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Thread: Fixing Gooned Screws.

  1. #1
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    Fixing Gooned Screws.

    Everybody has gooned a screw on a gun, don't say you haven't done it cuz I'll just call you a liar. Lots of people just throw their hands up in the air and cuss and then buy a new screw,,, and then wait for a week for it to show up.

    Obviously using the correct size screwdriver that fits the screw is necessary but even then sometimes the screw slot gives up and foul language generally follows.

    However all is not lost and fixing a screw head is not rocket science. I've been doing it for decades, and it aint that hard.

    Here's an overview of how I do it.

    1. After you get the screw out, you clamp it in a Vice on the threads. You don't need to clamp it tight and destroy the threads because all you are doing is just holding the screw firmly with the underside of the head resting on the top of the vice jaws.

    2. Then you take a Small Ball Peen Hammer (4oz.) and gently "toonce" the buggered parts back down to where they were originally. Sometimes you need to use a "guided blow" on the material to push the slot back closed. Don't worry about closing the slot, just don't close it all the way.

    3. After the head has been reformed, take a Jewelers File and recut the slot taking care not to taper it too much.

    4. Then chuck the screw in a Drill Motor and polish the head smooth on a Scotch Bright Deburring Wheel making sure the radius on the top of the screw head is maintained.

    5. Drop the screw into a bottle of Birchwood Casey Cold Blue and swish it around for a while, take it out, rinse the blueing off and then dip it in Oil.

    Done,,, and this took all of 2 minutes to accomplish! Don't goon it putting it back in the gun !!!

    Hope some of this helps some of you cope with this common problem in a more effective way.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  2. #2
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    Yessir, nicely described process. And you can claim your guns screws to be custom cold forged!

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    I have a piece of copper plate to work on screws. It's D&Ted for most sizes of gun screws from 3x56 up. Also have it drilled to pass screw through and nut from back. Nuts are also made from copper plate and are flat pieces about 1" long X 3/8" wide. Depending on what I'm going to do the screw is threaded in plate or into the nut. Work head with ball peen then freshen slot with special little files for the purpose. Brownells sells them. Have brass stock drilled and tapped to put in drill. Put screw in this stock and spin it against Emory and then crocus. I usally heat with propane torch and spray with WD to blue. Sometimes use 44-40 cold blue. The plate is handy for cutting off screws with dremil and filing too.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    I use a couple pieces of 2"x4" in a vice and lightly peen the metal back then screw vice and polish with silicon carbide paper then cold blue. Moral of the story is don't throw away any gun or scope ring screws. Someday you will goof one up and you'll be glad you had that little medicine bottle of old refreshed ones. As already said doesn't take long to refresh them. Frank

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master

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    If you check out he Home Shop Machinist magazine last year I had an article on this and how to make the dapping block to redo screw heads. Or if you PM me I can send you a rough draft of the same.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    Everybody has gooned a screw on a gun, don't say you haven't done it cuz I'll just call you a liar. Lots of people just throw their hands up in the air and cuss and then buy a new screw,,, and then wait for a week for it to show up.

    Obviously using the correct size screwdriver that fits the screw is necessary but even then sometimes the screw slot gives up and foul language generally follows.

    However all is not lost and fixing a screw head is not rocket science. I've been doing it for decades, and it aint that hard.

    Here's an overview of how I do it.

    1. After you get the screw out, you clamp it in a Vice on the threads. You don't need to clamp it tight and destroy the threads because all you are doing is just holding the screw firmly with the underside of the head resting on the top of the vice jaws.

    2. Then you take a Small Ball Peen Hammer (4oz.) and gently "toonce" the buggered parts back down to where they were originally. Sometimes you need to use a "guided blow" on the material to push the slot back closed. Don't worry about closing the slot, just don't close it all the way.

    3. After the head has been reformed, take a Jewelers File and recut the slot taking care not to taper it too much.

    4. Then chuck the screw in a Drill Motor and polish the head smooth on a Scotch Bright Deburring Wheel making sure the radius on the top of the screw head is maintained.

    5. Drop the screw into a bottle of Birchwood Casey Cold Blue and swish it around for a while, take it out, rinse the blueing off and then dip it in Oil.

    Done,,, and this took all of 2 minutes to accomplish! Don't goon it putting it back in the gun !!!

    Hope some of this helps some of you cope with this common problem in a more effective way.

    Randy
    I use pretty much the same method. On things like ML lock bolts, I will also case harden the heads, as they are removed many times.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


  7. #7
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    I have restored several screwheads using that method. Many times, instead of cold bluing the repaired screw, I will heat blue it.
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    It appears I am not the only person here who does this. Maybe this thread will encourage others to jump off this highly technical and skill oriented cliff,,, and fix their own.

    Like I said goin' in,,, It ain't that hard!

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy McFred's Avatar
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    I'm sure they'll listen to "Reason"
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    Maybe I'm an over achiever. I have a lathe, so I just re-make the ones too ugly to use.

  10. #10
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    I'm glad you did bring this up. Even though some of us knew about this method of renewing boogered screw slots, others now can benefit from your post. As McFred said, there may be times when screws are just too damaged, but even so, the experience of trying to repair them will give you some experience in knowing just when you will need to make or buy new ones.
    Last edited by mazo kid; 09-29-2019 at 05:21 PM.
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  11. #11
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    Thanks for posting. I can say, this ham-fisted castbooliteer loves this post.
    I never would have thought of attempting to fix a boogered screwhead.
    I doubt I currently have a jeweler's file, but I'll be on the lookout
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  12. #12
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    Harbor Freight has an inexpensive set of Swiss files, also a mini-hacksaw frame you could use to re-cut screw slots.
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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by mazo kid View Post
    Harbor Freight has an inexpensive set of Swiss files, also a mini-hacksaw frame you could use to re-cut screw slots.
    I have a big collection of HF tools.
    I know I have a couple file sets, one is a Riffling set I use all the time...I don't recall what the other set is? ...Maybe I already have some files that will work, LOL
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  14. #14
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    I’ve never gooned or buggered or damaged a screw with the wrong size driver; I find it much easier to use a dead blow hammer to get those pesky little screws back in!
    Please note the sarcasm!

    Very simple and informative write up- thank you- I just found a candidate to make a make duplicate of the winny 94 30-30 that I saved and restored from a basement floor- only this one looks like it was worked on solely with a dead blow hammer and a piece of rusted steel wool , there was a machine screw and a piece of wire keeping the mag tube in place, all screws need the treatment described above- I’ll try and post before and after pics!

  15. #15
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    Bohica793's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    1. After you get the screw out.......
    Herein lies the problem.......
    Make no mistake -- They will remember how easily you surrendered your rights.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drm50 View Post
    I have a piece of copper plate to work on screws. It's D&Ted for most sizes of gun screws from 3x56 up. Also have it drilled to pass screw through and nut from back. Nuts are also made from copper plate and are flat pieces about 1" long X 3/8" wide. Depending on what I'm going to do the screw is threaded in plate or into the nut. Work head with ball peen then freshen slot with special little files for the purpose. Brownells sells them. Have brass stock drilled and tapped to put in drill. Put screw in this stock and spin it against Emory and then crocus. I usally heat with propane torch and spray with WD to blue. Sometimes use 44-40 cold blue. The plate is handy for cutting off screws with dremil and filing too.
    Yes what you described is way better than bridging the screw over vice jaws as mentioned in the OP.
    A flat piece of steel with a screw size hole thru it offers better support of the screw head for peening.
    A machinist bench block is ideal for this too.
    Size/Prime a few cases when starting off with a progressive and put them aside. You can plug them back into the process when a bad/odd case screws up in the priming station and continue loading.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    Had a problem screw on a #4 Remington. This is the tang screw which goes into a nut on the bottom of the stock. The head was already buggered up a bit but that was not the problem. The nut is in the stock and has four tiny ears to keep it from turning, they were not doing their job very good. Screw was stuck and nut was trying to turn in the wood. Normally I would take the torch out and heat things up a bit but in this case it would have damaged the stock more. A little heat from a soldering iron and a few drops of penetrating oil and it came loose. Lucky me. I did not waist time making a new screw for the tang but did make a couple for the new tang sight.
    Cold peening the top of a screw is a good idea but may take a little practice for a beginner. I have had a few where I welded the top and cut a new slot. Most of the time I just make a new screw.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    one more twist - I (sometimes) use a hacksaw blade to clean out the screw slot - can deepen it just a touch and keeps the sides nicely parallel
    If the screw head is really wrecked - deepen and widen the slot till its clean and square - take a touch off the head height - takes an expert to pick it once its back in the gun !

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
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    In the blacksmith world the tool is called a "Heading Plate". It's used for putting the head on a rivet. All it is is a plate with a hole in it. They can be used in a vise or over the hardy hole of an anvil.

    From twenty-four to the age of thirty I worked in Architectural Blacksmith Shops. We made fancy house jewelry for rich people. Can you say, change order/change order/change order, three times fast.

    When I repair a screw, down in my basement labyrinth, I use a "Heading Plate"! Cause that's what they are called!!!

    I also cheat and use an industrial chemical patina called Tri-Black, because I still have most of a gallon left over from that time in my life.

    JM

    p.s. There is a debate in the blacksmith world over this tools title. I'll let you in on a little secret, the people who call it a bolster are weak minded.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    I've never heard the term bolster, but always "header", and have used square headers to make forged decorative nails. Another useful tool to have for working on screws is a threaded screw plate, run a long screw through the plate, cut off with a hacksaw, then clean it up with a file and when you screw it back out of the plate it straightens out the thread. I made mine, not sure where you can buy one.

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