Removing old brass screws...

Hi,

Does anyone have any tricks for removing old, varnished over, brass screws? I need to replace the mast steps and the screws have been over varnished. I've had some snap in the wood, and any hints to ease their removal would be appreciated.

Also, does anyone know of a pain-free way of getting the snapped 1/2 a screw out, once they've broke? I foolhardily removed the gaff bracket at the weekend and I now have 1/2 a brass screw stuck in the gaff!

Also, as brass seems the bane of my life, would stainless steel screws be an ok replacement?

many thanks,

Gaffertape

Can't help you on the removing of brass screws, though soaking in thinners over night might soften the varnish?

Stainless screws are the way to go, I don't know may people who would use brass now.

Good Luck

thanks for that, i'll give Nitromoors a go before i try a screwdriver on them...

i've been trawling the web and it seems heating the screw with a soldering iron and letting it cool may help (so the screw expands then contracts, loosening itself)... has anyone tried this?

If all else fails, use a small drill bit and drill around the screw in three or four places this should loosen it enough to remove it. Then either plug it with hard wood and epoxy, or if you are lucky you can use an oversize screw.

Use stainless screws as Trello suggests, for a good seal put a little epoxy in the hole before putting the screw in. Coat the screw in a little vaseline to stop the screw sticking to the wood.

Paul

Thanks Paul. i've been further trawling and i've found a tool for getting out screws, that i'm tempted to try... It's basically a steel tube with teeth, which fits in a drill. You drill "over" the screw leaving a hole to fill.

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/DKWSE1

Though a spot of careful drilling around the screw should do the trick...





Edited by - gaffertape on 03 March 2008 16:50:30

You could try hitting the screw hard to loosen its grip in the wood before heating it.

Brass screws are quite soft and you might be able to use a damaded screw remover bit made by Trend in a electric screwdriver on slow reverse. Their reference is SNAP/SE1/SET and is a three piece set for removing damaged or rounded off screw heads including slotted, Pozi, Phillips, Hex, Torx, Tri-wing, Frearson and most tamper resistant screws. The price in 2006 was £13.50 + VAT according to my catalogue. I can vouch they are worth this money and have got me out of many problem situations in the past.

Roger Clark
59725