Stripped screw head on Domino height adjustment stop

[KB29]

I just found out yesterday that the lever that tightens the height adjustment plate on the Domino 500 can be adjusted by removing the screw that holds it on and resetting the lever in order to be able to then turn that lever slightly further this holding the height adj. plate more securely. (mine had wandered on me a few times, and just wouldn’t hold tight anymore)

When I finally secured a pozidrive screwdriver, I discovered that screw to be very tight-so tight that the screw head stripped out as I was twisting too hard to get it loose. 

Now I’m in a hell of a spot with a pretty useless thousand dollar tool until I can get this screw out and replaced. 

Any ideas? I’ve never had any luck with those cheap screw extractor bits, so I’ve been hesitant to try that and make anything worse. 

 

[pettyconstruction]

Send it in to Festool

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[ChuckM]

People have had varying degrees of success with the use of rubber bands (https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-remove-stripped-screws/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90160abf30b) and screw grab (https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/supplies/32212-screw-grab?srsltid=AfmBOorogEUhu7rIbIHM5M1zx_po2sEdGSMBg2OxwhWIxOyEvkvjyhnx). Google should find you more Youtube suggestions.

If every simple and obvious method fails, I'd carefully Dremel grind a slot/groove on the top of the screw and remove the screw by hammering in this spirit (btw, I recently removed a bonnet exactly as shown in the video, saving myself $200 Cdn in fixing a leaky faucet):


Being in Canada, I'd say that sending something to Festool in the US for servicing will be my last last resort, but it may be a simple thing for you to do.

 

[Cheese]

Once a screw head is that buggered, you have few choices. Your best option at this point is to find/grind a center punch to an extremely sharp point and use that to punch/drift the top of the screw head in a counter-clockwise direction. You only need to loosen the screw, once broken free, you can usually remove it with your fingers, a needle nose pliers or a tweezers.

If you need to advance to the stage 2 and stage 3 options...let me know.  [smile]

 

[waho6o9]

JBweld a bit in there and hope for the best.......Send it in to Festool as last resort. 

Good luck

 

[tjbnwi]

Left hand drill bit.

Tom

 

[Vtshopdog]

Would an EZ out work?

Something like these:https://www.grainger.com/product/2RUR2?gucid=N:NSaid:GGL:CSM-2295:7Q8R4W:20500801:APZ_1&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAhP67BhAVEiwA2E_9gzGqWHLB4Tq36zY4mDXtcz0LNrusYdwWDdPHM2RZd5PcVrV6oAPcqxoCGS4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I dealt with stuff like this all the time when I was still working.  Things can go ugly really fast.  Impact drivers can be your friend, but you're long past that stage.  I'm guessing the screw had some sort of thread lock, a little heat might help things.  Another solution might be to sacrifice the plastic lever, chop it off and remove what's left of the screw with your favorite vise grips (or pipe wrench LOL)

EDIT:
Another option is to drill the screw head off, then go at the stub with your fave vise grip / (pipe wrench?? [big grin] [big grin]). At this point you might only get one chance to free it up - worst case is you are ham handed and sheer the screw shaft and are faced with drilling a steel screw out of an alloy body which usually doesn't work.

At my work we had some Snap On easy outs with much finer/sharper cutting edge than the ones I linked above.

Good luck

 

[montyss]

Try a product called Screw Grab it works.Lee Valley and Amazon carry it. Just a couple drops in the screw head then push firmly down while turning the screw driver

 

[KB29]

Thanks guys! I don’t expect so many varied responses- was kinda expecting to mostly hear “you’re f’d”

Just ordered some Screw Grab, that seems like the most harmless in the event it doesn’t work.  Then I can move to Plan C, D…

Agree sending into Festool is probably a last resort; afraid I’d be without the tool for weeks. 

I caught the Sedge video about the easily adjustable replacement handles he found from an online source, and was going to buy two of those anyway-so trashing the existing handle if absolutely necessary may not be the end of the world. 

For now I’ve broken out the old dowel jig to finish the project and have become quite thankful for the Domino purchase once again. 

 

[Cheese]

Agree sending into Festool is probably a last resort; afraid I’d be without the tool for weeks. 

If you do your paperwork ahead of time, the repair process is painless. They usually turn stuff around fast so figure 7-10 days without the tool. If you're within a 1 day shipping range of Festool then 4 days wouldn't be unheard of. Shipping time is the time waster.  [smile]

 

[ChuckM]

Allow me to say that outfitting the DF 500 handles with another non-Festool set is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. The Festool factory handles are perfect as long as one follows the adjustment instructions and reset their positions properly. I've done that to my as well as two other DF500s that have resulted in full satisfaction ever since. Yeah, it may look more sexy to have colored or even green handles if that's what you're after [tongue]

Of course, YMMV.

 

[PaulMarcel]

Try a product called Screw Grab it works.Lee Valley and Amazon carry it. Just a couple drops in the screw head then push firmly down while turning the screw driver

Good to hear it works well. When I saw it recently, I bought it on my next order. Seems like what I'd want handy for when something goes wrong. Much easier than drilling out

 

[ChuckM]

I used the screw grab twice, one success and one failure (because it was a brass screw [sad]).

Btw, make sure you know which direction to unscrew before you start!!!!

It seems the screw type seen in this vid was the same as the DF500's:

Yeah, it's handy to have one around as a stripped screw could hit you without warning, and you probably don't want to wait for a few days for what could be a life-saver to arrive.

 

[Chainring]

Since the whole thing is, well, screwed, why not use a oscillating multi-tool (or Dremel) to cut a notch into the plastic handle? Break that sucker off then you have access to the screw head. A pair of pliers later and the damaged unit is out.

A vote for the Sedge promoted units from McMaster. The DF 700 has those units as standard from Festool and it makes adjustments way easier.

 

[Packard]

About 63 years ago, Helicoil came out with a way to replace a screw thread in castings that had become stripped.  It was novel tech when I had the spark plug hole rethreaded that way on the McCollough engine that drove my go-kart. 

It is fairly standard tech nowadays. 

I’m not sure about the exact application, but the helicoil inserts are far more durable than the original threads in the casting.

Lots of sources, and lots of videos.  Also, most machine shops are capable of this.  I watched as my engine was repaired and it took about 20 minutes.  So, not a big job.
https://www.google.com/search?q=helicoil inserts&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-m

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Left hand drill bit.

Tom

This ^^^ 100%
The beauty of this method is that, if the drill were to "catch" while drilling, it unscrews the offending screw. In a situation like this (if it doesn't catch and unscrew) work carefully as you get close. The idea is to barely cut through, releasing the lever. This will leave some of the shank of the screw for some locking pliers.

 

[pettyconstruction]

I changed the screws out on my Domino as per Sedge.
Easy peasy.

 

[Cheese]

This ^^^ 100%
The beauty of this method is that, if the drill were to "catch" while drilling, it unscrews the offending screw. In a situation like this (if it doesn't catch and unscrew) work carefully as you get close. The idea is to barely cut through, releasing the lever. This will leave some of the shank of the screw for some locking pliers.

This is a great solution but unfortunately, its probably outside of the wheelhouse of 99.95% of the Domino users. That same percentage of folks wouldn't even know where to search for such an animal. It's not unlike me suggesting to just use a wire EDM...

 

[PaulMarcel]

This is a great solution but unfortunately, its probably outside of the wheelhouse of 99.95% of the Domino users. That same percentage of folks wouldn't even know where to search for such an animal. It's not unlike me suggesting to just use a wire EDM...

Yeah, I wondered where you could get a left-hand drill bit. Probably McMaster-Carr  [scratch chin]

 

[ChuckM]

If by left-hand drill bit, it means reverse drill bit, it is everywhere including the mighty Amazon. Google found me at least 3 or 4 local hardware stores that carry them.


But don't screw extractors work in the same principle?