Rookie Mistake- solved

Bill J

Bill
User
I just did a dumb thing and want to see if anyone has a good fix. I snapped off a 3/32 drill bit in purple heart. there's not enough sticking out to get a grip on with any tool (I tried them all). It's too small for a screw extractor. This is the base of a table leg, the screw was going to hold the leg in a jig for biased tapering so the only solution I have is to make the leg shorter.
Any good ideas?
 

creasman

Jim
Staff member
Corporate Member
Depending on where it's at you could remove a bit of material in order to get a grip on it, pull it out, then patch the spot with a scrap of purple heart. You could position the leg so the patch is not noticeable. It might help to provide a picture to the forum.
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
If you can plot the trajectory you can drill the other side and use piano wire (.050) to push it out, or tap it in and patch over.
 

cyclopentadiene

Update your profile with your name
User
If you are like me, a repair may not be seen by anyone else but you know it is there and it will haunt you forever. $25 more in lumber and you can make another leg. The piece can then be salvaged for another smaller project.
 

Bill J

Bill
User
Thanks everyone. I thought I'd post a picture to show the unique issues of the problem. I already have many hours invested in this leg. It's made by gluing 1/4 maple sheathing over purple heart and the mortices are already cut, so making a new leg is very low on my solutions list. I couldn't drill in from behind and the bit is very small and snapped off clean. But Jim's simple suggestion worked. I was able to use an old chisel and chip out enough material to grab the bit with needlenose pliars.
 

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