Bought a Ruger #1(used) and went to change scopes. Unknown to me the person who mounted the scope that came with it over tightend the screws and stripped the heads on a couple.
Their #10's. Any suggestions as to how to remove them ? Thought about driving the next size up bit in the head and giving that a go.....

Soak in Kroil or PB Blaster. If screw on opposite side is intact then loosen it first. Try an easy out in the stripped screw head. If unsuccessful drill the head off the torx screw w/appropriate drill size until it lets go. If you have a left hand drill all the better.

these are tapered extractors out there or try to gring a bit of a taper of a hex wrench- generally that will work

Try a new wrench. Often it is the wrench stripping as much as the screw. Use a real wrench with a handle, good quality; not the little L shaped ones, which strip easily.

Drill it out!

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
Drill it out!

+1 or mill the head of, remove the base completely, and grasp the stub sticking up with Vise Grips. Happens several time a month around here.

Lots of good advise here that I can't really improve on but I will wish you good luck

CLEAN IT first ... their could be crud in the corners

warm it with a hair drier and be prepared to waste a torx wrench ... take a punch of smaller than torx and give it a good wrap ...try a new wrench

if you have a drill press/mill and a friend, or 3 arms, you can use a BIT and strong down pressure and use a wrench to turn the bit...

if that doesnt work
then dergrease and then epoxy a torx wrench in with some 5 min epoxy ... let it set for an hour... should back out ...

i use brake fluid and an eye dropper for penetrating oil, frequently

Some good advise here. Its the head of the screw that's bad. I really try to use good tools. May have to drill it. Going to ignore it till after the week end !

When all else fails, you will have to cut the screw. I had to do this with a Ruger ring a few years ago. Use a Dremel/rotary tool with a diamond cutting disc. Go in high so as to only damage the upper ring half and cut through the screw. You will need at least a new upper half of a Ruger ring. You may or may not get the cut screw halves out of the rings.

Good luck to you.

Before you cut a ring half or make a mess of it to save a .50 cent screw

Mail it to me

I'll remove it for free and send it back

Before giving up on the Torx bit, try placing the bit in the screw head and give a good rap with a brass hammer. This often re-compresses stretched screw threads and allows easy removal. It also jams the bit into what is left of the Torx head and may give you enough purchase to turn it. Also try hammering in a tapered square driver bit. That sometimes works. If the other screws showed thread locker then a little heat would be in order. If all fails drill it. Just pick a drill bit that is slightly under the diameter of the screw head recess in the upper ring. Drill slowly. You will eventually notice the screw head diameter decreasing to the screw shank greater diameter. When you get within a few thou the screw will let go and pop. If you were reasonably careful the upper ring won't be damaged.

Did you succeed in removing a screw to be sure there was any red Loctite.
If there was any sign of thread locker,heat to release. Good Torx screws and GOOD QUALITY Torx wrenches very rarely fail. Compress the head with a good flat punch then drill and use a good quality Easy Out

Send it to Ted and let him tig a new head on it you can get ahold of with vise grips. No problem to a good welder!

God Bless, Louis

Why is this getting to be such a big azz problem? Drill it out! When you drill it out, if there is any loctite in the threads, the heat from the drilling will soften it and when you put pressure on the drill bit, it will screw the screw right on through the hole and out the bottom. Five minute job!

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
Why is this getting to be such a big azz problem? Drill it out! When you drill it out, if there is any loctite in the threads, the heat from the drilling will soften it and when you put pressure on the drill bit, it will screw the screw right on through the hole and out the bottom. Five minute job!

Not going to work, Jim, it's a Ruger no. 1.

Thought he was referring to the scope rings, those screws go all the way through don't they? If it is the flat head express rib screws, take a 1/4" punch and give each one a rap on top, they will loosen.

Its a ring screw. Going to get the proper bit this week when I go to town. Don't think I'll cut the ring !!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by leemar
Don't think I'll cut the ring!

Never ever cut the ring

I really suprised it is still hung up after removing the other 3 screws

Before I could finish a cold beer I could come up with 10 ways to get it out....I would never cut the ring

Use tape around the entire area you will be working....this will protect from slip outs....I use .005 thick aluminium tape but I doubt you have any so double or triple up on the masking tape

If you drill it use a drill the same dia. as the threads minor dia and go slow clamped up tite in any way you can.....use a left hand twist if you can get your hands on one

When the head comes off the threaded stud should come out

I deal with broken/stripped/gaulded fasteners several times a week....if all else fails...and I mean all else....I would just burn it out in the EDM machine

EDM machine !?!? All I have to burn with is an Oxy Acet torch. All the tips are to big for this project !!!!

leemar28. Do you have a similar sized hex head bit you can drive in there tightly? The trick to this technique is to use a vise grip clamped as tight as you can down low on the shaft of the driver for leverage. Hold the ring rigid in a vise (I use a leather scrap to protect the finish) so as not to have any wobble in the bit and use as much downward pressure as you can on the bit. Your muscles will hurt. It take lots of pressure.

How about a #1 or #2 center drill and drill the head off. then you can remove the top side of the ring and just drill the rest out out a retap if needed.

As Ted pointed out a good toolmaker knows how to get busted stuff out of holes with out screwing up the part. Because fixing the part can rob you of a weeks time.

I did this on a scope ring mount recently. Originally I had Locktited the screws!

I just drilled the two screws that had stripped the hex head. Please note that once you drill them out, the heat expands the piece that is still in the ring and it seizes up in the hole of the upper split ring. You will have to either drill or file it out. I spent at least 1 hour on it and made little progress. Then I got an idea and used one of the round needle files that fit the ring hole and put it on a cordless drill and gave it a few quick twirls. The file started to grip and take out some metal. Then it really gripped and removed the ring of metal (the old screw) from the ring.

You will also find that the screw breaks off at the split ring & the thread in the lower ring comes off easily. The drilling must have broken the bond of the Locktite.

First I'll drive a fitted regular screwdriver that's slightly sharpened into it using a hammer and medium whacks, and may then chuck it in a drill press and turn it out by hand, I have some homemade screw drivers for that and it almost always works, if not drill it out...

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
First I'll drive a fitted regular screwdriver that's slightly sharpened into it using a hammer and medium whacks, and may then chuck it in a drill press and turn it out by hand, I have some homemade screw drivers for that and it almost always works, if not drill it out...

torx head, Ray

Go to Home Depot and look for a set of stripped screw removal bits. They run anywhere between $13 and $20. I've used them on stripped screws before and they work. Torx, hex, philips ... it doesn't matter it will work. Just follow the instructions and take your time. It will probably take you longer to get through the check out line than to get the screw out. Hope this helps.

Got them out !!! Obtained the proper drill bits, and just for the heck of it before drilling.
Tried an electric impact driver. Spun them right out !
Thanks for all of the suggestions.