Help! How can this screw be removed?

[MapisM]

Aarumph! I always thought that the base of the flag pole wasn't properly attached to the wooden band on top of the FB in my boat.
And now that I finally decided to remove it and find another solution, I realised that I waited a bit too much, 'cause one of the screws has already given up - for metal fatigue, I suppose.
Anyway. can anyone suggest a way to remove the broken screw, without making a huge hole and hence reducing the strength of the wooden band?
Which is iroko, just in case it can make any difference. Thanks in advance!

 

[Wiggo]

Why remove it? I can't think of any way that won't cause a lot of damage to the wood.

Find a flag pole base with four holes, or another with three but turn it through 60 degrees so the holes don't line up with the originals.

 

[benjenbav]

Is the flagpole base circular? If so, maybe the easiest solution is to leave it and rotate (by anything other than a multiple of 120 degrees). You probably need to drill a pilot hole in the iroko to accept any new screws.

 

[oGaryo]

My first thought would be, do you have to? If you're putting the pole back over the top and afixing it properly, can't you swivel the thing around a few degrees and drill 3 new pilot holes to take the new screws, hiding the old holes under the base?

 

[Major Catastrophe]

I suspect you are going to say that you cannot rotate as the staff hole is angled.

That leaves you with four solutions. Drill out the screw - Almost impossible with SS without causing more damage.

Move base to another location and fill and re varnish the area.

Buy a new base with screw holes in different place.

Finally, buy a new boat to place under the old base.

 

[DAKA]

option 1 is to use a much smaller screw with a washer and drill slightly at an angle to go down the side of your broken screw.

option 2 is to glue the broken screw head back in place and then add another three holes/screws to the side to make it look like there is 6 screws evenly spaced screws holding it, one is a dummy of course but 5 screws will hold it.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

I suspect you are going to say that you cannot rotate as the staff hole is angled.

That leaves you with four solutions. Drill out the screw - Almost impossible with SS without causing more damage.

Move base to another location and fill and re varnish the area.

Buy a new base with screw holes in different place.

Finally, buy a new boat to place under the old base.

#5: Drill some new holes in the existing base?

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[neale]

Finally, buy a new boat to place under the old base.

I like this option

 

[Seah0rse]

Drill largeish pilot hole beside broken screw and tighten all three screws two turns at a time

 

[Salty John]

You need a hole cutter about 15mm diameter but with the centre drill bit backed out. Carefully drill around the screw to a depth of about 5mm or so. Carefully chisel out to reveal approx 5mm of the broken screw. Use Mole grips to remove the broken screw. Epoxy a 15mm plug in place. Sand.
Not seeples, but do-able.

 

[Richard Shead]

Buy some

magic drill bits that they sell at all the US shows and somehow always seem to be next to us demonstrating it with loud drills ALL DAY.....

 

[MapisM]

Finally, buy a new boat to place under the old base.

I like this option

So do I!
There's at least half a dozen of 80 footers I could think of, which would suit the old base nicely for a courtesy flag.
Then again, we already have one "new boat in build" thread running, that's enough for this season, I suppose...

Jokes aside, thanks everyone.
Yep, the old base is angled, so can't be rotated, but that's not actually the reason why I was asking. I could change the base, or fit a larger steel plate below it to have a stronger support, for instance.
But I thought that in the long run leaving the screw in the wood (btw in a place which is always exposed to the weather) could damage it somehow. But if you all agree that this should not be the case, obviously leaving it there is the easier solution...

 

[russ]

If you could try using a junior hack saw and cut a slot in the screw so that you can use a flat blade screwdriver.Depends if you can get a cut without doing any seen damage once bracket is re-fitted.
There is a drill bit type of tool with a reverse cutting grip that may work. Its designed for damaged screw heads but worth a try.
I would centre punch it then pilot drill slightly before using this option.

 

[Nick_H]

If you could try using a junior hack saw and cut a slot in the screw so that you can use a flat blade screwdriver..

hack saw would also cut a big slot in the wood, but could maybe form a slot in the screw with a dremmel

 

[Tresner]

Aarumph! I always thought that the base of the flag pole wasn't properly attached to the wooden band on top of the FB in my boat.
And now that I finally decided to remove it and find another solution, I realised that I waited a bit too much, 'cause one of the screws has already given up - for metal fatigue, I suppose.
Anyway. can anyone suggest a way to remove the broken screw, without making a huge hole and hence reducing the strength of the wooden band?
Which is iroko, just in case it can make any difference. Thanks in advance!

The Screw Extractor

http://homerepair.about.com/od/interiorhomerepair/ss/screw_extractor.htm
Screw Extractors of Various Sizes

.
They say good things come in small packages and that's true when it comes to this handy little tool called a screw extractor. When you have a screw head that is stripped or broken off, or a bolt that has a stripped or broken off head, it can be impossible to remove without this tool. The screw extractor (which also works on bolts) comes in a range of sizes for screws of diameters ranging form 3/32" to upward of 1/2" or even larger.
For about $5 or less, you can have an indispensable tool that you'll be glad to have handy when you need it.

You just drill a small hole in the top of the embeded screw, just large enough for the extractor tip to fit in and rotate counter clockwise. For those of you with digital watches, that's to the left.

Bernie

 

[tinkicker0]

AAAAAAAAARRGH! Not a fan of those.


That broken screw is gonna be a bugger. Reckon someone broke it before trying to remove it and glued the head back in.

Strongest way to deal with it is to cut out a wad until you reached the depth of the screw and plug it using a dowel and epoxy as someone mentioned.

 

[Divemaster1]

1.5 mm drill .... a pilot hole, then a screw extractor (Please do not buy the cheapest one around, as it will break ...speaking from experience). A screw extacor will increase traction with links threads which will dig further into the drilled hole (increasing friction)as the drill rotates to the left....

 

[Alrob]

make a slightly larger decorative base & refit slightly to the side but still covering old position

 

[DryDock]

You could try and drill it out starting with a very small drill bit, and working your way up. The dremmel would also be worth trying to cut a small slot and use a flat bit screw driver. But I would try the screw remover that looks like a good tool. Drill a small pilot hole to get it started, and take your time.

 

[PaulGooch]

Given the diameter of the screw, i'll have a fiver that a screw extractor such as shown will snap off. That screw will be very tight in the wood to have caused it to snap.

Best bet would be to carefully drill it out, starting with a very small drill bit and then plug the hole.