best way to remove a stuck screw?

[purbeast0]

i have a screw that is used to screw in drivers to a speaker cabinet. on the underside of the speaker cabinet there are t-nuts that the screws screw into.

well when i was screwing the screw into the spot, the t-nut became dislodged after the screw was screwed into it.

and now for some reason the screw is like stuck in the t-nut and i can't get one off of the other. i've tried holding the t-nut on the underside of the driver (the speaker holds 3 drivers so i removed the one next to this driver to get my arm in there) and i can't turn one or the other because they are kind of stuck.

it is tight inside of the speaker case as well and there is the driver magnet close to where this is happening, so it is hard to reach down in there. i tried holding the t-nut with some needle nose pliers but had no luck. as soon as i turn the screw the pliers come loose.

there is probably like 1/4 or 1/5 an inch, if that, of wiggle room where i can pull this screw up from the hole it is supposed to screw into, before the back of the t-nut hits the inside of the speaker and i can't pull it up anymore.

anyone have any ideas how i can get this screw out? i don't mind if the screw is ruined in the process as i can just get another one.

 

[Fritzo]

I've had success with a "screw extractor" bit. You pound it into the screw with a hammer then use a wrench to twist the screw free.

 

[Rakehellion]

http://www.amazon.com/Alden-8530P-Gr.../dp/B000ETLK7O

 

[purbeast0]

I've had success with a "screw extractor" bit. You pound it into the screw with a hammer then use a wrench to twist the screw free.

well it's not "stuck" in the sense that i cannot turn it. the problem is it won't stop turning, because the t-nut it screws into is loose behind it on the inside of the speaker case.

it's stuck to the t-nut that is behind the speaker case, which is loose.

 

[lxskllr]

Clamp a hacksaw blade in some vice grips, and saw the bolt off.

 

[Sluggo]

Enough room for a dremel to cut the head off the screw?

 

[Jeffg010]

drill baby drill.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Needlenose vice grips on the wingnut?

Can you take pics?

Can you remove the speaker, or whatever, to get inside the case?


There's no special tool for that situation... I've used a dremel before, and just shaved off the head of the screw, but it probably isn't *that* stuck.

 

[manimal]

 

[silverpig]

Can you get bigger pliers in there to hold the nut? Maybe some kind of wrench?

 

[purbeast0]

Enough room for a dremel to cut the head off the screw?

nope, there isn't enough wiggle room to get the whole screw head away from the driver.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Enough room for a dremel to cut the head off the screw?

This is what I would try for. If you don't have a dremel you might be able to cut the head off the screw with some heavy wire cutters or bolt cutters.

 

[purbeast0]

Needlenose vice grips on the wingnut?

Can you take pics?

Can you remove the speaker, or whatever, to get inside the case?


There's no special tool for that situation... I've used a dremel before, and just shaved off the head of the screw, but it probably isn't *that* stuck.

i can get pics when i get home, at work now.

here is the speaker in question.

http://jtrspeakers.com/home-audio/triple-8ht/

the screw is on one of the drivers at the end. the actual screw is on the corner area that is near the middle driver. i've removed the middle driver to get my arm in there and tried holding the t-nut with my hands but it isn't possible. also tried to hold it with my needle nose pliers and it slips off.

there is not much room in there at all, and since the magnet on the driver is rigth near the screw, it makes it doubly annoying because it keeps pulling the wrench to the driver.

i've never heard of vise grips though - do those things clamp down extremely well? cause the needle nose plyers don't at all. and my normal wrench i lose when i moved, i could grab another one though.

 

[purbeast0]

This is what I would try for. If you don't have a dremel you might be able to cut the head off the screw with some heavy wire cutters or bolt cutters.

again, this isn't possible as i don't have enough of the screw head above the recessed area of the driver that it screws down into.

 

[lxskllr]

i've never heard of vise grips though - do those things clamp down extremely well? cause the needle nose plyers don't at all. and my normal wrench i lose when i moved, i could grab another one though.

Vice Grips are an American classic. They'll clamp and hold with crushing force, but that could also work against you. It might hold the bolt also if the nut crushes.

 

[purbeast0]

Vice Grips are an American classic. They'll clamp and hold with crushing force, but that could also work against you. It might hold the bolt also if the nut crushes.

hmmm okay. i may go grab a pair at home depot on the way home and see if those will hold the nut while i try to get the screw out. thankfully the screw is a hex screw so all this crap i've been doing to try and get it out hasn't really stripped it. i was literally trying for over 90 minutes last night until i accepted defeat and went to sleep

i need to see the size of those in person to see if they will fit in the area i have to reach.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Can't you just remove the t nut and screw? Sounds like you cross threaded the screw.

 

[purbeast0]

Can't you just remove the t nut and screw? Sounds like you cross threaded the screw.

have you read the thread? wtf you think i'm trying to do...

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

have you read the thread? wtf you think i'm trying to do...

You're the dumbass that doesn't even know what a pair of vise grips are. btw jackass once your dumbass finally removes the screw the t nut will be screwed up just like the screw you mangled. It's called cross threading. Next time have a man install the speakers since you can't even screw the screw in straight.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Is the t nut smooth or does it have teeth?

 

[sdifox]

use a flathead and try to lift the screw head up to provide some torque on the other side, hoping it catches the unstripped thread.

 

[Eug]

Drill it.

 

[Sluggo]

 

[purbeast0]

Is the t nut smooth or does it have teeth?

it had teeth at some point but it's all jacked up now from me messing with it with the needle nose plyers. i tried hammering it back into the wood and turning the screw that way, but as soon as i turned the screw it was loose again.

use a flathead and try to lift the screw head up to provide some torque on the other side, hoping it catches the unstripped thread.

tried it and no go

 

[mvbighead]

Is the tnut on backwards? It looks like there are little prongs that should stick into the object to keep it from rotating, so if it is freely spinning, I'd guess it is backwards?

If that is the case, I'd think you could wedge something thin against the "teeth" of the nut to hold it in place, and then unscrew.