Benchtop jointer problems... Need advice

[Kicbak]

I bought a delta benchtop jointer from another member earlier this year. The knives were fine but I've been using it and now I need to change them. I go do remove the bolts and there are 4 on each side. First side the first 3 come off easy. The last one the allen the head gets striped. Its not a case of using a wrong size or anything. It just striped out. The other side I can't move any of them.

Questions - Should I use a hammer or a rock to smash this thing to S$!T?

I don't see anyway to fixing this thing......Nothing quite like having 70 bd ft of oak, a week off work and no jointer.......
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH

Wes

 

[McRabbet]

I assume that you are dealing with Allen-head cap screws that hold the knives in place. WD-40 or a good penetrating oil may help loosen the threads, and perhaps some brief heat from a propane torch and striking the center of the cap screw with a 1/8" pin punch and hammer. If the cap screw is badly damaged, you will need to use an Eze-out (check at Lowe's, Sears or an automotive parts store). You need the shallow style (not a longer screw extractor) These bite when turned counter-clockwise and you may need to drill out the cap slightly to get a bite. Be careful as Eze-outs are hardened steel and are brittle. If the bolt still will not come out, you will need to drill the cap screw out with a bit that is small enough to avoid the threads in the jointer head and re-tap. Obviously, you'll need to replace the cap screw(s) when done. Good luck.

 

[Travis Porter]

Aaahhh.... You are in one of those predicaments where you are ......... Tried to think of an "appropriate" word to use and couldn't come up with one. I have been there many many times. Last time was with the blades on my riding lawn mower.

There are several options and they depend on what you have at hand and what you can get in there.

Easy outs - drill a hole in the bolt head (if you can reach it) and use an easy out.
Grinder - if you have an angle grinder or you can get a abrasive tip for a portable drill grind the head off. I have abrasive tips that are 1/16" thick and 1.5 inches in diameter to give perspective. Then use needle nose pliers, vice grips, etc to screw it out. Most of the time once you get the head off the bolt is amazingly easy to unscrew.

 

[Charles Lent]

You didn't say what type of head is on the bolt - The flat head or cap screw type. If it's a cap screw type head a vise grip plier can be used to grab the outside of the head. Allen head screws are great, until you strip out their wrench socket.

Here are a few things that I've used to get them out:
1. Soak it in penetrating oil for several hours. WD-40 works, but KROIL works better, if you can find some.
2. Grind down the next size larger allen wrench just enough to make it fit tight and hammer it into the damaged socket.
3. Strike the head of the bolt straight on with a sharp hammer blow. The hammer blow should break the rust welds and make it easier to get out.
4. An impact type screwdriver is available for about $20 from auto parts stores. It has several hex style screwdriver bits with it, but you can get allen wrench style hex bits and insert them in it too. To use it you insert it into the screw and hit the top end with a hammer. This applies downward as well as rotational force to free the bolt and is quite effective.
5. Torch heat, but not enough to change the color of the metal, will expand the bolt and the surrounding metal. Then apply ice to the bolt head only. This should shrink the bolt slightly and make it easier to back out.
6. The easy out type screw removal bits do work, but usually only after soaking, or heating/cooling, and hammer blow techniques have been used to loosen the bolt. You will likely ruin the easy out bit while doing this because of the hardness of the bolt, but if it works, the cost of the bit is worth it.
7. A Dremel tool with a thin grinding disk can be used to cut a screwdriver slot in the head. Do this only after trying the other less destructive ideas above.

8. For screws and bolts that aren't as hard as allen head bolts I have had good success using left handed drill bits. The counter clockwise rotation of the bit will usually catch in the bolt head and rotate it out without any additional effort. Sometimes it is necessary to drill off the bolt head before it backs out, but this is usually not the case. A left handed drill set can be bought from tool and industrial suppliers for $20-30 and is good to keep around for such emergencies, but don't try them on allen bolts, as they are too hard and will destroy the drill bits.

Time, and sometimes a lot of patience, are necessary for success.

Using one or more of the above methods should get it out. Persistance and patience are the key here.

Charley

 

[Kicbak]

Took 2 hours but I got it. 4 stripped and 4 didn't. I had to go to town on the stinkers that wouldn't come out. I tried the eze-out stuff, I tried hammers, I tried just about everything.

What actually worked....
Dremel with cut off wheel, made a line for flat head screw driver.
One came out with just that. The other three I had to pound on and they still wouldn't come off. I had to cut it deeper and then make another cut across that one. Then I hammered a screw driver at an angle trying to spin the bolt. That worked after the head was pretty mangled.....

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I got to jointer and plan most of the QS WO I got from Scott.

Wes

 

[McRabbet]

Perserverance pays! Glad you got the buggers out, but when you replace them, make sure to put a little grease or oil on each one so they won't rust up on you again!

 

[junquecol]

Being as how the head on this jointer is aluminum, and bolts are steel, use anti- seize, instead of oil or grease. AutoZone / Advance usually have a small package on the counter for use on spark plugs. Sells for about a buck, and will do a lifetime supply of bolts in a jointer.