wrote in message
ups.com...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...
Call around to hardware stores and ask if they sell spiral screw
extractors.
Before you jump in the car, measure the diameter of the bolt
shafts
you
need
to remove. And, if you know the socket size that fits the heads,
write
that
down too.

I tried that already. Either it didn't work or I went too easy
on
the
hammer. Anyway, it could not grab the bolt and could not spin
the
bolt
out. I attempted to drill one of the broken bolt away. But this
simply messed up the thread in one of the hole.

Hammer????????

Do you mean I am not supposed to use a hammer to work with the screw
extractor? I am under the impression that I am supposed to drill a
hole in the middle of the borken bolt, and hammer the screw
extractor
down into the hole, and then use some kind of handle bar to lock on
the
screw extractor and turn counter clockwise, and hopefully the screw
will back out. This was exactly what the owner of the hardware
store
told me to do.

May be we are talking about two different types of screw extractors?
May be you are referring to the type that is like a drill bit, and
we
are supposed to use it with a power drill (running in reverse) to
dill
and back off the bolt? I could not use that type because the bolt
was
sunken inside a small hole that the special drill bit was too large
to
fit inside.

Jay Chan

This is the type I was talking about. No hammer is used. The flutes of
the
tool are deep enough that they grip without having to be forced into
place.
http://www.mytoolstore.com/hanson/extractr.html

Yes, the one that is being shown in your link is exactly the type that
I have. If I understand you correctly, I am not supposed to use a
hammer on it; instead, I should have used it with a power drill and use
the extractor like a drill bit and run it in reverse. In other words,
the hardware store owner fooled me. Oh well...

Thanks for the correction.

Jay Chan


NO! You DO NOT use a drill! You drill into the bolt to make a space for
this
tool. Then, you give the drill to your wife and instruct her not to let
you
have it again until you're ready to drill the next bolt. I don't care
WHAT
the hardware guy told you. If this is the tool you bought, he gave you
the
wrong instructions. And, if this tool came in its original package, AND
you
opened it carefully, you still have the instructions.

Maybe your web browser options have been set to make simple instructions
invisible. Here's what I saw at that link:

How to use a Screw Extractor to remove a broken bolt or screw from a
hole:
First, drill a hole in the broken bolt. The correct drill size to use is
shown below and is also stamped on each Screw Extractor. Insert Screw
Extractor in the hole and, with a Tap Wrench, turn counterclockwise. The
Screw Extractor acts like a corkscrew. It grips into the sides of the
drilled hole and removes the broken part on its own threads without
damaging
the threaded hole.

OK, now I know that I am not supposed to use it like a drill bit, and I
am supposed to use the tap-wrench. In other words, the hardware store
owner gave me the correct instruction. There must be something missing
in the "execution".

Jay Chan


These tools come in various sizes. This is why I told you to measure the
size of the hole you drilled into the bolt, write that down, and take the
piece of paper to the store. On the back of the tool's package, there's a
chart which tells you what size tool to use with different hole sizes. With
the correct size, you put the tool in the hole and with no more force than
you can apply with your fingertips, you'll feel it grab tight when you turn
it counterclockwise. That's opposite from the direction traveled by the
hands of a clock. If the tool doesn't grab right away, you can put a little
pressure on it with your hand and turn it again. Then, you grab the square
top with a wrench and turn counterclockwise.