Broken Screw

[OLD SKOOL]

Can somone tell me the proper way to remove a broken screw
from the threads. I had a screw shear off in the slide of a Colt
Gold Cup that held on a Clark base. It broke today, and I got
hit in the face with it and the Ultra-dot sight. Glasses broken
sight fell on ground, face/nose cut from it. The wife was still
able to recognize me when I came home though!

The last two shots were a 10 and a X. So I don't think it was
coming lose as I was shooting, no change in point of impact
was noted till screws broke. Metal fatigue? No loc-tite noted
on the two screws I did (easily) remove.

 

[Smith&Winchester]

Darn, HATE when that happens~
I'd take the smallest, sharpest point you have, and under the best light and magnification you have, try "tickling" the screw out. DO NO DAMAGE to the surrounding threads or metal. Amazing as it may seem, sometimes you can just "spin it out." If you have to "lean on it" at all....don't.....you'll mar the threads you need to travel over, or peen the screw and make it tighter. If it doesn't back out easily, send it to me, and I'll micro-laser weld a handle on it and use the handle to remove it. ( honest, I do it all the time....like with broken off 2-56 screws down inside a recessed opening )

 

[shovelwrench]

How about a pic of the offending screw from both sides?

Is it broken flush with the slide? Does it protrude through the inside of the slide?

 

[Marksman]

Take the poster up on his offer to laser weld a handle on the screw, you'll be glad you did. I am a Journeyman Tool & Die Maker and have dealt extensively with removing broken screws, the method he suggests is my preferred way to remove a broken screw. Sure there are lots of other ways to get the broken screw out, but his method is as close to 100% foolproof as it gets. If the other screws were not loc-tited and came out easily, my next preferred method would be to center drill and then drill with a left handed drill. Most times the broken screw just walks up the flute of the LH drill, neat and clean and no damage to your slide.

 

[OLD SKOOL]

Thanks for your input guys. The screw is in a blind hole 1/2"
behind the ejection port. It broke one thread deep. On my drill
press I center driled a .052" hole into it. Will try the lh drill technique tomorrow, I guess a .058-.060 " drill will be proper
so as to preserve the threads. If no luck, I will consider micro
welding as was discussed, or see my pistolsmith, as he did
the original work. I will report my efforts asap.

 

[Aussie44]

I use an easy out. Use Drill bit 3/64" or 1.19mm.
Get Set #1 to #5 Screw Extractors
Heres a place in NJ that has #1 extractors which should do the trick if you want to go this route.
By the way .060 drill bit is 1.5mm

http://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/vi...departments=Screw+Extractors:503,505,925,1489

Ken

 

[yska08]

Mate let the pro handle it, before you tear up your precious piece mate. Just a kind advice! (Whacked my head numerous times into a wall by doing it myself. I'll go straight to the pro. Saves me alot of swearing and money hehe )

 

[JKeefer]

Can somone tell me the proper way to remove a broken screw
from the threads. I had a screw shear off in the slide of a Colt
Gold Cup that held on a Clark base. It broke today, and I got
hit in the face with it and the Ultra-dot sight. =============================================-=
Old Skool;

Set your slide up in a milling machine and find the bolt hole centers. Take a 9/64 four flute carbide centercutting endmill and mill out the sheared screw, and then open the remaining holes with the end mill. Now tap your slide for #8 X 40 Torx and eliminate future problems...Your incident is not unusual..I stopped using #6s many years ago...You will all but elminate tap breakage, sheared screws, broken off or rounded out allen heads. If you are a bullseye competitor, do yourself a real favor and go to Al Marvels website and consider his slide mount.. It's the best you can get.

Jerry

 

[Fuego]

I would very muck like to see photographs of the micro-laser welding technique that Smith&Winchester uses.

That is new to me.

 

[OLD SKOOL]

Al Marvel is 12 miles north of me, and he is the one who built
my pistol. He will be removing and re-taping the slide asap.
The comment of changing from a #6 to a #8 makes sense to me.

 

[Smith&Winchester]

I would very muck like to see photographs of the micro-laser welding technique that Smith&Winchester uses.

That is new to me.

FUEGO,
I'd like to be able to take pictures...but haven't really come up with a good way to do that yet. People hear "welding" and cringe...imagining orange glowing metal, discoloration and loss of metal temper. However, the work is done under a 20X microscope and heat is so minimal (confined to such a tiny area) that the work can be held in bare fingers in most cases. Five and Ten thousandths filler wire is used when needed, and .020" wire is positively HUGE. The beam can be focused down to a .012" diameter dot. So....welding a "handle" onto the top of a broken off #6 screw becomes about the same as attaching a door knob to the top of a large soup can.