Removing rib - loctite screws

First topic message reminder :

Seeking help and advice, sorry if this was already posted before but I have a specific question. So trying to remove scope rib but screws are on super tight. Luckily looks like quality screws where allen stripped instead of screw. Probably red loctite. My understanding is that best way to remove is heating it up, specifically spot heating with gas soldering iron that can produce intensity of heat vs minimal flame. Questions 1) is that the best way? Any other way to spot heat? Regular electric soldering iron is a no go as heat dissipates into slide faster than iron heats up.  2) will spot heating with gas soldering iron mess up melonite treatment?
Thank you.

One more thought: If you have a good bit that fits the screw well, hold the bit in the screw with vise grips from the side and while applying some CCW torque, hit the end of the bit with a small hammer. This has less likelihood of working if an adhesive was used, but if the threads were dry, it might.

There was tons of something on the threads of that one screw. Felt solid to the touch and not as red as red loctite is. Maybe off brand of red loctite or some sort of ceramic. Took it to the burner and it became maleable enough to wipe off with a napkin. So there is something there. I will try more heat as suggested and brake cleaner which seems to chemically melt loctite as well. Drilling will be a last resort. I want to beat this thing ))

Make sure the soldering iron is touching the head.  Reshape it until it is touching only the head.  If they’re Allen (hex) screws, cut a stub off a key and use that as an intermediary to get the heat into the center of the screw.

Wobbley wrote:Make sure the soldering iron is touching the head.  Reshape it until it is touching only the head.  If they’re Allen (hex) screws, cut a stub off a key and use that as an intermediary to get the heat into the center of the screw.

Yes, I reshaped iron to fit just the bit, applied heat on 300 watts (supposedly 1200F) for 6 minutes, but it did not budge at all.  More items en route, will keep you all posted. Meanwhile hit me up with more ideas. You guys are great!!!

Tripscape wrote:There was tons of something on the threads of that one screw. Felt solid to the touch and not as red as red loctite is. Maybe off brand of red loctite or some sort of ceramic. Took it to the burner and it became maleable enough to wipe off with a napkin. So there is something there. I will try more heat as suggested and brake cleaner which seems to chemically melt loctite as well. Drilling will be a last resort. I want to beat this thing ))

Good! But be careful with brake cleaner, it can possibly damage bluing and other finish. Plus, it's not going to make it very far into the threads...

Yes, will test the underside of the slide and rib (at the chamber section).

I sent mine back to Marvel awhile back for the same thing. They took care of it for me.

And I didn’t have to worry about damaging it.

I have used spiral fluted easy out extractors many many times over the years for jobs just like this. I typically use a drill press vice to hold the work, put the easy out in the drill press chuck and lower the chuck down onto the stuck screw. Using a drill press enables you to put significant downward pressure on the screw. Turn the chuck CCW by hand. Since the spiral fluted easy out is tapered, you can grind down the tip of it until it is a tight fit into the head of the screw. This method has never failed me over the years in the many instances where it has been used. Good luck

If this method is used, once you see the screw start to back out, reduce the downward pressure so the screw can come out as you continue to rotate the chuck.

BEA wrote:...Since the spiral fluted easy out is tapered, you can grind down the tip of it until it is a tight fit into the head of the screw.   

Oh yeah. I come from a background where we had bins of Easy-Outs (spiral and straight) and we always ground the tips to fit the job - taking out hundreds ~ thousands of screws holding panels during aircraft work. The Easy-Out was the consumable item to achieve the task. Make the tools fit your task.

Be cautious of easy-outs.  They will wedge a screw in tight.

Update - so brake cleaner did not work. Like at all. Thankfully it did not damage coating anywhere, but this stuff is awesome at degreasing. It is now in my arsenal of bicycle tools.
What did work for 2nd screw was gas soldering iron on heat (not flame) setting. Similar to this one:
https://youtu.be/Z3gdgECJ-os
Someone went extremely red loctite happy on it.
Tried same on third screw but it immediately stripped. Drillng it out was not fun, screw was tempered so hard that I lost 2 drill bits on it. How the heck did it even strip??? Makes no sense that it dulls 2 drill bits, meanwhile it stripped so easily.  When the head did come off it was impossible to remove the stem without heating it full torch mode, upon which time it came out easy. 
These @ssholes red loctited red dot sight as well. Luckily Weller soldering iron took care of that fairly easy, but I kept praying that the heads don't strip.

This would have beed literally a 10-15 minute job have they used blue loctite. 

Ok, so now I need at least one new screw. For rib screws are those usually M4's? Does Home Depot carry good tempered ones? Any suggestions for sourcing good screws?

Bolt Depot

Thanks Jon! Is the alloy oxide steel what I should be looking for? This?


[ltr]Metric socket cap, Class 12.9 alloy steel black oxide finish, 4mm x 0.7mm[/ltr]

If this rib is on a 1911 slide most screws are 6-40..

Tripscape wrote:Thanks Jon! Is the alloy oxide steel what I should be looking for? This?


[ltr]Metric socket cap, Class 12.9 alloy steel black oxide finish, 4mm x 0.7mm[/ltr]

Yes

jglenn21 wrote:If this rib is on a 1911 slide most screws are 6-40..

Jim, many thanks go out to you! M4 was not the right thread pattern and I would be pulling hair if it was not for your comment. 6-40 by 5/16 from Bolt Depot sealed the deal, but not without some trimming by the dremmel. 
Aimpoint and Holosun threads are M3 screws. 

Project done, lessons learned. Thank you all for helpful comments and suggestions.

Yevgeny

I don't think I have ever replaced a rib or sight mount screw without filing it shorter. Do these manufacturers somehow get custom lengths made?

Well, i got both 5/16 and 1/4. 1/4 fit fine, but there were about 2 more turns missing, so I decided to file down 5/15. Gun is so tight that ANY part of screw slightly sticking out did not let the barrel back in ))). I was very surprised and a newly found respect for the build.