpg
Here is the description as I found it on factsfacts.com's site:
An impact screwdriver is designed to rotate the screwdriver tip when the
handle is hit with a hammer. So, the tip is forced into the screw head by
the hammer blow at the same time the tip is being rotated to loosen the
screw. If you have a motorcyclist friend she may have one. If the screw is
in cast iron, or something else you could break by hitting it, you may not
want to use this.