broken escutcheon screw

[christian]

Just yesterday I was thinking to myself that those screws looked pretty flimsy and I should switch them out, unfortunately I didn't look any farther than the local hardware store which didn't have anything small enough.

Sure enough, I torqued the top off of one last night . Of course after the fact I found an old post of Mykeal's warning about this.

Anyway, before I proceed in any particular direction does anyone have any advice? I don't think the screw is possible to pull due to the small size and it being flush with the wood where it broke.

 

[ebiggs1]

I have a pair of sharp needle nose pliers that I have removed those tiny broken screws without much damage to the wood. I like to replace the screws with larger ones but the black ones are harder to find than brass is. I just finished this TC Hawken and it has the larger screws. If you do damage the wood getting it out you can put a drop of super glue in the hole and the screw will hold like new.

 

[christian]

Thanks for the reply. I'm hesitant to dig into the wood in an attempt to create enough space to grab hold of the screw -- don't want to make a bad situation worse...but if it'll work maybe that's the best route to go.

I also have access to a rather nice drill press. I was wondering if it would be ideal to drill the screw out and then put larger ones in?

FYI -- this is on a Lyman .50 GPR

 

[LRB]

You could do even more damage trying to drill it out. Dig out enough wood to grip it with needle nose plyers. None of the damage will be seen anyway. This is one reason brass screws were not commonly used on old guns.

 

[50cal.cliff]

I had the same problem when I assembled my St. Louis Hawken from Traditons. The screws usally twist off right under the head.
I used a pair of needle nosed vice grips and was careful to make sure I kept damage under the escutchon plate. Once I got the broken off screw out I filled the damaged area with expoxy and sanded flush. Once the escutchon plate was back on you could not see the damaged area at all.
I agree with Wick on the brass screws! I learned two lessons, drill first and then run the hole with a steel screw of same deminsions and then back out and run the brass screw in.

 

[longcruise]

FYI -- this is on a Lyman .50 GPR

Hah, welcome to the club! I'd guess that most newbie builders who have put a GPR together have broken off at least one of those screws. :haha:

First thing to do is throw the rest of them away and purchase a set that are just a wee bit bigger. You can order them online from TOW and others. Use a very small drill to predrill before scrwing them in.

Getting the broken one out is just a mater of hogging enough wood out around it so that you can get ahold of it and turn or pull it out. Don't worry about taking out the wood. There is a lot of wood there and you can fill it later with a good quality filler. Home Depot and Lowe's have a two part epoxy putty that can be used for this purpose.

 

[Bill Hall]

Good suggestion on the stronger screw. I like to use a "working" screw like that with a good phillip's head for forming the thread in the wood. Rub a small amount of dish soap on the screw to help decrease resistance.

One time I broke a screw off under the esctcheon just as you described. It was dig aroung the screw with small chisel, grab with needlenose, and repair with j.b. weld. Nobody knew till now :grin: Bill

 

[mazo kid]

IMHO, the best way is to cut around the broken off screw enough to grasp it with needle nose vise grips. You could make a cutter from a small diameter tube, filing in teeth, using a drill to drive the cutter, then lift out the wood. Glue in a piece of dowel, drill pilot holes, rub beeswax on the threads of your new screw. Done right, you will not see the repaired hole as it will be covered by the escutcheon plate. Let us know how you do the job and how it worked.

 

[Samuel]

Mazo.
That is the best way I have found also, I made a cutter from an old ballpoint pen tip
(the part the refill sticks out of)
that was metal, I used a small three corner file to make four teeth and then turned it around the screw until i was able to pull the screw, then I used a longer screw to put it back together good as new :thumbsup:

 

[Birddog6]

It works better for me to put the beeswax or patch lube grease in the hole, not on the screw. :idunno: When you put lube on the screw, as it cuts it's threads it is scraping off the grease or lube, as a wood screw is tapered. If the lube is in the hole, it is lubing as the threads are cutting. Thus take a fine tipped Exacto knife & scrape a lil lube up with the blade & put it right down inside the hole.

Keith Lisle

 

[christian]

Thanks for all the feedback, it looks like there's a general consenus on how to proceed. I'll try to track down some good replacement screws and then see how it goes -- and yes I will plan on replacing them all.

 

[50cal.cliff]

Good suggestion on the stronger screw. I like to use a "working" screw like that with a good phillip's head for forming the thread in the wood. Rub a small amount of dish soap on the screw to help decrease resistance.
Bill

What got me started with the "working screw" was I was threading a brass screw in and thought even though the head was turning the screw was not! I marked the body of the screw with a sharpie and turned it one more turn and it snapped the head off. Luckly this one broke off with enough sticking out so I did not have to mar up the wood to get it out.
However it made me realize that the brass screws were binding and the treaded part of the screw would stop and you would never realize it till the head popped off! :shake: :redface:
The working screw lets the wood except threads and plus if you mess up the head throw it away and grab another. Plus it saves a whole lot of :cursing: :cursing:

 

[Bill Hall]

Put the lube in the hole? Well dangit, that just makes too much sense :hmm: . Thanks. Bill

 

[gonzomann]

Google up "Blacksmith Bolt & Rivet Supply". They have a HUGE selection of unplated screws of all the sizes you can imagine.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

What you need is a number 2 sized screw in unplated steel. I got mine from Brownell's. I think TOW sells them too, but for less. You can get a set of gimlets from Lee Valley Tool for starting wood screw holes. The smallest is for the #2 screw.

 

[Vaino]

If'n it were mine, I'd just gouge out enough wood for long nosed pliers to be used and then use a large, flat bottomed drill that's inside the boundary of the escutcheon and glue in a round piece of wood, file flush and use a larger screw....Fred

 

[R.M.]

When installing those tiny screws, a drop of oil or a bit of soap on the threads helps a lot. Also, I've installed a steel screw of the same size, removed it, them installed the brass one.

 

[J.D.]

When installing those tiny screws, a drop of oil or a bit of soap on the threads helps a lot. Also, I've installed a steel screw of the same size, removed it, them installed the brass one.

Why not just leave the steel screw in place?

 

[R.M.]

A steel screw with a brass plate just don't do it for me. :wink: