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  1. #1
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    Stuck binding screws? - Use a Hand Impact Driver

    I have had 2 pairs of skis this year that have had binding screws that just would not come out. I tried all sorts of tricks, except the soldering iron. It seemed strange to me that this is probably such a common problem in the world of screws yet the solutions were all half assed or jimmy rigged.

    The hand impact driver tool was introduced to me yesterday and it is the right tool for the job. A couple wacks of the hammer and the most persistent basterds came out easy. Get this tool. It is cheap and works. Less chance of stripping that an impact driver drill as it only spins when there is significant downwards pressure.

    http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947641000P

    The only thing I could see maybe being an issue is the impacting force on the core. Anyone know of potential issues with that?

  2. #2
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    don't know if I would want to smash on my skis with it, but if your vehicle has drum brakes with the little retaining screws, they can often be a bitch to get off. I've got one of those just for that.
    Quote Originally Posted by Smoke
    Cell phones are great in the backcountry. If you're injured, you can use them to play Tetris, which helps pass the time while waiting for cold embrace of Death to envelop you.

  3. #3
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    sure impact drivers work or the soldering iron BUT if you only have a drill try this

    turn a 1/4 inch drill bit around BACKWARDS in the drill so the sharp end is in the chuck ,run the drill shank at high speed on the screw head to make the screw hot and break loose the epoxy

    I noticed drilling the head off of a stripped screw will also generate enough heat to loosen the epoxies grip ...but then the screw is toast already

  4. #4
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    I guess the impact driver will get the screws out, but if they were my own skis and especially if I was planning on re-using any of the holes, I wouldn't use it - pretty sure it will compromise the integrity of the material around the screw holes.

    My backup method of removing epoxied screws (since I dropped my soldering gun on the floor and the old phenolic plastic casing exploded) is to hold your Pozidrive #3 FIRMLY in the screw and heat the shaft of the screwdriver with a hot air gun for a couple minutes; heat will transfer to the screw and BINGO it's loose. Takes a bit longer than a soldering gun, but works even in hard to reach places like the forward screw on a Dynafit toepiece.

  5. #5
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    Epoxy softens with heat. If you heat the screw up enough to soften the epoxy, it will easily twist out - like a hot knife through butter. A solder tip works really well.

    Use the fact that epoxy loses strength at higher temperatures to your advantage here.

  6. #6
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    I use this thing

    to remove the occasional stuck binding screw.

    BTW impact driver (such as the above) plus drill can be found for <$200...

  7. #7
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    interesting points. I figured the soldering iron trick was a little hokey, especially with hard to reach screws. But if it always guaranteed to work like a charm, thats rad.

    The issue I had, was a lot of tricks sometimes only work half the time or if you are really fluent in said tricks, but there must be a correct way of doing it and that's what I figured I came across. The one concern being damaging the ski, but I had no intentions of ever reusing that hole. Does anyone have any factual knowledge on this one?

    An impact drill is a lot more likely to strip a bit than a hand help impact driver, and I have never seen a posidrive bit with the right chuck. A hand held Impact Driver costs $30.

    I like that there is discussion about these techniques though. That is what I could not find in any other threads.

  8. #8
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    I had a really bad experience with the soldering gun trick. No matter how much heat I applied, the epoxy wouldn't let up and I ended up melting the plastic baseplate of the binding.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by BrianColesIsSexy View Post

    An impact drill is a lot more likely to strip a bit than a hand help impact driver, and I have never seen a posidrive bit with the right chuck. A hand held Impact Driver costs $30.
    If you buy that impact/driver kit for $200 you will use the heck out of both tools. You will hardly ever use the hand impacter. The Cordless impact driver is one of the nicest tools to use which I have bought in the last five years or so. I bought a #3 posi tip at Ace hardware about a month ago, and it had the standard 1/4 hex shaft which is three inches long.

  10. #10
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    Don't. Use. Epoxy!
    Leave No Turn Unstoned!

  11. #11
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    The problem with a hand impact driver is that the hammer force is driving into the screw, when you need a sharp rotational force. If you have already fucked up the screw head it is useful, but the use of the proper driver should not ruin the screw head in the first place. A #3 posi in an impact driver with good screw heads should result in no problems. Epoxy kicks ass for strong, waterproof mounts

  12. #12
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    Another cheap alternative is a brace and bit. Can probably pick one up for about $20. Bit of an old-school tool but you can get incredible downward pressure using your whole body weight and huge twisting force with the lever. Works fine for me.

  13. #13
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    a hand impact driver does give a sharp rotational force. When you hit it it drives the screw and rotates. The advantage over a impact drill is when the downwards force stops, so does the rotational force. Less likey to strip. Good to know there are posidrive bits though.

    Some companies don't honour warranties without using epoxy.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by BrianColesIsSexy View Post
    .

    Some companies don't honour warranties without using epoxy.
    Please name one company (besides DPS and Goode) that recommends epoxy for mounting bindings on their skis.
    Leave No Turn Unstoned!

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by BrianColesIsSexy View Post
    a hand impact driver does give a sharp rotational force. When you hit it it drives the screw and rotates. The advantage over a impact drill is when the downwards force stops, so does the rotational force. Less likey to strip. Good to know there are posidrive bits though.
    You are right. I thought the hand impact driver only impacted straight in and all rotation was by hand, but I was wrong. There is still a sizable force straight into the ski though. I will stick with my cordless impact driver as it only uses hand pressure downward and turns with a lot of force. If you press down hard enough, using proper bits, stripping screw heads should be a rare happening.

    I have not had any problems from using epoxy. Others have had trouble. I think it is a futile argument trying to change peoples preferences.

  16. #16
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    how an impact driver works is when you hit it with a hammer there are ramps in the tool that convert the striking force of the hammer to rotational while at the same time the hammer blow is keeping the driver bit in the screw head

    I would still try some heat 1st and only use the driver on a stuck screw with a fucked head because I think it would be very possible for a chunk of the ski that the screw is glued to to rip out with the screw

    An impact driver was a must have for working on the old japanese motorcycle that came with soft shitty phillips head screws

  17. #17
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    The ahnd impact driver does work, but it coudl be alot of force and od damage depending on allteh materials aroudn the screw, same as the soldering iron.

    But th ehand impact driver will work where the electric impact driver won't, the hand one produces much more torgue and breakout force.

    Another trick an old mechanic showed me that I have used on stuck phillips screws on engine covers is a center punch. Put it on the head of the head of the screw, in one of the quadrants of the "+" and give it a couple whacks with a hammer. Sounds like which craft but it works. Never tried it on epoxied screws, but had it work on locktight screw in aluminum engines.

  18. #18
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    I've used epoxy for years and have never had a screw be difficult to break and unscrew. I don't even use heat. Pozi #3 bit + a nice T-handle driver, or even a 1/4 deep socket and ratchet works nicely. If you can't avoid stripping the head on a standard ski screw using these tools, you are fucking retarded.

    Of course, maybe your retarded buddy used his standard Phillips on your hand-me-down gear and now you're in this predicament. Time to drill and use a screw extractor. Impact drivers work well, but you have to avoid compressing the wood core, so don't wack-a-mole it too hard on your initial strike.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by bio-smear View Post
    I've used epoxy for years and have never had a screw be difficult to break and unscrew. I don't even use heat..
    you probably also have a massive dick and no one reading this is fit to drink your bathwater ?

    BUT did you use the cheap 5min shit from the drugstore cuz thats not real epoxy ,I have had a couple of screwheads glued in with 24hr slowset strip out without using heat (forgot) and once the heads are drilled off and the binding free cut off the rest of the screw and leave it in the ski

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    you probably also have a massive dick and no one reading this is fit to drink your bathwater ?
    True.

    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    BUT did you use the cheap 5min shit from the drugstore cuz thats not real epoxy ,I have had a couple of screwheads glued in with 24hr slowset strip out without using heat (forgot) and once the heads are drilled off and the binding free cut off the rest of the screw and leave it in the ski
    Untrue. Loctite brand 50 min set/24 hr cure 2-part marine epoxy.

    Sorry for your follies.

  21. #21
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    Holy fuck Brian. Is that really your user name on here? I'm speechless, until next Monday at least.
    Flying the Bluehouse colors in Western Canada! Let me know if you want some rad skis!!

    "He is god of snow; the one called Ullr. Son of Sif, step son of Thor. He is so fierce a bowman and ski-runner that none may contend! He is quite beautiful to look upon and has all the characteristics of a warrior. It is wise to invoke the name of Ullr in duels!"

    -The Gylfaginning

  22. #22
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    Old thread. RIP Gripen.

    An impact drill in a cold remote location resulted in a stripped screw head. It also had epoxy in the hole. I wasn't using the drill (and was very hesitant to try it), but we had been unable to budge the screw using a driver. The purpose was to swap out a troubled heel piece at a backcountry lodge.

    Once at home, I got the stripped screw out with this cool mini ezy-out. Drill bit is on one end, extractor on the other. This one was for a M4-M5 screw. Used soldering iron to heat first.though drilling likely heated enough. It came out super easy, and I didn't even get the drill hole centered properly.

    Given I carry spare bindings on some trips into the backcountry, I wont be using epoxy again. Breaking the glue in cold winter weather with a hand driver on the other 4 screws was very hard, almost impossible. The last screw got us and the troubled heel piece was with me for the rest of the trip.

    Last edited by neck beard; 05-15-2015 at 10:13 PM.
    Life is not lift served.

  23. #23
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    if you got use of a drill at a BC hut but no heat what you can do is put the drill bit in the chuck BACKWARDS and run the shank of the drill bit at high speed against the screw head which will make enough heat to break the epoxy bond on the screw
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  24. #24
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    Yeah, saw that idea in this thread. Wish we knew at the time. It all happened a little quickly one cold morning, then the damage was done.
    Life is not lift served.

  25. #25
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    yea old age/drugs/booze are always valid excuses to forget about using heat so... drill the head off eh
    Last edited by XXX-er; 05-16-2015 at 09:33 PM.
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

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