Stripped screw in cutterhead

[Patrick Kane]

Hoping someone has run into this issue before and can offer some assistance. I have a rebate head with top and bottom nickers. The screws holding the nickers in place are in horrible shape, and i have 2-3 that are passed the point of loosening. The problem is these are metric hex heads, and they were run in an american shop. I was able to loosen the others, thankfully, but how do i effectively remove these screws? Do those infomercial removers actually work? Should i break the carbide cutter and grab the screw head with pliers to rotate it out? Trying not to ruin this thing before using it for the first time. 388245

[John Lanciani]

Slot the head of the screw with a cutoff wheel in a Dremel tool and use a straight blade screwdriver.

[Mark Bolton]

I have good luck getting those out with a small cold chisel or center punch. Just start it in the hex pecking in the counter clockwise rotation and you will usually pop them loose very quickly. The dremel trick works well but if you grind the slot in the head and it still wont come out its a quick downward spiral from there.

[Peter Christensen]

First thing I would try is a cordless impact driver with the tip of the bit ground flat so it can grab the screw hex/torx socket better. If that doesn't work put it on the drill press and carefully drill through the head with a bit the same size as the screw shank. When the head pops off the insert will come off and then you can get on the rest of the screw with small vice grips after putting some penetrating oil on and letting it soak a little. If they don't move it then drill for a screw extractor and use it to back out the screw. Then go beat the graunch artist that put the screws in in the first place. When you put in the new screw use some anti-seize compound and a torque wrench.

[Al Launier]

Drill a small dia hole (smaller than the root diameter of the screw), then use an Easy-Out Tap Extractor (https://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-HANSON-Spiral-Extractors-53545/dp/B001D1FXDE/ref=br_lf_m_kcyjj4mwpkwb6ra_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&s=hi). Has worked for me every time.

Using a chisel, etc. does work, but there is a good chance the first thread(s) may be damaged in the process especially when the screw is a flat head flush with the top of the square washer/retainer, plus it's rather difficult to saw a slot without damaging the adjacent surfaces..

[Patrick Kane]

Im anxious the chisel trick is a long shot. The other set screws were really torqued down. They were at that point where i felt like i was a hair's breadth away from completely stripping them before they popped and came loose.

I might get the impact driver a shot before running to the store for one of the extractor kits.

Never heard of a graunch artist before, but that really made me laugh. As I inspected the head last night, i kept thinking about the ape that did this in the first place. Its not like these stripped over night, that had to be repeated uses of the wrong allen wrench. Thankfully the screws holding the knives and wedges in place are fine.

[Lee Schierer]

Is it possible that the screw is a torx screw? It sure looks like one in the photo. You might want to try a torx tip screw driver to get it out before you cut or chisel it.388254

[Doug Dawson]

Hoping someone has run into this issue before and can offer some assistance. I have a rebate head with top and bottom nickers. The screws holding the nickers in place are in horrible shape, and i have 2-3 that are passed the point of loosening. The problem is these are metric hex heads, and they were run in an american shop. I was able to loosen the others, thankfully, but how do i effectively remove these screws?

Start with a good quality high speed steel _left-handed_ drill bit, drilled into the _center_ of the head of the damaged bolt (you probably have to prick-punch it first.) It should be at least half the diameter of the bolt thread. Use drilling oil. In the process of drilling into the bolt, it may come out with the drill bit. In that case, oh happy day. If it doesn't, an extractor such as a Rennsteig can be pounded into the hole until it grabs the metal hard, and turned with a socket and breaker bar (with the bit centered in the middle of the breaker bar) or a tap wrench. You may have to have put some penetrant into the threads.

In fact, I did a quick search, and there's a video of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BtqNOjNHc0
The user appears to be using the left-handed drill bit, as described.

[Cary Falk]

I had a similar issue on my biscuit jointer. I welded a scrap piece of Allen wrench in it and removed the screw with a socket. It was the first time removing mine and an impact and soaking it in PB Blaster for days wouldn't get it out and the head stripped. Slotting it would not have worked in my case because the screw was so tight. Probably not what you want to do at this point but it is an option if things go south on you. If you are in the Portland OR area I will help you get it out.

[Mark Bolton]

Im anxious the chisel trick is a long shot. The other set screws were really torqued down. They were at that point where i felt like i was a hair's breadth away from completely stripping them before they popped and came loose.

I might get the impact driver a shot before running to the store for one of the extractor kits.

Never heard of a graunch artist before, but that really made me laugh. As I inspected the head last night, i kept thinking about the ape that did this in the first place. Its not like these stripped over night, that had to be repeated uses of the wrong allen wrench. Thankfully the screws holding the knives and wedges in place are fine.

Give it a try, you'd be surprised how well a sharp cold chisel will work. The shock of the pecking is what snaps them loose. Even if the cold chisel has a nice sharp corner you can drive it into the flat beside the socket (out towards the edge of the head diameter) and peck it counter clockwise).

Its just me but I'd be very cautious going at it with a drill bit. Ive not had a lot of luck drilling out socket head screws but Im not a machinist nor do I have their tools. I do have a good set of left hand drill bits which work very well for getting out broken bolts.

[Bill Dufour]

How worn and how expensive is the insert? If the screw is that bad I assume the insert has no unworn corners. I would break out the insert with a punch then use pliers to remove the screw. I would guess T7 or so is the drive size. Do not risk damaging the female threads or the land by aggressive drilling or grinding.
Bill D.

[Bill Dufour]

You could use a small propane torch to heat the screwhead to a nice warm temp a few times to loosen the threads. Not red hot by any means maybe cookie baking temperatures.
Bil lD.

[Nick Decker]

Is it possible that the screw is a torx screw? It sure looks like one in the photo. You might want to try a torx tip screw driver to get it out before you cut or chisel it.388254

This sounds right to me. The cutters on both my planer and jointer are mounted with Torx (T25, I think) screws. If that's what yours are, Allen wrenches are useless.

[Tom M King]

http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=73376&cat=1,43411,43422&ap=1 You don't usually even have to hit it very hard.