SCREW removal...

What's the secret for removing those tiny screws that hold the I/O covers on, an impact wrench???

If anybody's got a technique, lemme know.

Thanks

 

You MUST have the correct screwdriver! You need a set of GOOD precision screwdrivers. Then push hard against the screw while turning counterclockwise! Before I found my set of precision screwdrivers I tried the cheap ones and they just stripped the screwheads! After using the right screwdrivers I have yet to find a screw I can't take out. Most of the screws had locktite on them. So they are hard to break loose.

 

These are what I use...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wiha-7-pc-Preci...ryZ20769QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They cost more... But they work!

 

The first 1/4 turn is what makes or breaks you. Go slow, concentrate, and apply firm, even pressure. Use a good P00 with a hardened tip (like the ones TB uses). DO NOT let it slip!

 

Thanks guys, I guess these Dollar Store screwdrivers I have, gotta go...

 

Yeah,

What was said above , especially what Grav said. Even with a cheap set of tiny drivers, if you make up your mind that the driver is going to give first, and concentrate on being nice and straight, applying even pressure, and breaking the damn screw loose, you'll win.
I don't have an expensive set of drivers, and although they have never let me down I haven't given them the opportunity to mess up a screw, it's much easier to replace a driver than it is a stripped out screw.

 

TB & Grav both echo EXACTLY the technique I was about to recommend; however, for screws that are uber-tight or LockTite-ened, I prefer these Husky precision screwdrivers shown below, readily available at Sears & Home Depot (Nice if you need one RIGHT NOW). As long as you can get them into the screw holes they are better, simply because the larger diameter handle offers more torque & better control. :yes:

I ALSO have the Wiha sets in Philips, Flat & Torx for getting into deep recessed screw holes - GREAT quality tools, but when you're trying to turn a really tight screw, they can be a bit hard to grip.

The HD-74501 has Philips in #1,#0,#00 & #000 as well as slotted in 1/16", 5/64", 3/32" & 1/8". The HD-74502 has Torx #4,5,6,7,8,9,10 & 15.
Three of the bits store inside the handle, and the cap is actually a swivel handle end like most quality jeweler's screwdrivers.
All in all a great deal at around $7 each and most Sears & Home Depot will warranty them over the counter, as they are individual tools & NOT part of a set.

mnem
MORE POWER! WOUGH! WOUGH! WOUGH!

 

I've got a set of the Huskys in torx... They work VERY well. And it's nice having the different sizes in the handle too!

 

I go with craftsman, only because sears is on the way to work. If I break a tool, I replace it the next day.

With that said, I've got a dozen screwdrivers for my different projects all over my desk here.

 

That's ALL? Heh - I've got a dozen screwdrivers in the pockets of my cargo pants alone, most days... and don't EVEN ASK about pliers. Just don't.

mnem
Grandfather always advised: "Do NOT use pliers on your nuts; it tends to strip them."

 

Actually, the craftsman P00 I'ved got never really had the right fit. and, somehow, I managed to split it right in half! At least I get to take it back and get another one.

Believe it or not, the one I have the best luck with is a $1.99 "MIT" brand multi-ended screwdriver.. (Modly, I know you know what MIT tools are!) Its actually Michigan Industrial Tools.. but everyone calls them Made In Taiwan

 

My Dad used to say the same thing about pliers and crescent wrenches. They are not good for your nuts! Always use the right tool for the job!

 

*Cackles again*:laugh:

mnem
D@mn... that's my last MAN card for the month...

 

Yup, I know about those things. We get those, and GRIP (Grand Rapids Industrial Products) by one of those shady dudes that sell crappy tools in a van.

They are all gonna break, but when they do we turn them into other tools

 

Ahhh, yes - the same guys in the white van who sell Dahlton loudspeakers... I caught one of them half-drunk late one night; he sold me a pair NIB for 20 bux.

They LOOK like Acoustic Research AR1500s; a legendary achievement in speaker design (Now that Audiovox bought them out they have the ARVP600s; total crap).
He told me he usually sold them for $200 a pair(ummm... right); I suspect he sold them to me at cost just to get another case of Old Swill. They ARE worth what I paid for them; JUST. I use them as satellite speakers in my home theater, since they're tall enuf I don't need to put them on stands.

mnem
We sell SNAP-ON tools; NOT SNAP-OFF tools!

 

We used to have one of those van when I was in the sign business. They were ALWAYS coming around... Different week... Different stuff. I think I bought a thread cutting kit from them once... I still have it.

The ones that kill me are the guys who knock on your front door and want to sell you a slab of meat. Our subdivision has a No Solicitation policy and it is marked at every entrance. I just tell them that I am President of the Home Owners Association and they leave rather quickly.

I mean... Would you REALLY buy food from people you've never seen before? (Fast food and restaurants notwithstanding.)

 

*SNICKER*

Reminds me of that scene in Spider-man where Jameson tells Parker "What a young man needs is... MEAT! I'll send you a nice box of Christmas meat, but I never said you have a job ..."

mnem
This one's just too easy... *Counts backwards from 10*

 

A very important part of using a P00 screwdriver? Get one with a larger diameter handle. If you are trying to break Locktite with a tiny eyeglasses or jeweler's sized handle, you won't be able to hang onto it. Also, if you are straining and shaking from trying to hold onto a tiny handle (even with Vicegrips (tm) on it) that will encourage it to not be held straight and strip it out.

 

Now you tell me....

Been there, done that, got the tee shirt...

 

Can we hurry up and get to the part where the head of the tiny little screw breaks off and we really need a whole screw in that spot?

I've got carbide drill bits and easy outs, plus a hot wrench for the bigger stuff; but what does one do with the tiny little stuff?

 

Ummm... cry?:cry:

Mostly, my solution is if it can't be gotten off with pliers, grind it flush with the Dremel & drill it out with the tiny drills... then try and find a self-tapping screw to do the job. Some Hobby shops have tiny taps available in like 2-20 size; but even those are bigger than some of the screws on a CF-28.:confused2:

mnem
Good luck with that.

 

CRaftsman makes a very small set of easy outs... I have used them a number of times on torque-happy idiots who cinched down screws on the lid, hinge screws, etc. Works like a charm every time.

They would NOT work on the tiny little screws like hinge screws... There... Just follow mnem's advice!

 

I say you just sneak over to Modly's and switch laptops with him.. HE WILL NEVER KNOW!!

 

On a preventative note,
P-B Blaster (tm) (1 part) and Toluene (cheap-ahss carb cleaner) (1 part) will penetrate and dissolve lock-tite. Mix only a small amount, apply with tiny dropper, but not on a circuit board!!

Also I use a little silicone sealant on the tips of drivers that are removing screws burried deep within. I hate shaking things around to get a lost screw out.

 

I slightly, very slightly, magnetize the tips of all my screwdrivers so the screw stays put. Other times I use petroleum jelly to hold the screw/bolt on, if needed.

 

I know that I'll be fragged for saying this on a computer site, but....... On the bigger stuff, if fasteners are locktited or rusty, tapping the removal tool while holding a little torque in the removal direction generally helps.

 

It is actually a VERY good idea! I've loosened a few screws on 28s that way... Good tip!

I give it a little "tap" with a set of small pliers or something similar on the end of the screwdriver and it works very well.... Just don't "over-tap"....

 

Yup! If only they made an impact driver in 1/8" drive I could use with those bits from the Husky screwdrivers...

mnem<~~~ Maybe spends a little too much time thinking about how to take things apart*

 

Hmmm... a little amateur chemistry. I've used Isopropyl alcohol for this; but this may be more effective, if a bit more corrosive.

mnem
Oooooh... melty GI Joes!

 

In case anyone cares....

I can't say enough good things about Wiha drivers. I personally own a few hundred dollars of them and also use nothing but Wiha to work on the ToughBooks.

For precision screw/torx/nut drivers, I really like their Pico Grip line. When you turn a thousand screws everyday, you come to appreciate the soft comfort grip



I get all of mine direct from Wiha. They charge $8.68 for UPS Ground shipping and they have always shipped them out the next business day after I order.

A #00, #0, and #1 will hit just about every phillips screw you have in a toughbook.

Take a look --- http://www.wihatools.com/200seri/261pico.htm

The magnetizer/demagnetizer also comes in handy --- http://www.wihatools.com/400seri/40010ser.htm

 

I like the Wiha screwdrivers; they are especially nice to get a good set of screwdrivers all in one handy kit. However, for the "bazillion screws a day" award, I still prefer the Lindstrom Ergo series; they are a joy in the hand and are simply easier to turn than any other brand. Their prices are equivalent to the Wiha line; expect to pay $7-$12 each. They are readily available here in the states through

http://www.stanleysupplyservices.com/brand-leaf.aspx?brandid=36&categoryID=202

although I understand those of you living in the EU can get them much more readily. I have no supplier available to purchase sets of these from; the MFR lists several kits here:

http://www.lindstromtools.com/pdf/Catalog_2005/Screwdrivers_and_Sets.pdf

however I haven't been able to find the sets listed for sale by any supplier Stateside.

These are the people who manufacture the torque-limiting power screwdrivers used by most manufacturers in the assembly line; you can buy their hand-powered version from StanleySupply as well (recommended by most manufacturers for factory authorized service - when I was a Sony factory tech it was required equipment, though we rarely used it except when mounting a VHS/Beta video head), but be prepared to pay a couple hundred dollars for it.

As an aside, if you do any kind of component level service (as I do) there simply are no better precision pliers and cutters on the planet. They too are quite expensive; the set I got with 3 cutters and 3 pliers cost $225 10 years ago; but... I bought them 10 YEARS AGO and I still use them every day. Nowadays they run from $45-$130 each depending on model; but they have so many models there is one PERFECT for almost ANY job. They have a new Ergo series of pliers/cutters as well, but of course they are more expensive.

But bottom line: these are tools made to last a lifetime; and I do not say that with any reservation. If you ever get one in your hands you'll see the difference immediately, and you'll understand why they are worth every penny.

mnem
*The ToolDwagon*

 

Just a quick note -- I haven't tried this on Loc-Tited screws, but on slightly rusted or long-time-seated bolts in larger sizes I find that if I put *tightening* pressure (no movement, just some moderate to heavy torque) on them first, they come out nicely.

 

On the tough ones, I usually tighten them just a hair to overcome the static friction. Once that's done, it's usually a lot easier to loosen the screw without stripping it.