# Plane Hanle Screw Snapped



## Osvald (Nov 28, 2018)

Record no7 jointer from the 1940-50s. Took it apart to clean it and the handle bolt just snapped, right at the very bottom. :furious:I’m very annoyed. Not sure what to do now.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*snapped off bolts....*

That happens frequently :sad2:

There are a few methods that usually work, none of which are easy. By that I mean, you will need to grind a flat on the end of the bolt, then find the center, then drill a smaller hole than the threads. Then you insert a left hand threaded "screw remover" which will grab the remains of the bolt so you can twist it out in the normal direction. 

If that seems beyond your skill set, you should take it to a machine shop or a machinist friend who can help.:|


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## Osvald (Nov 28, 2018)

thats what I'm going to try to do, ordered a screw remover set. Tricky bit is that its at an angle


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I saw that!*

Knowing it was at an angle, I said it wouldn't be easy. That's why you need a flat on the broken end as well, Additionally, it's down inside a cavity, all of this complicates the process, but it should be doable. Hence the advice on the machine shop.


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## ducbsa (Jul 6, 2014)

Those EZ Outs can snap, too. Being hardened, they can't be drilled and have to be spark eroded out. DAMHIK


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Maybe soak it with penetrating fluid while you are waiting for the easy out. If the are any threads above the broken part you can drill a hole through the center of a short bolt and use that as a guide to drill a pilot hole in the broken stub.


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## WesTex (Jan 5, 2014)

If you’re not afraid of heating it a bit, you might try a trick commonly used on the farm. Heat the bolt to cause it to expand. Apply wax or paraffin. It’ll be sucked in around the threads. Often a small chisel tapped along the edge of the broken screw (bolt) will back it out. Let it cool a little before applying the wax so that it melts rather than burning off, then let it cool completely before removing the screw. I’ve never had this method fail. I’ve also never tried it on precision tools such as hand planes. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

I have a set of left-hand drill bits that are great for something like this. It’s still a tedious drill with the angle and you don’t want to break a drill bit off inside the screw you’re drilling. Sometimes the screw will loosen while drilling backwards and I don’t even need to use the ease-outs. 
I see the handle has been broken before and the screw may have been damaged at the same time.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*There Ya go ....*



FrankC said:


> Maybe soak it with penetrating fluid while you are waiting for the easy out. If the are any threads above the broken part you can drill a hole through the center of a short bolt and use that as a guide to drill a pilot hole in the broken stub.





WesTex said:


> If you’re not afraid of heating it a bit, you might try a trick commonly used on the farm. Heat the bolt to cause it to expand. Apply wax or paraffin. It’ll be sucked in around the threads. Often a small chisel tapped along the edge of the broken screw (bolt) will back it out. Let it cool a little before applying the wax so that it melts rather than burning off, then let it cool completely before removing the screw. I’ve never had this method fail. I’ve also never tried it on precision tools such as hand planes.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





Toolman50 said:


> I have a set of left-hand drill bits that are great for something like this. It’s still a tedious drill with the angle and you don’t want to break a drill bit off inside the screw you’re drilling. Sometimes the screw will loosen while drilling backwards and I don’t even need to use the ease-outs.
> I see the handle has been broken before and the screw may have been damaged at the same time.


Those are 3 good methods which can be used to loosen a rusted or frozen screw. Heat is always a good choice if the part will permit it without damage. Depending on the amount of threads protruding and the space around it, driving it out with a punch or nail set will work. 
In the automotive repair trade, a busted off bolt is often removed by placing a nut on top of it and welding it to the remaining portion. Then the removal is simple. The heat of welding aides in freeing up the bolt.
In this case, the casting may be thin and fragile, so care must be used with any process. I would probably avoid heating it..... :|

If it were mine, I'd use the drill and remover method after letting the penetrating oil work. Kroil is a good penetrating oil available at auto supply and hardware stores. I also understand a mixture of transmission fluid and Acetone works well, probably 50/50 or so. Nail polish remover will substitute for Acetone. :vs_cool:


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## Tom S. (Dec 1, 2018)

Measure the diameter of the screw that's left. Drill into the broken end with a bit that is just large enoiugh to remove the solid core of the broken screw but not eat into the threads. An easy-out should back the coil that remains right out. If that fails, you shoild be able to pick what remains in the drilled hole with the tip of an awl or a dental tool.


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## Osvald (Nov 28, 2018)

Well, getting the bolt out failed miserably, total disaster. Theres now a hole where the bolt was. Can't tell if the threads got destroyed. Bloody mad I am.

_EDIT_: 
Got the bolt out but badly damaged the threads in the process. There are enough threads for the bolt to screw in but I doubt it will hold very long when in use.

any advice? 

I'm thinking just epoxy the bolt in place, would that be strong enough? 

Tap a new thread? M6 metric?


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

A heli coil will work. available at most auto parts


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## Osvald (Nov 28, 2018)

Isn't the whole point of helicoil to have original threads restored? Is there a _7/32"-20 tpi Whitworth Form_ helicoil available?


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

I was not aware that the stud is Whitworth threads...is that what the stud is? I don't know what is available in the UK. Since the stud broke off, you will probably have to replace it due to it being too short. Since Whitworth was a British standard at one time, someone there may better guide you.


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

Osvald said:


> Isn't the whole point of helicoil to have original threads restored? Is there a _7/32"-20 tpi Whitworth Form_ helicoil available?


Apparently not. Even these guys don't show that size: https://britishfasteners.com/index.php/helicoils/bsw-sized-helicoils.html

I'd be tempted to drill and tap for a standard 1/4-20 or 1/4-28 thread.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Since you are in the UK, If you are familiar with Paul Sellers, He has a website there calledhttps://woodworkingmasterclasses.com/dashboard/ If you contact him...I am sure he could give a definitive answer, based on his experience. I have asked questions from him and he responds right away. Hope this helps you.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Hand plane handle screw won't see much force applied to it, you could probably get away with filling the hole with jb weld, then drilling and tapping that. Make sure the hole is clean before you apply the jbweld and you'll be fine.

That said though, if the bolt is threading into the original threads, there's a fair chance that you don't actually need to do anything. If you can get 2-3 rotations worth of thread engagement, you'll probably have more than enough to secure the handle. Try reassembling everything, if you can tighten the handle screw down, you're fine, and if you cant, go for the epoxy. Good luck finding a whitworth tap though...


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## Osvald (Nov 28, 2018)

epicfail48 said:


> ..you could probably get away with filling the hole with jb weld, then drilling and tapping that.



I was thinking just epoxy the bolt in place rather than plug the hole with epoxy, drill and tap new threads. These bolts have brass head that unscrews so it makes no difference. Just thinking maybe epoxying the bolt in place would be more long lasting. No?


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Osvald said:


> I was thinking just epoxy the bolt in place rather than plug the hole with epoxy, drill and tap new threads. These bolts have brass head that unscrews so it makes no difference. Just thinking maybe epoxying the bolt in place would be more long lasting. No?


Possibly, but you know the second you make a removable part non-removable youll need to remove it.


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## Osvald (Nov 28, 2018)

epicfail48 said:


> Possibly, but you know the second you make a removable part non-removable youll need to remove it.


Ha, true, thats why the bolt snapped in the first place, it could have just stayed there but I had to try to unscrew it. 
Makes me wonder if previous owner messed with it too, ie glued the screw in.


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## ducbsa (Jul 6, 2014)

https://www.tracytools.com/helicoil-thread-repair-kits

has British Standard taps and dies and thread repair kits.


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