I can’t believe it – I overtightened a trunnion bolt while trying to realign my saw and I sheared the bolt!
How can I remove the broken stud from the trunnion (the broken stud is not exposed past the opening in the trunnion)?
Thanks for the help,
Brian
Replies
Go to the auto parts store and buy an "easy out".
I have done the same thing on other tools. An easy out from a auto parts store saved the day for me. Good luck
Yup..easy out..
But a word of advice. Get a hard drill bit, carbide or what ever they call it. Make sure you drill out the bolt- about 90% or more depending on how steady your hand is. ie you don't want to drill out the good side of the threads.
Lot's of "holy water" (liquid wrench et al) and heat if you can.
Beleive me,as one who has busted off the VERY hard easy out by not doing what I suggest.
You DON"T want to break the easy out off..it makes for a long day..
HTH
10saw
Edited 12/18/2006 9:04 pm ET by 10saw
Just beware that a broken "easy out" is considerably more difficult to remove than a broken bolt. Easy outs are hardened and can't be drilled with normal bits.
If you can get the part to someone with a welder here is an alternative method:
http://idisk.mac.com/forever4/Public/pages/studremoval.htm
Use a center punch to make a dimple in the center of the bolt and to keep the drill bit from walking before inserting the EZ-out. If the bolt didn't bottom out, you may find it easy to remove. I use B&D Cobalt bits, or DeWalt. The Pilot point will work great for this because they have a small pilot and the outer edge scores the hole, not like a regular twist drill's bevel. Take your time drilling it out so the bit goes where you want it. Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster are great for this kind of thing.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 12/18/2006 10:16 pm by highfigh
Edited 12/18/2006 10:17 pm by highfigh
If (and it is kind of a big if) you happen to come across an Easy Out kit that has Left Handed Drill bits....buy them if the price is reasonable.
After years of dealing with broken bolts and studs I can tell you this makes the job much easier to deal with. Think about it...with the normal kit while you are drilling the hole you are loading the bolt in a direction that tends to further seat it.
With the left handed drill bits they will often break loose and turn out during the drilling process before you even insert the Easy Out.
Also, use a good penetrating oil and let it soak in for a few minutes before you start trying to get it out.
If the remains of the bolt visibly tighten while drilling the hole, it's a great sign. That kind of thing made me very happy when I have had broken bolts. I make sure I have good sharp drills and don't get after it too hard.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 12/19/2006 10:11 am by highfigh
I had the same thing happen to me. Fortunately, I was able to use a pair of needle nose pliers with the tips pressed into the irregularities left in the surface of the sheared bolt -- a quick press and twist done a few times enabled me to back the bolt out enough to grip its circumference with the pliers and remove it.
Good Luck!
EZ Outs and the like are last resorts, and can do more damage than they fix. In 40 years of repairing machinery I've used them once.
First of all, what kind of saw and which bolt broke off? Also did it break off because it was frozen when you tried to remove it? Or, as is more likely, did it turn easily and you overtightened the bolt, snapping it off, after you made an adjustment?
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
I will read with interest what you have to say, as an easy out is the easiest out that I can see.
Ok, I'm screwed. About 2 yrs ago I snapped off two boltrs on my drill press. It's an old benchtop Craftsman-Duncan that was my grandfathers during WW2. Still works well. Anyway, to change the speed you loosen two bolts that secure the motor mount to get slack in the belt, then put it on the desired pulley, slide the motor tight and tighten two bolts. They look like about 1/4-20 and I snapped off both of them within the same month.
Finally got around to trying to remove the detritus. They are broken off flush with the cast iron casting. I drilled pilot holes and then tried to use an easy-out. Dang if I didn't snap off the easy out too!
Now what?
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Find someone who can weld and use the method in the link I posted previously in this link.
Your experience is one of the reasons I don't use EZ Outs, they often snap off that way and leave you with a bigger problem than the one you started with.
The really easy fix is to get a link belt, the red ones made by Fenner. They have enough stretch that you can move them from pulley groove to pulley groove without ever having to loosen the motor mounts. You can size the belt to match the position that the motor is in now.
If the bolt shanks don't have an EZ out embedded in them, you can carefully drill them out up to the size of the drill you would use to drill for tapping for that size bolt. Start out with a smaller drill like 1/8" before you go to the larger one. Use new sharp drills and try to get the drill bit centered.
Once the bolt shank is drilled out, you can pull out the motor mount rods and then clean out the threads with the proper size tap. When drilling out the bolt, you will have to drill into the motor mount rods slightly but you can rotate the rods before you reinstall them so the dimples from the drill won't be under the new bolts.
The EZ out is hardened steel, you won't be able to drill it out. So if the EZ out is in the bolt you have to get it out by drilling around it if possible, and then pry it out. This is a messy job that may not work and will possibly damage the hole threads.
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
EZ outs are very hard, you can break them in pieces using a good punch and short sharp raps. They are hard to drill out as you have noted. I would recommend breaking them into pieces, extracting the pieces and trying again with heat or lubes rather than drilling around them. EZ outs actually break into pieces rather easily.------------------------------------
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer (1891)
Good information to know, but I hope I'll never need it.
John W.
"Finally got around to trying to remove the detritus. They are broken off flush with the cast iron casting. I drilled pilot holes and then tried to use an easy-out. Dang if I didn't snap off the easy out too!"Ha ha! Join the club...at least you'll only do that once or twice or 3 times like stupid me<G>You need a hardened drill bit to drill the easy out out. Get a couple, couple a bit smaller to get it started then ones almost the size of the bolt your drilling out. I mean like within 1/64" of hitting the threads. You have to pretty much drill out the busted bolt 98%+ for an easy out to work. Easy out also needs to be inserted deeply, don't try just the tip that will break for sure. Easy outs aren't little extention handles to grip, you seriously have to drill out almost all of the busted bolt for them to work, but they do work, but don't force them! hard metal is brittle.Drill the busted bolt 98% out!!!!Lots of liquid wrench or some of the new products and let them soak. Heat helps as well. Plumber torch if it's safe and just try not to draw the temper of the metal out too much. Just has to get real hot not glowing.10saw
CEOE
(certified easy out expert)
I'm not so positive that you're going to have success drilling out an EZ-out. They're harder than most drill bits, and even a hard bit has a tendency to walk around the EZout into the softer surrounding material (that you don't want to destroy). Best bets are to do nothing, or plan for a lot of damage and a much bigger bolt.I find you can mostly change even solid belts without loosening the tension if you turn the pulley while moving the belt. A link belt would make this even easier.Pete
Edited 12/20/2006 12:05 pm ET by PeteBradley
Are you saying the the bolt is broken even with where it comes out the trunnion hole? If so, just remove the other three bolts, remove the trunnion and then use a vise grip on the part of the stud sticking out of the table bottom. It should easily turn out.
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