Broken ball driver.

[XDROB]

So I started having or never really fixed when bought new. Primer shuttle hitting the top of the primer punch on my Hornady LocknLoad press. I got it years ago and started having problems with it but never really looked into it.

So after a few years of not being able to go downstairs to get to my reloading area. I can now. So I decided to figure out why the shuttle was 'tripping' on something. I found out the primer punch was sticking up too far and was causing the problem. Called Hornady and they are sending a new base plate.

So in my haste I did not carefully figure out what size the hole was on the two bolts holding the base plate down. So I used a 4 mm ball driver and it seemed fine. As I was putting force on the ball driver it snapped. ( Learned a lesson on when not to force a ball driver). Leaving the ball in the hole. So after that stupid mistake I called Hornady to find out what size the hole was. Was told that it was a 5/32 Allen. That it would never be a metric. I kind of thought that but I continued with my stupidity anyways and ended up breaking off a 4 mm ball driver. My question today is does anybody have any ideas on how to get that ball out of that hole. I have tried shocking it with a hammer and a punch. I have used a small pick to get into the slight area that was showing or that I could see. So far nothing. I'm beginning to think that I'm going to have to drill it out. Does anybody have any ideas on how to do that. And by the way I did use the correct size Allen wrench on the other side and with a a lot of force got the screw to come out.

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[country gent]

Some times a small rare earth magnet will lift the ball out..

If you have a small nail or wire file end sharp and a light application of super glue on the very end and hold against the ball till cured then it may come out. Be careful not to get glue any where else.

THe last ditch is to drill a hole thru the ball .060 or smaller and use a small wire dental pick to lift out.

[jmorris]

I hit them with a TIG welder and add filler so I can grab it with pliers, assuming it is not loose in the hole.

[XDROB]

Thanks for those responses.

I think it is jammed pretty well. I did try a magnet. And a small pick. Tried to jar it loose with a nail punch and a bigger hammer to try to knock it loose. So far no luck. Hornady is ending me a new base plate. Hence trying to remove the existing one. I believe I saw that they are sending new screws also.

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[BK7saum]

Quick question, was the housing sticking up or just the punch. I have had to clean the threaded hole as well as the punch recess in the housing as powder dust and other debris accumulates there and holds the punch up or keeps the housing from threading far enough into the hole.

[XDROB]

The punch was sticking up to far. Tripping the primer shuttle. Both large and small punches. Was happening when I bought the press. But just didn't spend enough time to diagnose it. But now that I have the time to do it. Here I am thinking that this was going to be a good thing and I screw it up

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[JimB..]

It’s jammed in there, try tapping repeatedly with a small punch to jar it loose. If that fails maybe drill a hole through it to relieve the tension.

[BK7saum]

Can you take a small punch or chisel and tap/turn the screw? Or maybe the ball itself to get it to free itself. I am sure that it turned/dug into the screw before it snapped.

[jmorris]

Page 5, exploded view of the LNL.

https://press.hornady.com/assets/pct...1515698795.pdf

What is the number of the fastener we are talking about?

Drilling a broken ball end of an Allen wrench is likely not going to go very well. Might be better off cutting a slot with a small cut off wheel and radius a flat head bit to fit. One thing is for sure, being a person that has removed hundreds of broken fasteners, it’s better to take it to someone that knows what to do vs make it harder.

As I said above, a TIG welder and two minutes would have you ready for a new fastener. Drill an off center hole and break an EZ-out off in there to lock everything in place and you have turned it into a much more difficult job.

I don’t know it the photos will show up or not for non members but this is the idea.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...#post-11641905

[XDROB]

Number 35 in the exploded view. I don't have any access to a welder of any sort. Am hoping I don't have to completely dismount the press.

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[jmorris]

Ok, those are counter sunk flat screws. That gives them a fairly wide head but the taper also locks them in fairly well.

I would get as small diameter cut off wheels as you can get, these would likely work.

https://us.dremel.com/en_US/products...wheels-20-pack

You haven’t mangled the screw to this degree, so you should have even more to work with.



I would fit a flat blade bit accordingly to the slot.

[XDROB]

I do have some Dremel wheels like that. I can try that idea. Thanks

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[Bazoo]

If when you slot it, you still can't turn it, hit the head with a brass punch/hammer a couple times to break it loose. If you strip out the slot, then you can use a steel pin punch to turn it out via driving against the slot edge.

[Kenstone]

Number 35 in the exploded view. I don't have any access to a welder of any sort. Am hoping I don't have to completely dismount the press.

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OK, #35 screws are 1/4x28 flathead screws.
Easy enough to remove with an automatic center punch, like this:
https://www.harborfreight.com/spring...punch-621.html

Just punch it straight down way out towards the edge of the flathead.
This is to make a mark into the surface of the screw head.
Put the punch point back into the punch mark you just made, tip it at a 30 to 45 degree angle with the tip point facing the UN-screw direction-counter clockwise.
Push the punch until it fires/clicks, it will act like an impact wrench, tapping the screw in the UN-screw direction.
After several/many hits you will see the screw start to turn (UN-screw) and back-out.
This method has worked many times for me on flathead screws that had either philips-heads or socket hex-heads that were stripped.
Sorry for the long description and if it's not clear enough to understand I can take some pics tomorrow.
it'll work, try it.

Edit: and touch the screw with a soldering iron if you suspect it has Loctite on it, before hitting it with the auto-punch.

[Mk42gunner]

I've broken more than my share of ball ended Allen wrenches off, usually in the right sized hole though. They allow a bit of misalignment, but do not like any torque applied at an angle. 5/32 was a very common size on a MK42 5"/54.

My suggestion to get the broken ball out is to use one of the vibrating electric pencils, with the bit turned around to use as a very small punch, and just vibrate it loose. Then work on getting the screw out.

Robert

[rbuck351]

I have removed a bunch of stripped out phillips head screws by using a cape chisel on one side of the top of the head and tapping it with a very small hammer counter clockwise.

If you can get at the screw from straight down on the top you can drive a cape chisel down along side the broken ball and then pry the ball out while still tapping on the chisel to get it to go under the ball. Then you can use a drill just a little under the size of the screw head and carefully drill straight down until the head is gone and the plate will lift off. Then penetrating oil and tap on whats left of the screw very lightly with a small hammer. Do not smash it flat. Then remove with vice grips. If you are not patient and good with hand tools, take it to someone who is.

[XDROB]

Used a vibrating engraver. The ball moves, but won't come out. Used as strong of a magnet that I have in the house. So I think I'm off to Harbor Freight to look for the center punch and maybe a Cape chisel.

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[rbuck351]

If you can't find a cape chisel and they are rare, take a flat nose round punch and grind about a 60 degree angle on the tip until you have a sharp tip on one side. Put the sharp side at the edge of the ball at about a 45 degree angle and drive it down and then under the ball and pry it out.

[Minerat]

Drill a hole in the ball and use a small eazy out to back it off and loosen it then use the magnet.

[onelight]

I am with the guys that say use a punch or chisel they need to be sharp to get started . I was a motor cycle mechanic for many years and have no idea how many stripped screws I removed with those tools . Mainly Phillips screws both counter sunk and round head.
Customers often would bring them in for us to remove.