Screw access problem

[David Sabot]

Thought that might catch your eyes :) I have a project where I need to remove lids off of these wood boxes. The problem is that the lids are attached by tiny screws. Finding a driver small enough is no problem, the main problem is that there is no clear path to the screws. There is a piece of wood 1/4" - 1/2" in front of the screw. I have been able to use a jewlers screwdriver to angle into the screw and remove them by hand, but this is a royal pain. Anybody have an idea? Maybe an attachment to a dremel or a flexible shaft that can squeeze into tiny spaces. I have attached a picture for reference.http://www.cheaphumidors.com/HUM-75COV_03.jpg

[Ken Belisle]

Is there any way to remove the top?? Do the "limiters" somehow release so that the top can be either taken completely off or at least folded back out of the way.

That's all I can think of...............if it went together, it must come apart.

[Dave Richards]

I'm with Ken. Can you remove the screws into the top from the end hinges" Then you ought to be able to hinge the lid back to make access easier.

[David Sabot]

What I am trying to do is remove the top and leave the hinges on the bottom portion. I don't have much problem with the corner hinges, it is the piano hinge that is causing a problem. I can angle the screwdriver to just barely grab the head and turn, but if I am not careful I strip the screw. Thought there was a little gadget that would make this tight angle and small screw easier

[Doug Shepard]

I cant tell for sure from your pic and description if this would work, but how about a driver bit in a socket attached to one of these
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00904280000
then a long extension and wratchet - all 1/4" drive.

???

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

YES. Take a small allen wrench and grind it into a tiny right angle screwdriver. that fits the opening allowing room for the emergine screw.
Then pad the area as the thing is going to be bitch to keep from slipping off the screw and scoring the piece.

[Norman Hitt]

It looks to me like it would be much simpler to remove the hinges from the base of the box, leaving them attached to the lid and then with the lid off you can get to the screws in the lid easily without damaging anything, and I'll bet it would be a lot faster too.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

This is a humidor, right?

The problem is the "lip" on the bottom limiting access to the screws in the lid, right?

Most of the humidors we sell, have this lip, it is what makes the seal when the lid closes on the box.

Most of these come out, they my be a little tight, but they are not usually glued in, because, the wood has to be able to move due to the humidity in the humidor. Often the humidor is actually two boxes, one inside the other.

The outer box is neat looking wood and it solid construction, the inside box is Spanish Cedar, and is made from 5 pieces, the bottom (which can be 3 separate pieces in itself) and the two short sides, and two long sides. Start on a short side and see if you can wiggle it out, once the one side it out the rest will just about fall out.

Worth a shot.

If you don't understand what I mean, I'll take a pic of the humidors we have and you will understand.

Good luck!