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Ugh stuck screw.

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  • chubbs

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    Aug 26, 2019
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    dfw
    [QUOTE = I have had that happen with a few hex screws too. One other suggestion is to hammer a slightly larger torx bit into the stripped hole and see if you can twist it out.

    Try this as mentioned above.[/QUOTE]

    i will go that route after i completely smurf the original allen head. but it’s still in a tight spot either way i go about it. that’s my biggest issue
     

    Younggun

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    Try this as mentioned above.

    i will go that route after i completely smurf the original allen head. but it’s still in a tight spot either way i go about it. that’s my biggest issue

    Good soldering iron to heat the screw. Will need to be a fairly high amp model or the receiver will just act as a large heat sink and draw off all the energy. Probably why the heated Allen wouldn’t work.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Bozz10mm

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    i’ve got a 1/16 allen screw that won’t come out. holds the bolt release. i haven’t completely stripped it out but i’ve tried 1/2 dozen times heating up the wrench red hot and blow dryer to the receiver where screw sits. blue loctite. i can’t get straight on with this 3/8 drive i bought. the little allen wrench with a cheater for leverage wouldn’t budge it. i think the 3/8 with a ratchet should get it done but not at a slight angle.

    even if it came to removal with extractor i couldn’t get straight at it. i don’t want to put real heat from a torch to the receiver because i spent too much cash prepping & painting. i just can’t do it

    Who makes that lower? Every lower I have uses a roll pin, not a screw, to hold the bolt catch/release in place.

     

    chubbs

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    dfw
    Good soldering iron to heat the screw. Will need to be a fairly high amp model or the receiver will just act as a large heat sink and draw off all the energy. Probably why the heated Allen wouldn’t work.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    good thinking
     

    chubbs

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    dfw
    Heat makes the bolt expand. Freeze the tool and hair dryer blow the frame.

    like when i had to seat a bearing assembly: freeze the bearing & heat the part/bearing-race.

    freeze the tool in order to transfer the cold to the screw? that wouldn’t work if i’m heating the surrounding frame
     

    avvidclif

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    like when i had to seat a bearing assembly: freeze the bearing & heat the part/bearing-race.

    freeze the tool in order to transfer the cold to the screw? that wouldn’t work if i’m heating the surrounding frame

    Heat the frame and then apply the frozen tool, not at the same time.
     

    chubbs

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    Heat the frame and then apply the frozen tool, not at the same time.
    i will give her the old college try but i’m not optimistic. that little bitty screw hasn’t budged. if freezing the wrench does the trick i will do a flat footed backflip
     

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    Younggun

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    Since aluminum expands at nearly twice the rate of steel cooling the set screw probably won’t be a big deal.


    But if it’s got locktight on it it’s gonna have to get hot enough to break down or it won’t matter much. 350-450 degrees depending on type and breaking down the loctite will matter a lot more than the expansion rates.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    chubbs

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    Aug 26, 2019
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    dfw
    Since aluminum expands at nearly twice the rate of steel cooling the set screw probably won’t be a big deal.


    But if it’s got locktight on it it’s gonna have to get hot enough to break down or it won’t matter much. 350-450 degrees depending on type and breaking down the loctite will matter a lot more than the expansion rates.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    considering all the time & money i have in the diy blasting, prep & cerakote finish i don’t have intentions of damaging my “paint”

    oth, it did bake at 350-degrees to cure. now if that means my lower can take another 350+ before the cerakote is adversely affected, i will have to research. i did put the propane torch to it a few times thinking that would be enough.

    after all, i watched some videos of a guy breaking Loctited screws with nothing more than the allen wrench heated red hot. i heated my tiny allen wrench red hot & ruined it. i don’t have the luxury of turning on screws that are a good 5/16 or larger.

    this was blue loctite i used - never had a problem before. i have to loctite every screw on this 308. otherwise i would leave the target practice & literally get home without all of my screws. EVERYTHING came loose the 1st few times — couldn’t hit the targets..
    oh my r/d optic is falling off. won’t cycle properly.. oh the buffer tube is about fall out. this is the only screw i’ve had a problem with. prob bc nothing fits perfectly or won’t let me get straight on in order to put some a$$ into the wrench

    ps tried to post short video and file was too large to upload. whatever shall i do! the forum members won’t get to see me lose my $hit over a 2mm screw. oh well!
     

    Dawico

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    Easy out might help.

    When I have to deal with stuck screws I throw the whole thing in the freezer first. The screw will contract and the receiver may contract away from the screw.

    Driving a bit bigger wrench/ Torx head in is always helpful too. The bigger tool and the hitting action definitely help.
     

    chubbs

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    dfw
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    Driving a bit bigger wrench/ Torx head in is always helpful too. The bigger tool and the hitting action definitely help.

    ya the screw head is too small. i tried the impact and it just bent the wrench. heating it cherry red set me up for failure. $7 wrench/socket that i have cut in half, twisted & bent up to this point.
     

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    rmantoo

    Cranky old fart: Pull my finger
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    Throw the entire lower in the freezer over night. Hold some torque on the screw while heating the receiver with a torch, and have someone hit the receiver with a dead-blow hammer over the screw housing area?

    The lower should warm up and expand a lot faster than the steel of the screw.
     

    chubbs

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    Aug 26, 2019
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    dfw
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    i don’t know what will happen of the cerakote in regards to freezing it for hours on-end.

    i have been prudent in the use of a propane torch & open flames near it along with the length of time, choosing to focus the heat/flame mostly to the steel bolt catch.

    i don’t know what a micro torch is - how much does it differ from what i have in the pics posted earlier?

    anything i do to remove the screw is secondary to protecting the finish. it can handle up to 500-deg but holding an open flame to it is no temp controlled oven.
     

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