Learn from my mistake...

[J]

Don't use the ball headed allen wrenches on action screws. Just rounded out one of the action screws on one of my bolt guns.... Damnit! Talking about the ones in the following picture. They just don't have enough surface area for stubborn factory over tightened screws. Once they rounded it, even using a flat wall wrench was out of the picture. Time to sacrifice an allen wrench, and JB weld it into the rounded screw, let it set, get it off then replace the screw.

These guys:
http://www.anytimetools.com/himages/h200964b.jpg

[BuffCyclist]

Yup, any torqued down bolts avoid those like the plague.

I recently had to do something similar on a bolt rimfire gun, removed the scope base to shim it and stripped out one of those bolts. Luckily I was able to get it out with a screw extractor, but for a few minutes I was seriously freaking out.

eta: If you don't believe they are really torqued, you could try using a metric wrench just barely larger than the current stripped out hole, hammer it in and see if it gets enough bite. I've gotten that to work in the past. Although I've never heard of the JB Weld method and I'm sure that'd work better, just take longer and might not always be an option.

e-eta: Meant to say good luck, hope you get that bolt out! Stripped out bolt heads are always a [Mad] moment and can take a while to rectify correctly. Post up how it turns out!

[J]

I'm hoping that some JB weld and a sacrificed straight edge allen wrench bonded in the screw will back it out. Will get some extractors or left handed bits if necessary, but with sufficient bonding time I think the JB weld will work.

[Tinelement]

Damn! You actually had some strong ones if they stripped the bolt head instead of breaking off where they next down before the ball.

[ray1970]

Damn! You actually had some strong ones if they stripped the bolt head instead of breaking off where they next down before the ball.

That's what I was thinking. I've broken plenty of the ball ends off but never screwed up a fastener in the process.

[BuffCyclist]

I have screwed some bolts up with them before. With quality tools, the dimensions are more accurate and they'll fit the bolt then the tool will shear off when too much torque is reached.

However, with cheaper tools, they might not be to proper dimensional specs and could spin in the bolt, which could strip the bolt.

Another thought is that it could have been cheaper bolts made from lower grade metals, and quality tools made from a harder steel and wambam bobs you're uncle.

[J]

Yep. These bolts are petty soft. Going to upgrade both when I get this one out.

[Irving]

Why does a rounded allen head wrench even exist?

[J]

Allows it to pivot.

[BPTactical]

Can you drive a Torx bit into it and get enough bite to back it out?

[J]

Nope T25 barely too small, T30 way too big. It also happens to be a 5/32 which is pretty damn identical to 4mm. So no trying the metric standard switcharoo.

[jerrymrc]

Before you do your trick to it next time take the allen an give the bolt a good whack first. Old trick to loosen the threads. I will agree that the way you are going about it is as good as it gets but many old time wrenches on old motorcycles always did this and I have as well. [Flower]

[Delfuego]

http://wheelerblogs.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/homer-doh-square.jpg

[colorider]

Im pretty sure the jb weld is not going to work. I have tried it and there is just not enough surface area to make a strong bond. I have a set of extractors you can borrow if would like. I'm off of 100th and Simms in Westminster. I use these things all the time for stripped Allen heads on my rc cars and trucks.

Also, only use ball ends when you have to get to the screw at an angle.

[buffalobo]

Before you do your trick to it next time take the allen an give the bolt a good whack first. Old trick to loosen the threads. I will agree that the way you are going about it is as good as it gets but many old time wrenches on old motorcycles always did this and I have as well. [Flower]

^^^ Good tip. Standard practice by maintenance mechanics in many of the plants I have worked in.

Good luck J.

Sent from my electronic ball and chain.

[ChadAmberg]

Any engineer who creates a device and specifies allen keys should be used, needs to be put up against a wall and shot. They are the devil's handywork.

[Irving]

Any engineer who creates a device and specifies allen keys should be used, needs to be put up against a wall and shot. They are the devil's handywork.

That is how I feel about all the standard screws I find in my old house

[Erni]

Diamond bur and a dremmel. Cut a slot and use flat blade screwdriver. SHCS are very useful for assemblies where slipping the driver is not an option. But u need good quality parts and processes.

[J]

Yeah, that doesn't work on many stocks, as the bolts are recessed, unless you cut the stock off first.

I got it off, but the hard way.

JB welding a sacrifical wrench in there didn't work.
EZ-outs didn't work.

So I started drilling it. For how easily it stripped, the bolt was VERY hard. Some premium metal drill bits hardly put a dent in it. I think the allen socket was really loose, which is why it stripped so easily (yes, I checked, I had the right wrench).

Trying to drill it out heated enough to start melting the tupperware stock, so I just pulled the bolt through and used vice grips to remove it when I had easy access. Was going to sell the factory stock, but can't now... oh well. I was trying to remove the bolt to put on a new stock, so a quick trip out to get a new bolt, then cut the new bolt to the proper height (it was an odd height), and slap her in the new stock and she is good to go.

Won't make that mistake again though. A 10 minute project turned to a 3 hour project with 3 trips to the store (1 for JB weld, 1 for EZ outs, and one for a replacement bolt).

[Alpha2]

On the up side, now you have some JB and some e-z outs!

I'm liking the tip about whacking the bolt...

[Great-Kazoo]

Yeah, that doesn't work on many stocks, as the bolts are recessed, unless you cut the stock off first.

I got it off, but the hard way.

JB welding a sacrifical wrench in there didn't work.
EZ-outs didn't work.

So I started drilling it. For how easily it stripped, the bolt was VERY hard. Some premium metal drill bits hardly put a dent in it. I think the allen socket was really loose, which is why it stripped so easily (yes, I checked, I had the right wrench).

Trying to drill it out heated enough to start melting the tupperware stock, so I just pulled the bolt through and used vice grips to remove it when I had easy access. Was going to sell the factory stock, but can't now... oh well. I was trying to remove the bolt to put on a new stock, so a quick trip out to get a new bolt, then cut the new bolt to the proper height (it was an odd height), and slap her in the new stock and she is good to go.

Won't make that mistake again though. A 10 minute project turned to a 3 hour project with 3 trips to the store (1 for JB weld, 1 for EZ outs, and one for a replacement bolt).

I use left handed drill bits for hard to remove projects. IF a rap with impact screwdriver, or cut allen wrench & hammer doesn't work.
http://www.grainger.com/category/ecatalog/N-1z0dpfr

http://www.irwin.com/tools/browse/drill-bits/metal-twist-drill-bits/left-hand-drill-bits

[skullybones]

Any engineer who creates a device and specifies allen keys should be used, needs to be put up against a wall and shot. They are the devil's handywork.

Wow, kind of at a loss for words here. Do you have a magic bolt head that will still fit into a counterbore? Firing line sounds a bit extreme...

J, glad you got that bad boy out. Lots of good advice in this thread so far.

[brutal]

Wow, kind of at a loss for words here. Do you have a magic bolt head that will still fit into a counterbore? Firing line sounds a bit extreme...

J, glad you got that bad boy out. Lots of good advice in this thread so far.

I expect he was alluding to using Torx instead. It really is a thing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx

[skullybones]

I expect he was alluding to using Torx instead. It really is a thing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx

This is awesome! Cause torx is standard across so many thread pitches... Not to mention under a T10 can be quite difficult to get a good feel without stripping the head. I'm not going to hold my breath for Torx to become the standard.

Shit, I'll back down now. My newbness is starting to show... I'll end with one hint. Buy Bondhus allen keys.

[skullybones]

Can you drive a Torx bit into it and get enough bite to back it out?

Plus One! Burt is a master of stripped screws.

[Great-Kazoo]

This is awesome! Cause torx is standard across so many thread pitches... Not to mention under a T10 can be quite difficult to get a good feel without stripping the head. I'm not going to hold my breath for Torx to become the standard.

Shit, I'll back down now. My newbness is starting to show... I'll end with one hint. Buy Bondhus allen keys.


Bondhus is the only way to go for allen & torx . A few tool places sell their own labeled stuff, that's bondhus

[jerrymrc]

Bondhus is the only way to go for allen & torx . A few tool places sell their own labeled stuff, that's bondhus

I am also a fan of the Wiha drivers. I have a set like this at work and love it. Not cheap but very good.56113

[wctriumph]

Right tool for the job.

Never enough time to do it right, always enough time to do it over.