vesati t1_iu518ce wrote
Reply to comment by Pays_in_snakes in How can I remove a headless screw from a shower valve? by foootrest
Oh yeah, I've been in that situation.
Ultimately, I went scorched earth on the screw, and drilled out the center of the screw with a drill bit, then kept stepping up the drill bit size bit by bit until I had literally scooped the old screw out of the hole from the inside-out.
I was victorious over the inanimate and uncaring object.
jkool702 t1_iu7lkf4 wrote
A modified version of this approach works really well actually
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drill out the center of broken screw
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find a screw with a sharp point tip that is about the same diameter as the screw you just drilled
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screw this new screw into the hole you drilled into the broken screw
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let it sit for a few minutes. As it cools off (from the heat caused by friction from screwing in the screw) it should lock the 2 screws together
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slowly unscrew the new screw. The old broken one should come with it.
If this fails you can also drill it out and tap a new hole with a slightly larger thread and use a slightly larger screw. Just hope that the tap doesnt break off in the hole....getting a broken screw out is childs play compared to getting a broken tap out of a half-threaded metal hole
beardedheathen t1_iu6h2q7 wrote
Huzzah tonight we celebrate a great victory with it brother u/vesati!
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