AviationBanter - View Single Post

**Flyingmonk[_1_]** · July 5th 06, 07:07 AM posted to rec.aviation.owning,rec.aviation.piloting

wrote:
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 valve grinding compound on the screwdriver tip. Valve grinding
compound comes in a tube 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. I rarely
have to drill out screws since I started using those compounds.
Scott Wilson

Thanks for the tip. Too bad I didn't know this when I was rebuilding
the carb on my bike. Had to get new screws that were very hard to
find.

Monk