A Little Known Mechanic’s Trick For Removing “Some” Broken Bolts And Screws

I say “SOME”, because it won’t work on anything that is seized up usually or anything the engraver can’t reach.

 I have used this method dozens of times and even got a 16mm hunk of All Thread that was 4 inches long to go through a 2 inch thick hole in solid Stainless Steel!

I was taught this trick by an older guy I worked with for several year named Lynn. He was in the Merchant Marines for many years and finally retired at the age of 76!

May God heap many blessings on him, I learned a ton of things from him over the years and he was just a sweetheart of a guy.

I was out doing the brakes on the front of the Big Red Beast this morning and broke this little 5/16's bolt off, the very last thing I needed to get done before putting the wheel and tire back on when I felt it "go soft" and break off.

I built this engraver out of a box full of parts and ones that got thrown out because they quit working. Grainger wants $450 for them but you can get one from Amazon for aout $85. I don't get anything if you buy one but I am highly recommending them if you do any kind of wrenching. Click on the highlighted link below if you want to get one.

This thing is worth it's weight in diamonds, I'm telling ya.

Anyways, enough with the yapping, here's the video I took.

I even got lucky enough to find a stainless steel replacement out in Phil's Temple of Tools, otherwise known as The Big Mess I call the garage.

Mission accomplished.

Let me know in the comments if you have ever heard of this little trick because even after 40 years of wrenching it was a first for me when Ol' Lynn pulled that one out and showed me.

I also went to work early on Thursday and had a little tire shop on the way put 4 used tires on the truck for $340, including a $20 tip for the kid.

Mounted, balanced and installed, they even took the 4 soft rubber snow tires that ol' Chuck had put on it about a year before he passed off my hands without me having to pay for it.

The local Les Schwab tire store wanted $550 EACH, for the same size and style of tires I got. Bigger and wider, the thing rides better now and the bigger tires make it look like a real truck now.

I have a 4 hour road trip coming up for the 4th of July and I am trying to get the thing ready for the trip.