Removing rusty self tapping screws

[whistlepig]

Thanks guys. I am going to try several different remedy's. If I can remove the screws intact, I will put down the same size boards, and drill a pilot hole from the bottom, and then install the new TORX screws.

I honesty did think the heat would break the rust grip. I have seen rusty bolts removed with two carbon arc rods to heat the rusty nut/bolt to a cherry red, and when cooled, they unscrewed. If I touched a single carbon rod to the screw, will the screw heat up or will something else heat up

I believe those screws are screwed into 1/4 steel. Do you think grinding and using a punch will work? I am also thinking that if I do punch them out, I will have to go to the next larger screw. They are self tapping.

Bolts removed or not you can't hit the existing hole in the trailer with the new hole in the board. Give me a piece of machined steel finished all over and I can precisely lay out this piece of steel to match exactly the holes in the trailer. Give me a piece of wood that is slightly warped, off sized, and/or twisted and lay it out to match to perfectly matched pre-existing holes in the trailer just isn't going to happen.

 

[crazyal]

If it was me I would just get a couple of the .040 cut off wheels for a 4 1/2" grinder and cut through the wood and screws. Once the heads are cut then pop the boards off and put some penetrating oil on the screws and you may even be able to use the cut off wheel to cut the bottom of the screws flush with the steel. Then a day later you can try to grab the screw shaft with a set of vicegrips.

 

[sandman2234]

J_J said if he could get the screws out, he would drill new holes in the wood, from underneath.
Granted that can be a viable option, but we aren't as young as we think we are, and laying on your back, drilling a hole two feet over your head, dodging chips from getting past your SAFETY GLASSES isn't going to be any fun, whereas if you drill new holes, you can pattern them for a better looking, more uniform trailer deck from above and not have to fight nearly as hard. Plus you can easily reach your glass of ice tea and actually be able to drink it without having to get out from under the trailer.
Drilling the wood through the old holes is going to rub the sides of the drill bit, making the hole even larger and probably out of round, so larger screws are going to required. More money for larger screws. If you don't want the old holes, weld them up, but I stand by my suggestion of not trying to reuse them.
David from jax

 

[Short Game]

...not to mention broken drill bits. I HATES breaking drill bits! :thumbdown:

 

[Short Game]

I usually make a channel in the front of the trailer bed to slide the front of the boards in so no bolts are needed. If nothing else just weld a piece of flat stock across the front of the trailer bed to make a channel.

This is making too much sense to me. My trailer's deck is 14 feet long. I could see that channel at the front (mine already has it) and routing a couple of strips, one at seven feet, and one at the back end for that piece of flat stock. I could trust gravity and the load to take care of the rest. A little wood preservative where I routed the the reliefs and I would be secure in the thought that the design has been improved. When you think about it, the screws were put there mainly to hold the deck down. My trailer weighs 2,000 pounds empty. I don't think the deck is doing much in the way of structure, meaning all those screws are superfluous.

As far as the old self tappers are concerned, any way to get 'em gone is fine. The easier, the better. I'll be looking for the best way to keep the angle irons form rusting before I put the new deck on.

 

[chad22]

...not to mention broken drill bits. I HATES breaking drill bits! :thumbdown:

Oh. I've done that many times. I seem to always get the bit jammed in the metal and break it.

I went through almost a whole set of 100 drill bits that came in a set for $100.00

I'm guilty of using the sides of the bit to cut a larger hole by twisting the drill back and forth, when I can't find a larger drill bit.

That's one of the most common causes for me "breaking drill bits" I know I really need to stop doing that. It's a habit I haven't broke yet.

Chad

 

[Tig]

What you are trying to do sounds similar to tasks I've faced on car frames in the past. I take a 2lb mallet and give each screw a good pound to break the rust and then try to unscrew them. I didn't have a 100% success rate but it's quick and dirty.

 

[Short Game]

It seems that the thinner the steel stock you are drilling, the easier it is to break a bit, even bigger ones. When the bit finally cuts through, it may do only a partial hole and screw itself right in and catch you by surprise. Not only might the bit break, but it's likely to jerk the drill motor from your grip. I loaned a guy my 1/2" drill motor once, a big and very strong guy with arms like my legs. He was drilling a pretty large hole in some pretty thin material when the bit punched through and caught. In this case, he tore the pistol grip handle right from my drill motor. If it had been me, the grip would have slipped from my hands and come around and smacked me, or broken my wrist. That was even worse than breaking a drill bit.

 

[Short Game]

What you are trying to do sounds similar to tasks I've faced on car frames in the past. I take a 2lb mallet and give each screw a good pound to break the rust and then try to unscrew them. I didn't have a 100% success rate but it's quick and dirty.

Ah, right on. That is the secret of pulling nails too. I've salvaged a lot of lumber from structures and learned that a long time ago (thanks to my late friend, Will Slayton). Step #1: give every nail a good whack. Then they come out like butter, instead of the heads breaking off.

 

[Kernopelli]

You piqued my curiosity JJ and since I have some carbon rods for my old school carbon arc torch ( which is very handy BTW...used it yesterday to heat some 3/4" round bar to bend at 90* angles) I thought I'd just see if your theory would work. I put some ( not sure if they are #5 or #6) 2 3/4" screws in a 2x4 and hit them with a Radnor 5/16" rod at various amps. I used 90,105 and 120 amps and the later had the best results. After 3-5 seconds this produced enough heat through the entire screw to scorch the wood on the side where the screw came through the board. It did catch the top of the board on fire pretty quickly but it was easily blown out with a strong breathe. I think your idea will work but it WILL produce fire.