Little PTA screws!

[robert7467]

The paint on my wing root fairing is toast. There are some number 6 screws that were painted over and stripped. I tried a 1/8th drill bit. I tried an 1/8th easy out with reverse drilling and I cant get through them. Nothing works! Any suggestions? The paint is peeling, so I can get most of it off with a razor blade and follow up with a 3m wheel, but seriously, I need to learn how to get these basterds out. These are just as bad as cherry rivets. Any suggestions? 

[ShuRugal]

Not any cheap ones...
https://www.amazon.com/Remover-Machine-Portable-Through-Setting/dp/B01LMYQEX4

[smwash02]

Should be enough room to use a dremel and cut a slot for a flat head.

[47U]

I found these at Lowe’s, also.  

Tom

[carusoam]

Easy outs...

left handed drills...

cutting a slot for a regular screw driver...

and my favorite...
 

The really fine pair of pliers from Snap on... To grab the head by the side....
 

Once the head comes off, you have access to the threaded part...
 

You might also have access to it from behind?
 

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...
 

Best regards,

-a-

[Dream to fly]

You could use pure cobalt drill bits. Not the coated ones. These are the drill bits used to drill out broken taps. They are not cheap but will drill hardened steel like it was soft metal. If you don't want to go that route try using a dremel and make a slot for a screwdriver and make it as flat and square as possible. Then using a quality screwdriver that fits nicely in the slot dip the tip of the driver into valve grinding compound. It will help prevent slipping.

 

Sent from my E6910 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[N201MKTurbo]

I have found that carbide lathe centering drills are the bomb! They are sharp as can be they don't walk, they are very sturdy so you don't have to worry about breaking them.

https://www.mcmaster.com/2925A12/

 

[N201MKTurbo]

BTW

You want to drill the heads off, remove the panel, then grab the nub that remains with a pliers and screw it out. It works every time.

[robert7467]

Yesterday I drilled on these forever and nothing. New regular bits, a reverse easy out bit, nothing... I can cut them off with a dremel, but my hangar does now have power. The pain is peeling enough to where I can pick it off with my fingernails. I am just going to paint it on the plane and mask it off. Thank you guys!

[MooneyMitch]

12 hours ago, smwash02 said:

Should be enough room to use a dremel and cut a slot for a flat head.

I too recommend this method, from my experience.

With that said, exercise extreme caution ! Be very delicate as you do perform the slotting as it’s quite easy to accidentally cut into aluminum.  

[Guest]

20 hours ago, robert7467 said:

The paint on my wing root fairing is toast. There are some number 6 screws that were painted over and stripped. I tried a 1/8th drill bit. I tried an 1/8th easy out with reverse drilling and I cant get through them. Nothing works! Any suggestions? The paint is peeling, so I can get most of it off with a razor blade and follow up with a 3m wheel, but seriously, I need to learn how to get these basterds out. These are just as bad as cherry rivets. Any suggestions? 

Those are likely PK screws made by Parker Kalon, they are very very hard.  The Dremel slot method is kind of universal, but I like Rich’s suggestion above and will have to try it myself.

Clarence

[Pasturepilot]

It's too late for this, from the looks of things, but if you use a dental pick, you can often clean the paint out of the head before you start trying to remove these kinds of screws to lessen your chances of stripping the heads. 

Also, a dab of valve lapping compound will sometimes add just enough grip to help. 

[MikeOH]

2 hours ago, M20Doc said:

Those are likely PK screws made by Parker Kalon, they are very very hard.

Yup! That's why they strip out so damn easy

[Shiny moose]

23 hours ago, 47U said:

I found these at Lowe’s, also.  

Tom

This is the best, use them properly!!!  left hand drill and turn over to easy out the screws, the best i have used for sticky airplane screws 

[cctsurf]

I had a couple of really stripped screws.  I asked my mechanic how to remove them.  After cleaning them out and releasing them from the paint encasement, he used a chisel and lightly tapped on the edge of the screw to turn it.  Worked a charm.

[Pasturepilot]

Another useful tool for removing screws is a speed handle. Get one with a knob instead of a cylindrical grip. That way you can use the palm of your hand to apply pressure instead of relying on a firm grip. The speed handle (also called a speeder bar) has several things working in its favor: By changing out screwdriver tips frequently, you'll have best grip. And because you're applying the forces manually, you'll feel if it starts to slip before you've spun a couple revolutions and ruined the screw. 

Electric drill motors are handy for running screws, but they can cause hours of extra work if they strip out a couple screws. Several shops I've worked in over the years forbade the use of electric screw guns for that reason. 

[M20F-1968]

On 9/1/2020 at 9:12 AM, N201MKTurbo said:

BTW

You want to drill the heads off, remove the panel, then grab the nub that remains with a pliers and screw it out. It works every time.

If you try to cut a slot with a Dremel, use a carbide wheel, and also use a piece of thin metal (hard, thin steel or other metals can work) about 0.040" thick or other appropriate thickness given screw head geometry.  Drill a hole in the metal and place it over the head, so that if, and likely when the Dremel tool slips, it will ruin the protective metal and not the airplane skin.

John Breda

[bob865]

One thing I noticed that would likely help some with this specific screw.  It looks in the picture like it was painted over.  You should try cutting the paint around it before trying to easy out, slot, or anything else. 

[Yetti]

New snap on screw drivers will go a long way to preventing slipping.   Dremel tool

[Wes]

Vampliers have saved the day several times.

[carusoam]

Wes,

are these them?

https://www.vampiretools.com/shop/products/pliers/vampliers-slip-joint-7-screw-extraction-pliers/

Best regards,

-a-

[robert7467]

I got the vampliers and they didn't work on these screws (too small), but they did save me on a belly screw.

[PT20J]

20 hours ago, robert7467 said:

I got the vampliers and they didn't work on these screws (too small), but they did save me on a belly screw.

I never tried those, but I have had some success using vise-grips.