Hand Rail Removal

[MLampner]

Bought my boat late in the season last year. Had a couple of good sails and motored a bit.

Over the winter have been working on the bright work. In an earlier post asked for help in getting the hand rails off the cabin top.

Today went out to the marina armed with the tools I thought I would need. Popped the first cap, found the screw top fitted my power screw driver to it and listen to the clutch slip. Figured no problemn got out the biggest handled phillips I could find, tried to turn the screw out would budge.

Tried the second screw, got the plug out, this one was more difficult to pop. So far can not get the the slots open so the screw driver wouldn't fit.

Since the screws are brass wondered if I might be better off drilling the heads off, slding the rails off and then taking vice grips to the screws.

Good news is there is something solid beneath the screws, bad news wonder if it could be something like 5200. Any thoughts about how to lift the rails would be helpful.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Does not sound original. They should be in what is by now pretty soft coring, I think plywood. Cannot imagine how they could be that tight. And with the soft brass screws you will likely strip all the heads. So drilling and vice grips might be your only hope.

After the first time I removed mine I drilled 3/4" holes where all the screws went in. Then I epoxied in 3/4" hardwood dowels to remount the handrails. Ten years later still solid.

 

[Steve Dion]

Try putting a few drops of paint thinner on the screw heads. They you may be able to get a sharp instrument to dig out the varnish.

 

[Bill Murray]

The best tool to remove straight slotted brass screws is a hand brace and appropriately sized bit. It is the best way to control pressue on the bit and torque and speed. Be certain to clean out the slot perfectly so the bit seats perfectly. It can be done with a lot of patience.

 

[Bill1565]

I have used a dremel tool to clean out slots. Dremel has a zillion different bits, I'm sure you can find one that will work.

 

[MLampner]

Thanks everyone, the ideas are helpful. One thought I have had is to defer to next winter. Thinking about taking the mast down and doing a complete overhaul of the deck, pulling everything rebeding and refinishing with a new non-skid.

Will try one more time but then want to sail more than play boatwright at this point.

 

[Ed Schenck]

You did say "philips", right? If they are not then they are definitely not original.

Another thing that I did was put the screw heads on top. I glued the bungs in, redrilled from the bottom, and then countersunk the bungs. I bought longer oval-headed stainless screws. Now I take my thirty feet of handrails off the boat in about ten minutes. Nice to be able to varnish them at home without masking the deck.

 

[guidera48]

I am halfway through my interior refit. After the first 10 stripped screws, and much cursing in my paternal french, maternal spanish and adopted english, I drove to Lowes and purchased a Grabit kit. It contains 3 drill/removers bits for # 1, #2 and #3 phillips heads screws. So far I have removed over 300 screw. About half came out voluntarely, the other half had to be extracted. They ranged from tiny bronze # 4 that secure 1/4 inch quarter round to the largest stainless screws that hold the cushion fiddles and door frames. Out of all these screws, only one shaft broke and I had to drill it out. The best 20.00 dollars I ever spent. It has a drill head on one side and a reverse screw on the other side. First drill slowly the phillips head to form a small dimple. It cuts on reverse. Next, very important, make sure all the metal shavings are out of the hole otherwide the remover will not bite. After a thourough blow, swap ends on the tool and insert the remover head. Apply presure and reverse slowly. The satisfaction of seen the screw come out slowly is beyond words. I am the screw master now. They shake in their holes when they see me wip out my grabbit. They know the fight is over.:dance:
Good luck.

Jose Guidera
S/V Bonheur