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I bought this jubilee off Ebay and need to remove a pair of links, but I'm buggered if i can get this screw to budge! The other one is fine. I managed to pull some dirt from inside the groove so then ran it through the ultrasonic cleaner, but still nitto on shifting it. I'm just mangling up my screwdrivers.
What are the 'go to' options for such a predicament?
Thank you so much.
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Grind down a bigger screwdriver to make a turn screw, then alternate heat/cold on the screw, this will probably shift it.
mike
Yeah get a hairdryer on it!
Could be loctited in so as above to turn back to liquid state.And the other comment about making sure you have the best fitting screwdriver. Good luck!Quote:
Originally Posted by GraniteQuarry
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Did you use rather warm water in ultra sonic? Dash of washing up liquid?
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Use the tip of a soldering iron to warm it up.
55C in the ultrasonic, although no washing up liquid. I could try that.Quote:
Originally Posted by stefmcd
I tried giving the thing a blast with my hairdryer, and almost burned my fingers...but no luck. I just can't get purchase on it.
I'm not sure i follow the idea about filing down a larger screwdriver..?
Tbe slot appears rather enlarged in terms of slot thickness - so take a bigger screwdriver that does match the thickness and reduce its width.
It should barely go into the screw to allow lots of torque to be applied.
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Sorry john, a turn screw is a gunsmithing screwdriver that has a flat ended blade, not tapered like a normal screwdriver, this AIDS in thexpressurexneeded to turn tough screws, so if it were me I would get a slightly larger screwdriver, flat it off so it fits the width and depth of the slot fully.Quote:
Originally Posted by john_coburg
If you have a fine punch you can tap the screw head this has the doubt effect of shaking and hopefully breaking the bond and also repairing some of the damage to the head so the driver fits better.
Most other techniques I can think of only work for larger screws.
100 degrees c should break blue loctite and watches should have purple so the hairdryer sounds plenty hot enough for that.
Think about it for a moment.
Heat needs to be applied at the threaded end of the link where the screw threads engage, on a Jubilee that's the opposite end to the head, and it'll be a fairly fine thread . Messing about with hot water is like trying to bore through a mountain with a carrot, you need a flame on the link where the thread engages, but don`t overdo it or you'll discolour the metal then it'll need polishing again. It's either stuck because it's corroded, or the threads are rough, or (more likely) it's held with Loctite that'll soften with heat. A decent quality screwdriver blade that fits the slot is a big help, but don`t go mad with pressure if it's not moving. If it really is stuck it's a case of using heat (proper heat!), followed by penetrating oil . Immerse the thing in penetrating oil in a jar, put this in the ultrasonic bath (containing water, obviously!), keep taking it round this cycle of heat, penetrating oil, ultrasonic. There's a chance that it's corroded in around the shank of the screw, stainless steel can corrode in the presence of dirt and crap, if that's happened the penetrating oil/ultrasonic/ heat cycle is still the best bet. Heating an item then dropping it in penetrating oil can help......do this in a ventilated area for obvious reasons!
The trick with using heat is to get the heat in quickly at the spot you want it, then use the screwdriver whilst it's hot. A soldering iron is another good way to apply heat, but I prefer a small gas flame.
Trying to punch the screw round is unlikely to work on this scale. The risk of breaking the threads is significant....and if that happens it'll spoil your day!
A screwdriver that fits is a must, as Mike suggested it may help to dress the end to get a good snug fit.
Really appreciate the help on this, thank you all very much. Why anyone would loctite a screw in a Rolex bracelet is beyond me..Quote:
Originally Posted by walkerwek1958
Time ran out this evening so i'll try and get on to this next week.
Thank you all again very much indeed.
Nothing wrong with using Loctite, far better than having a screw come out.
Unless a screw moves very easily I always use a touch of heat on it, far better than using too much force and regretting it.
Is this a Rolex jubilee? If not, it could be a split pin.
Are you sure it's not a split pin. They can look confusingly similar.
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One’s come out okay and other one in pic definitely looks like screw.Quote:
Originally Posted by JFW
Steam it over the kettle. if that doesn't do it, a dab of nail varnish remover.
Rolex use Loctite, just make sure you use the correct thread lock Loctite 221.Quote:
Originally Posted by john_coburg
Thermal shock.
Heat it up, then use a can of freezer spray (from an electronics wholesaler) to cool it. The metals should expand and contract at different rates, destroying the bond between them. Don't apply enough heat to harden/anneal the screw head.
As Paul has stated already, I use a gas soldering iron with the heat shrinking attachment on, only takes a couple of seconds, generally on the thread end only.
I've tried heating on the hob (on minimum!), running under cold water, repeating x5. I tried filing down a chunky screwdriver. All i end up doing is ruining screwdrivers and the screw head. I just can't budge the damn thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeveal
Is there a nuclear option? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8ce5920c71.jpg
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It will have to be drilled out now using a bench drill.
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Try treating it like a split pin. If it comes out you can then use a split pin to replace it.
The problem there is that the screw will be harder than the bracelet. So the drill will tend to veer off and enlarge the hole. Drilling that out would be very difficult.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcam
The next step I'd suggest is to attack the screw with some alum powder diluted in warmed water. I don't think the alum will attack the stainless steel bracelet, but it might be wise to coat the bracelet to be sure. Nail varnish will probably do it.
It's a long screw, so this is going to take a good while. And it's going to need regular stirring / cleaning of the hole (bit of pegwood / cocktail stick should do it).
I've not tried this technique, but I know a number of people swear by it.
Good luck!
The screw’s made of stainless steel, so the alum trick won’t work.
As I stated earlier, penetrating oil, ultrasonic plus lots of heat in the right place will move it.......eventually. A microburner is ideal for getting the heat to the right spot, but the flame from a gas hob will usually suffice.
I had a similar problem involving an old Omega with an integral bracelet and a screw stuck in the case, it came out eventually without breaking anything, but it needed heating to a point where the surface discoloured.
Buy some Plus Gas or GT 80 penetrating oil, fill a small jar, heat the link, dunk it in the oil (in a vented area, it’ll smoke a bit), give it some ultrasonic, let it soak, keep doing this and it’ll eventually move. There’s still enough slot left on the screw to get a strong enough grip, but a a screwdriver that’s a good fit is a must and you need to press on it hard to prevent it slipping, it’s more about pressure than twisting.
At the risk of stating the obvious, ultrasonic frequencies transmit through glass, so the sensible way to use an ultrasonic bath is to fill it with plain water then place your item in a glass jar containing penetrating oil, hot detergent solution, or whatever cleaning medium is being used. Folks don’t realise this, I used ultrasonic baths in a work environment so to me its the obvious, it’s far better than dunking the item directly in the bath!
Nice, specific and clear post as usual, Paul. I suspect I'll be coming back to it at some point in the future - pessimistic lol.
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Agree. If the screw is stainless it won't work.Quote:
Originally Posted by walkerwek1958
hi paulQuote:
Originally Posted by walkerwek1958
does this hold for small home type ultrasonic baths and why is it better?
You don't need to replace large amounts of cleaning fluid on a regular basis - useful if you have a bigger cleaner and are just doing a small part.Sent from my SM-G950F using TZ-UK mobile appQuote:
Originally Posted by cyrusir
Using water in the bath, with the item to be cleaned immersed in the cleaning medium, makes far more sense......and yes, it will work with the small baths that are available cheaply.
I clean bracelets this way, fill a small jar with hot water (80 degree) water and washing up liquid, put the bracelet in and place the jar in the batch . The ultrasonic vibration goes straight through the glass. When the water’s cooled you can replenish the jar and go again..........just seems so obvious to me to do it this way, but that's because I used them for years at work.
Try placing the bracelet on a solid surface, screw head facing up. Place your screwdriver into the head and hit the end of the driver with a hammer a couple of times. The shock should loosen the screw. Make sure you have the best fitting driver possible.