Screw issues -- Need help!

Jericho

Jericho

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Guys,

I have a crazy old musket... not sure of the age but people here are pinpointing it to early 1800's... I need to restore it and taking it apart is a must. It's caked in rust. I have been using rust check / fine steel wool around the screws but I cannot get them to budge. I have screw extractors but am not sure this will be effective and I do not have replacement screws to use once the extractors toast the current ones.

Anyone have any little tricks or ideas? The screws are all fairly big, about a quarter inch in diameter (the heads) and take flat screwdriver. They're all about 1-2 inches long.
 
The problem is that the threads on the screw are rusted tight and not the screw head....so try this...take a small flat file and make sure that the screw heads are clean and deep with a tight fitting blade.

Gently heat up the surrounding area of the receiver and start to work the screw out. Dont go hard core as you will snap it off.1'8 inch out..1'8 inch it and keep working it till it comes out. If it all of a suddens becomes really tight...thread it back in,apply more heat and start over...DONT USE a oxy/acetylene torch for this...way to much heat,find your self a small micro torch which runs on butane.
 
If it is rusted real bad to the point where the screws want to break before coming loose, try soaking the whole thing in water for a few days. It'll re-activate the rust, and should allow you to get the screws out without breaking them.....
 
gunasauras said:
If it is rusted real bad to the point where the screws want to break before coming loose, try soaking the whole thing in water for a few days. It'll re-activate the rust, and should allow you to get the screws out without breaking them.....
Click to expand...

Diesel fuel works even better...
 
I done quite a few old musket in my time and I guess that the screw you are talking about (initially) are the two holding the lock plate on? The first question to ask is whats holding them (as they should generally be the easiest to remove, for lock oiling etc). Yes it could be metal to metal rust, but they could also be rusted sold in the wood, or the thread ends could be hammered over on the lock plate (sometime done as a repair for stripped threads). I seen old screws brazed in, again because they where stripped at some time.
If it looks like they are just rusted in, try a very old trick (as old as the musket) take a poker (any thin-ish steel bar will do) heat it to a good cherry red an apply it to the screw as close to the thread as you can. Cool with thin oil and do it a couple more times. See if it will move, if you are lucky you may be able to get vice grips on to the screw head. If the screw heads are large (and they usually are) try drilling a couple of small holes head and place a couple od pins in these hole, now grip the pins with the vice grips and try to turn. I can go on and on, there are lots of methods.
Even if you have to drill out the old screws, all is not lost. Back in the day due to poor metal screws often stripped and where replace with a larger size. You can get new period screw mail order as well as period taps.
 
Kroil is the best product I have used for the purpose.
The hot rod can work.
A screw jack, or drill press can help, by holding the screwdriver firmly in the slot.
The slot can be cleaned up with a tiny cold chisel.
I would not submerge an entire gun, wood and all, in diesel fuel or water. Ever.
If it is a buggered, rounded out mess of a screw, I will drill them out. If you drill out the threaded end, being careful not to touch the part the screw retains, the screw can be repaired, so the head is retained.
 
monkeycanada said:
I done quite a few old musket in my time and I guess that the screw you are talking about (initially) are the two holding the lock plate on? The first question to ask is whats holding them (as they should generally be the easiest to remove, for lock oiling etc). Yes it could be metal to metal rust, but they could also be rusted sold in the wood, or the thread ends could be hammered over on the lock plate (sometime done as a repair for stripped threads). I seen old screws brazed in, again because they where stripped at some time.
If it looks like they are just rusted in, try a very old trick (as old as the musket) take a poker (any thin-ish steel bar will do) heat it to a good cherry red an apply it to the screw as close to the thread as you can. Cool with thin oil and do it a couple more times. See if it will move, if you are lucky you may be able to get vice grips on to the screw head. If the screw heads are large (and they usually are) try drilling a couple of small holes head and place a couple od pins in these hole, now grip the pins with the vice grips and try to turn. I can go on and on, there are lots of methods.
Even if you have to drill out the old screws, all is not lost. Back in the day due to poor metal screws often stripped and where replace with a larger size. You can get new period screw mail order as well as period taps.
Click to expand...

It has 3 screws and one in the hammer. One of the three screws is missing, so there is a screw goign down throughu from top and one from left to right. All three are rusted shut. The wood is fragile and work cannot resume until I can get them free. They're just screwed in, no brazing from what I can see.

If I have to order screws, where could I look? I think that's what might have to happen here unfortunately :(
 
Companies like Dixie Gun Works, Track of the Wolf, have screws. The chance of finding ones that will be direct replacements is slight.
I usually make what I need. Sometimes modern threads are close enough, but often you are dealing with non-standard sizes. Sometimes a metric is close enough.
I do have a lathe and if need be I will make what I need.
 
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