stripped phillips head solution

[sinkerswim]

Solutions are, sometimes, found in the least likely of places. As reel tinkerers we come across many situations where we hit the proverbial wall. Most of which Alan and others bail us out. Stripped screwheads is certainly one.

The cross slot barely remained. And, I dreaded heading to the local machine shop, yet again, for a drill and tap job. Took out the largest fitting phillipshead tip and was about to give it one last try. The bride asked me what I was doing. She suggested I take a wide thick rubber band and place it on the screwdriver tip and force it into the almost non-existent cross. A turn clockwise with a lot of pressure, then counterclockwise, viola out she came. Sweet, thank you dear. Now, this might not work when corrosion between the threads has taken place. But, it was just enough to snug it up for the screwdriver to grab what was left of the screwhead and backed it out.

She recalled her mother doing just that same trick on the old wooden kitchen chairs when she was a child.

Hope this saves some hard work guys.
Pete

[alantani]

she sounds like a winner.  you'd better keep her!

[Dave Bentley]

Mate, hope you didn't let her know it worked. That would nearly be as bad as taking street directions from the missus and getting "unlost". Not that us blokes ever get lost!!!!

[broadway]

S.S. Good tip, good girl, and Dave we just don't amit we're lost 
Dom

[aus bass]

Tried a similar thing os a few stuck screw heads but no luck. Have heard of this method working previously though. For me it was a case of cutting a new slot with my trusty Dremel and using a flat head screw driver.

[deepblack]

For me it was a case of cutting a new slot with my trusty Dremel and using a flat head screw driver.

I end up having to do this more regularly than I would like I can't believe how tight some of these screws end up.  Some you just look at and know that it's going to happen. 

[john2244]

Pete,
Thanks for the tip. 
John

[Bill B]

I've NEVER been lost....I've always know where I'm wasn't   Just might take me a little longer to get to where i wanted to be

[harryk3616]

hi    guys     what works for me, i take a small punch, like the one you would use on a penn sleeve pin, place it against the best part of the slot left on the screw head  and gently give it a sharp tap with a hammer trying to back the screw out, usually works, might have to repeat it a couple of times.

[pcde123]

im stuck.....my reel had a terrible screw that was all rusted and when i tried to twist it, it fell apart and now i cant open it up, anyone have anyother tips other than the rubber band one, cus the rubber band just cut when i tried

[Ron Jones]

If you mean the screw head broke off you are correct, you are stuck. An easy out may work depending on the size, or a quick trip to a machine shop.
Ron

[Gr8White]

drill and tap if u r semi handy
or use a eezi out drill at least 2 size drills so the eezi out gets place to purchase
as the screw at that point is already stuffed possibly theeasiest option is to cut a slot with a  dremel or similar and use a standard flat screw driver

replace with allan (cap or socket head) screws as they will not strip heads so easily

[RUSTY OLD COLT]

I WAS AN A MASTER AUTO TECH FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND WHEN I HAD A ROUNDED SCREW OR ALLEN I WOULD PUT A DROP OF VALVE GRINDING COMPOUND  (AVAILABLE IN LARGER AUTO PARTS STORES AND COMES IN SMALL TUBES) ON THE TIP OF THE SCREWDRIVER OR ALLEN WRENCH THE GRIT IN THE COMPOUND FILLS UP THE SPACE AND THE SCREW USUALLY CAME RIGHT OUT (ANY COMPOUND EASILY WASHES OFF WITH WATER IF IT GETS ON THE REEL)...JUST A LITTLE TIP I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE

[Dominick]

Anyone ever tried Crazy Glue.  Glue a Phillips head bit to the top of the screw wait a few minutes and turn.  It might work.  Of course you can always open a bottle of Zin and stare at it.    Dominick

[day0ne]

For me it was a case of cutting a new slot with my trusty Dremel and using a flat head screw driver.

I end up having to do this more regularly than I would like I can't believe how tight some of these screws end up.  Some you just look at and know that it's going to happen. 

A lot of this is from using the wrong screwdriver. Not all cross slot screws are created equal. Here is an interesting read on the differences. Look at Cruciform Types.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives

Especially note the JIS B 1012