Frozen screw...

[M1 Thompson]

I've got a Sht LE Mk I *** (Sparkbrook 1905) that I've been searching for parts since I acquired it in 2008. Well, finally, someone is making forestocks for the old girl, and I'm moving forward. Yes, a moron tried to make her into a deer rifle...

I've got a dial sight pointer with screw and spring, and I want to transfer the base to the new stock. The problem is, the screw is frozen. I've tried "Kroil" to no avail. I thought about destroying what's left of the forestock to remove the entire sight base and use heat to remove it. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

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[WillSarchet]

How long have you been kroiling it? Patience and some gentle heat will help. Removing the spanner screw that holds the pointer and spring washer will let you apply the kroil directly to the fixing screw and also keep the heat from ruining the spring washer.

[M1 Thompson]

How long have you been kroiling it? Patience and some gentle heat will help. Removing the spanner screw that holds the pointer and spring washer will let you apply the kroil directly to the fixing screw and also keep the heat from ruining the spring washer.

Thanks for the reply. I've been adding Kroil for almost two weeks. The sight has been stripped. To add insult to injury, the stock was filed or sanded down taking almost half of the screw head with it.

[Flying10uk]

I was taught that for a seized screw or bolt the correct amount of heat to apply is so that the it is just marginally too hot to touch.

[steveu]

Heating with a soldering iron works.

[30Three]

I'd like to see some photos of exactly what we are talking about here. It may help work out the best way to deal with this screw.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

That would be a serious "plumbing-grade " soldering iron; not something you would use on printed-circuit boards.

[Scout Sniper]

Use an automatic centre punch on it, hit it face on off to the side till you get a nice dimple. Has to be an automatic one, the jolt from firing cannot be matched with a hammer and punch.

Then strike it round with a hammer. Also use a soldering iron, stick the tip of the iron in the dimple. And yes a standard PCB grade soldering iron is fine, i used a Weller Pyropen.

I removed a grip screw from a 100 year old Luger where the head was rusted solid and the slot was stripped using that technique. Be persistent but patient, walk away and come back.

[Flying10uk]

serious "plumbing-grade " soldering iron; not something you would use on printed-circuit boards.

I remember back in the 1980's someone using a "serious plumbing grade soldering iron" to "build" himself one of those self assembly computer kits that use to be on the market. I'm not sure that he ever got the thing to work, despite the hours of fiddling. It was like the most enormous soldering iron that I had ever seen in my life but why the chap thought it a good idea for electronics I've no idea.

It's all about using the right tools for the right job.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

My reason for suggesting the "big iron", is that part of the trick is to get as much heat into the metal bits before it starts to "migrate" outwards. And I have one in "the Dungeon'. Is that the gas-fired "Pyropen" that sounds like a small jet engine as it starts up?