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Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. (Read 6474 times)

olderthansome KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 131 Location: Michigan Joined: Mar 10^th, 2013 Gender:	Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Jun 13^th, 2019 at 8:59pm	Print Post
	I have a steel but plate that will not yield up its screws to, so far, penetrating oil, heat, and taps with a small hammer. Any suggestions for what to try next? I want to clean up an 1873 Trapdoor without using abrasives; I only want to remove years of dirt, paint spatter and general scrapes and, what appears to be heat or even some small fire damage to some areas. Most of the screws turn easily, but the rear sight and butt screws are firmly in place. After I get screws out, the plan will be to soak the metal parts as has been discussed on this site before. Wood plans are still in the future and after I can remove the metal.


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #1 - Jun 13^th, 2019 at 11:00pm	Print Post
	A few suggestions. One is to just leave them in place and clean up around them. You can really fight with some of these things and wind up scratching or ruining something you don't want to scratch or ruin. I have recut the screw head slot deeper with a Dremel tool and file before which gives me much greater "purchase" or grip on the screw head for breaking loose. You definitely need the correct screwdriver for the job. It has to be correct fitting and have a sharp profile so it will hold good. The penetrating oil may take a couple days to do its job. Keep dumping that on. Sometimes some carefully applied heat can coax the screw loose but be careful with the torch around the wood and the penetrating oil if you try it. This is not highly advised but can help. If the slot is buggered a little for the counter clockwise turning, one trick is to try to tighten the screw a tiny bit by turning it clock wise just slightly. This can be easier if the clock wise sides of the slot are not buggered up as much. This might allow you to actually break the rust loose then you can unscrew it counter clockwise. Good luck. Others may have some more suggestions.


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olderthansome KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 131 Location: Michigan Joined: Mar 10^th, 2013 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #2 - Jun 14^th, 2019 at 7:17am	Print Post
	Thank you for the tips. I've done most of the things you have suggested already except for allowing the time you described. I haven't used penetrating oil in years and I don't even know if I have the right product. I'm using 3 in 1 now, but I think what I used to use was just called Penetrating Oil. I also don't have the best screw driver. My heat source has been only a hair dryer on a modest setting. I'll give the soaking more time and try a hotter setting. Your suggestion of a Dremel tool is a good one, too. I think I can borrow one and try that. I can also grind the screw driver blade to fit a little better. Thanks again for the suggestions. You've been a help.


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #3 - Jun 14^th, 2019 at 10:59am	Print Post
	Good luck and keep us informed.


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #4 - Jun 14^th, 2019 at 3:39pm	Print Post
	'Liquid Wrench', (or 'Kroil' if you have it), will penetrate a lot better. An electric soldering iron, held on the screw-head, will give you a manageable, local, 'heat source'. You are probably 'fighting' old hardened grease, swollen wood fibers, and some deformation of the screw-head. A sharp awl or icepick point neatly cleans the bottom corners of the screwdriver slots, allowing a better/deeper screwdriver fit. Some screw-head slots are slightly 'dished', preventing a square screwdriver blade-tip from evenly touching bottom. Radius the blade tip to match.


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Zgun KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 80 Location: Massachusetts Joined: Jan 20^th, 2015 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #5 - Jun 14^th, 2019 at 3:40pm	Print Post
	My favorite penetrating concoction is 50% power steering fluid and 50% acetone. My personal experience is it works better than any of the commercial market offerings. I keep it in a sealed mason jar so the acetone does not evaporate. I call it Rust Eater. Zgun


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Local Boy KCA Forum Member KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 462 Location: Mat-Su Valley, Alaska Joined: Sep 24^th, 2015 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #6 - Jun 14^th, 2019 at 4:06pm	Print Post
	Lord forgive me for posting this... I've even gone so far as to use an impact screw driver to remove butt plate screws. No damage to the screws or stock when I've don it... but it sure gets your heart to fluttering when performing the procedure. Last resort kind of stuff when nothing else works.


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #7 - Jun 14^th, 2019 at 4:45pm	Print Post
	That's why it's best to sometimes leave well enough alone.


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olderthansome KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 131 Location: Michigan Joined: Mar 10^th, 2013 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #8 - Jun 19^th, 2019 at 1:55pm	Print Post
	Leaving it alone wasn't an option for this particular rifle, so your suggestion about waiting turned out to be the best solution. After a few days and one light treatment of 13oz Plumb at each compass point, the screw came out "like butta". Now I just need to handle some paint spots and some dirt, and I think I might have a relatively honest, maybe, Indian owned piece. I'm trying to fight the urge to use any stains, although the wood could certainly benefit from some sort of protection.


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #9 - Jun 19^th, 2019 at 2:12pm	Print Post
	Pictures will beget feedback. A cleaning with mineral spirits or turpentine is usually benign. A 50/50 mix of Linseed Oil and Turpentine is an old and established wood treatment. I like and use "Howard's Feed & Wax", as a final coat. It gives a pleasant luster.


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #10 - Jun 19^th, 2019 at 3:57pm	Print Post
	I use the Howard's Wax all the time on my Krags and other mil surp firearms. Works great and helps restore moisture to the dry aged wood. Post pictures when you can. Good job!


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #11 - Jun 19^th, 2019 at 5:21pm	Print Post
	'Whig' - Is your 'Howard's Wax' a different product than 'Howard's Wax & Feed'? BTW - Some Gun Stocks glow nicely after a rub down with PLEDGE furniture polish. FWIW - On some gun forums, a few contributors go positively Ballistic at the mention of Wax & Feed or furniture polish. The more they rant the less I think they know. I am given the impression that some highly vocal guys have not seen a wide array of well preserved antique guns. I don't regard repairing neglect, removing paint and modern finishes, or stabilizing corrosion, as destroying an arm's history.


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #12 - Jun 19^th, 2019 at 6:51pm	Print Post
	Same thing - I just didn't feel like typing the whole thing. I love Beeswax because we used to have honey bees when I was a kid and I have always loved the smell of pure bees wax and the benefits it gives for wood care. I have used it for years and it really moisturizes and brings a nice sheen to the wood. So much wood is overly dry and cracks so easily that something like Howard's stuff helps a ton. You have to shake it well to make sure it mixes or you don't get the full benefit of all of it.


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olderthansome KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 131 Location: Michigan Joined: Mar 10^th, 2013 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #13 - Jun 22^nd, 2019 at 5:05pm	Print Post
	I haven't ignored your requests for photos. I have some taken, but when I finally stumbled in to a way to post them, the message said that the files were too large. Now I have to see what's involved with reducing the size of each photo, but my IT person is in the garden working on her world of joy. Our agreement has been this last 54 years that I don't criticize her time in the plants and she doesn't criticize my time in my world.


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olderthansome KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 131 Location: Michigan Joined: Mar 10^th, 2013 Gender:	Re: Paint, dirt, and stuck screws - Removal thereof. Reply #14 - Jun 24^th, 2019 at 1:45am	Print Post
	I have posted the first photos of my project and as I look at them, it makes me wonder what I was thinking. Actually, I have tried the turpentine as you suggested and the first go around seemed promising. Most of the paint is gone, but the dirt and is still pretty strong. I guess I'll just keep at it a while and find some patience. In addition to the cartouche, I did find what looks like the remains of a Circle P proof which I didn't expect to see. I'll post some more "before pictures" later if you'd like.
	« Last Edit: Jun 24^th, 2019 at 4:46pm by olderthansome »

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