Good afternoon, SF. Today's learning has to do with screw extractors -- you know, the things that are supposed to help you back out stuck screws?

I bought a set at Lowe's a while back and learned quickly that either a) I'm not doing this right, b) these Irwin cheapies kinda suck, c) "you get what you pay for," or d) all of the above.

Today, one of the guys on my team pointed out a set from Snap-on (link). It's $107. ("You get what you pay for," or "Buy once, cry once?")

These are different from the Irwin set I had, and I haven't used a set like them. So here I am, once again asking, "who's got the knowledge?" Are these better than the cheapies? Are they worth the cost? Is there something even better on the market?

Thanks, all.

Project Farm did a review of some.

Link

Cleveland. Available from MSC.

https://www.mscdirect.com/brow...-fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This style are the ones which have given me the best results. The longer shallow taper yields superior gription without forcing the material outward too much, thereby binding it tighter.

If you can get one a left-hand twist drill in the right size will often do the work as well.

It's all about the hole prep. Lube the threads with your favorite penetrating oil. Drill it down the middle. Screw it out.

Forty plus years in machine shop & I've done a lot of these. Don't break the extractor off in the bolts by tweaking it laterally, & Bob's yer uncle.

Screw extractors aren't great for 'stuck' screws, better for stripped-on-install.

Think about it- if the head, which is designed to be what you use to remove it, broke on removal, something that has less bite/advantage isn't going to do well.

I usually don't bother with an extractor, but I have an Irwin set that was about $10 - when it works, it works good. When it doesn't, I don't blame the tool.
I usually try 1) Un-stick - penetrating oil, heat, BFH, etc 2) drill tiny hole as close to center as possible, then enlarge in steps until I can mangle the goddamn thing & maybe pull the bits out, then clean up with tap. 3) drill to edge of hole threads, tap, say prayer, sacrifice goat, sacrifice a screw to clean the threads, then install new screw/bolt. Sometimes it works, don't skip sacrifices. 4) drill/sleeve It would have saved you a bunch of time & frustration if you'd done it 1st, you dummy.

^What he said. They work if you break the screw or bolt while putting it in. They don’t work so well if you break the screw or bolt while taking it out. What are you trying to get unstuck from what? For example: a stainless steel bolt from an aluminium casting that was exposed to salt water.

I've used these quite a bit to get screws out that otherwise wouldn't budge.

https://www.browntool.com/List.../344/ProductID/1720/

Also...valve grinding compound, a new - high quality bit - and a speed handle do it 90% of the time.

quote:

Don't break the extractor off in the bolts by tweaking it laterally

I can confirm that this is important info

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
What are you trying to get unstuck from what? For example: a stainless steel bolt from an aluminium casting that was exposed to salt water.

In my earlier case, it was a simple license plate bolt. Evidently the bolt was a lot softer than the bits -- they just never took hold, instead just tearing a larger hole in the bolt.

In my technician's case, he's looking for tools to have on hand. Typically in our case, a stubborn bolt (stripped head) is found in a machine we're repairing.

AKSuper: thank you for the valve grinding compound suggestion.

They're pretty much all terrible, as far as I can tell.

If the head isn't flush, there are screw extraction pliers that work well. They have a kind of socket in the tip of the jaws with sharp grooves cut parallel to the jaws (rather than the typical across-the-jaw grooves on normal pliers).

A Japanese company called Engineer Tools seems to have come up with the idea and their pliers are distributed in the US under the name Vampliers. However, their patent seems to have run out because other companies are now releasing similar products.

No extractor works on a bolt that is frozen from rust, cross-threaded or otherwise unable to turn. Unfortunately, nearly all of them are, otherwise they wouldn't have broken. Similarly, they almost always break off flush. I usually just drill to the bottom of the hole, then, depending on the situation, re-thread to the original size or one size larger, Heli-Coil, or all the way through so a nut can be put on the other side.

Get several sizes of quality left hand drill bits.
Center punch so the bit doesn't walk.
Spray with some penetrating oil.
Start with the smallest bit and work your way up.
Almost every broken bolt that could be removed, came out out one one of the drills as I go up in size. The ones that don't usually require a drill and re-tap.
The extractors push outward in the hole and make things harder to remove.

Some of the key points about the conical left hand extractors is proper drill size and hammer extractor into hole for it to bite. As you turn bolt out, keep pressure on extractor towards bolt so it stays engaged.

One trick I earned was to use a flat tipped punch and hammer the stuck bolt along its axis before you try turning it out. A little shock loosens the fastener.

I've had the best results with the four sided screw extractors.


https://www.zoro.com/proto-scr...t-j9500a/i/G1586706/

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