stuck screws

[chizzler]

let me get your guys' opinion before i go on with my demolition!!
the tc3 i got used had the screws on the bottom of the chassis thread locked, so the allen heads are now stripped because i cant get them out

i was thinking of drilling a small hole through the screws hoping they may crack, or even possibly drilling into them and then screw another screw in that to unscrew it.
but as i think about it i think i cant drill into the screws if they are machined,- with a drill bit?

if anyone can help, it would be great

[GTman]

try slotting the heads with something like a dremel and then unscrew with a flat head screw driver. i don't understand what you're saying about the screws being machined- drill bit. explain.
hope this helds

[chizzler]

which dremel piece would work best for the job?

i just thought it would be hard for the smaller drill bit to cut into the screw because of what it was made of

[RCJunkie]

Use one of the thin cutting wheels on the dremel. cut a slot in the head of the screw. You will nick the chassis a little with this method but not enough to matter. once you make the slot you can back out the screw with a straight slot screwdriver

[chizzler]

thanks guys-
out of curiosity, is it possible to drill them out because i dont have one of the smaller dremel pieces, ive only got the bigger one (about 1")

[ZenLosi]

You'll want to use a Dremel with a thin cutting disk like they were saying above. Chances are, you'll probably just make things worse if you try to drill them out. I've used the Dremel "method" and it works well, but you will probably nick the chassis a little to cut the screws deep enough to where you can remove them with a flat head screwdriver.

[chizzler]

i guess i have no choice then:
3 out of 3 people suggest the same method so thats what im gonna do http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/smile.gif

[TufferWilde]

Chizzler -
There are a issues with drilling out the screw. The first of which being , you will probably never remove all of the screw's material. Secondly, it is very difficult to drill the hole at the exact same angle as the screw.

As for whether you would be able to drill the screw if needed...keep in mind that it was stripped out with the allen driver, wasn't it? The metal used is not generally that strong.

[GTman]

the big problem with drillng is that the bit will wander into softer material around the screw. if you had a graphite chassis or plastic one it would be nearly impossible. get a smaller dremel wheel, it's worth it.

[Isky]

i dont even use dremels to get screws out...i just get pliers, and "grap" the screw at an angle. It may scratch the chassis, but it costs little to nothing. one tip goes into the stripped...hole...and the other on the top of the screw. It works.

[ammoace]

The plier idea has worked for me except counter sunk screws. If you use the dremel tip and are worried about nicking the chassis why not cut it from front to back so that the nick doesn't cause drag, granted it wouldn't cause any real noticable drag. Just a thought. Not sure what you chassis is made of though. And after getting the screw out I don't think using red thread lock would be a good idea. I know you didn't thread lock this screw but I thought I'd mention this incase you were unaware. Blue is for maintenance areas.
AMMOACE

[FilthyPierre]

Dunno what you guys call them over there, but over here there are things called "Ezy Outs" for removing screws that have stripped heads.
The basic premise is like what you suggested in your initial post - drill a hole and screw another screw in to remove it. The problem with that is that the thread will be conventional and therefore you probably just end up unscrewing the new screw. Ezy Outs work on the same principle - you drill a small hole down the centre of the screw/bolt you wish to remove. The thread of the Ezy Out is opposite to conventional, and it has far less pitch. The edges of the thread a rather sharp, so when you put the Ezy Out in the hole and screw it in (opposite direction remember), it bites into the stripped screw and basically unscrews it out.
Granted the TC3's screws are small, but I've seen really small Ezy Outs. If you drill your hole using a drill press, you should be able to do it without wrecking the chassis. You'll probably have to ask around and find someone with a drill press (and Ezy Out's for that matter). Good Luck.

[RCJunkie]

Pierre. We do have EZY outs over here. I never even thought of that for RC even though I use them on the job. I've always just used the dremel method. Funny how you don't see the most obvious things sometimes http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/smile.gif