Use these handy bits to drill out stripped screws and bolts

Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/07/05/use-these-handy-bits-drill-out.html

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You really need the DRAMATIC MUSIC to sell these.

Previously:


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I’ve got something similar. The problem is drilling a hole in the bolt especially if it is 10.9 or above hardness.

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The problem is that if you’ve stripped a cheap screw (like the ones that come with light duty hinges) these tools will probably end up tearing out as well. We ended up having to use one of those extractors that cuts a plug of wood around the screw.

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Is it just me, or is the picture at the right side of the box lid insert flipped? Seems like the extractor threads there are going around “normal” when they should be the opposite.

They’re brittle, so they snap without warning. They’re harder than almost anything in your tool kit, so once they’re broken things get interesting. You’ll be going to the hardware store looking for carbide or diamond burrs for your dremel and spending a lot of time doing what feels like really awful dental work. If it breaks in a tight location under the hood of your car, you’ll REALLY wish you’d simply taken the time to dril out the broken fastener and put in a helicoil or keensert in the first place.

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Yeah, you’re right.

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I guess if the actual bits work we can give them a pass on bad graphics. :grin:

Wonder if that would work on my laptop…

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I always fear breaking these off. They are indeed super hard and next to impossible to drill out. My go to move is to weld a nut onto the broken bolt/stud and then turn it out. It seems like the heat of the welding is usually enough to break things loose.

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Well, then a Speedout is probably a good bet. Drilling out the screw is next. Maybe fuse something to the screw head.

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