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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    Australind , WA
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    58
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    1,277

    Default How to remove rusty 10mm bolts from Timber upright posts

    Hi Guys, I have another hard one for you to ponder, if you will....Seems I alwys get these....

    Our verandah stirrups are corroded and need replacing.
    The old 10mm , 120mm long bolts are stuck fast in the timber and I cannot budge them. Trouble is.... I WANT TO.
    I want to fit new 12mm bolts in the same holes in order to secure the new stirrups.
    I don't really want to rotate the stirrups 90° as they will look funny.....I have to concrete them in when done. I have 14 to do.....

    Things I have tried:

    Tried drifting the bolts out: fail
    Prying the bolt heads up: bruised timber and fail.
    Soaking in Inox ( didn't really think it would help in wood, but did it anyway ) fail
    Made up a heavy duty puller to try and push the bolts out. ( centre drilled the bolts to stop puller from slipping and used a G clamp to stop puller from spreading) fail
    Bought some Screw Extractors to try and Core Drill arond the bolts- too small ) fail
    Buy a 12 or 13mm hole saw to do same thing: Can't find any smaller than 16 mm : fail

    I could replace all the uprights but they would have to be done-one at at a time, as each stirrup was replaced......not fun. Posts are in ok condition although 30 years old.

    Last ideas:
    1.Use a slide hammer on the heads IF I could get them raise enough to get a claw under then ( Not likely at this stage. )

    2. Make a custom Hole Saw. (without a centre drill)OD 13mm.
    Wall thinkness would need to be less than 1.5 mm and be quite hard and at least 60mm cutting depth or 100mm to core all the way though.
    How? Buy some tube? I bit thin to machine?
    steel or stainless steel?
    Could a saw Dr cut the teeth for me? Too hard to cut by hand?
    Assume it would need Hardening after?

    Sigh.....


    Steve


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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    34
    Posts
    1,075

    Default

    Drill/grind the cap head off and punch through from that end?
    Gear cutting specialists and general engineers www.hardmanbros.com.au
    Fine pitch gear cutting from 0.1 Module www.rigear.com.au

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Upwey VIC
    Posts
    186

    Default

    Longer stirrups and cut the bottom of the posts off?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,105

    Default

    Can you make an attachment that can utilise a bottle jack and press them out?

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Alexandra Vic
    Age
    69
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    654

    Default

    I know of others that have bolts corroded into timber that have been able to release them with a home made mild steel 'holesaw' made from steel tube with a bore slightly larger than the bolt diameter, using the bolt itself as the pilot. Ends up with a slightly larger hole through the timber, but you want to stop up 2mm with your new bolts anyway. Fairly simple to cut about 4 teeth into the end of the tube to do the cutting, should be able to get one or two bolts released before you cut the end off the tube and repoint it, a 200mm length of tube should do a fair few bolts before being discarded, you are only shaving out the rust layer between the bolt and the timber. Seems to be common for people reclaiming bridge/wharf timbers.

    No guarantees, but worth a try if you can access some scrap tube of suitable size.
    I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,942

    Default

    You could make a frame that has one side bolted on, so that access is possible and use a hydraulic jack with an 8 or 9mm diameter pin, fitted to a piece of pipe so that the pin is central to the shaft of the jack, effectively making it a hydraulic press.
    Make sure that the other side of the bolt can be pushed through the plate.
    HTH
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    North Brisbane. Qld. Australia
    Age
    70
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    1,511

    Default

    I would go with the home made holesaw. Even if you made it 16mm OD you could sleeve the posts.
    Nev.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Australind , WA
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    58
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    1,277

    Default

    Thanks guys.

    elanjacobs: Not sure that would work if it wouldn't move from the other direction.
    I also was going to try and keep the heads in case I did get them to move enough to get a pry bar under them.....

    mahgnia: Thought of that....cutting a post square when it is vertical seemed daunting. Maybe not as hard as I thought....dunno
    I've already done one stirrup so that would be the odd one out.

    Com_VC: Nothing to 'jack' against, that why I made the U bracketted 'pusher'.
    Its 1/4" plate and 16mm bolt. Pretty hefty.

    malb:Yes, my last idea I had. Will try that. Will try to harden the teeth as well.

    Kryn:Sounds a bit heavy to keep horizontal until it tightens up....will think about it...thanks.

    Surfinev: Didn't think of using a spacer...thanks. Will try a 13 mm DIY hole saw first and go up if that fails.

    Thanks guys.


    Steve

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
    Posts
    292

    Default

    I'm with mahgnia's suggestion of cutting the post off but if that is a no go, shield the area and put a torch to the bolt head and threads to char the wood around the bolt. Open the holes for bigger bolts or a bushing and the same size bolts.

    Pete

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    south coast, nsw
    Posts
    52

    Default

    Drill them out with the 16mm core drill and then plug and redrill to the new bolt size or make up a sleeve to fit both the hole and the bolt. You could possibly use a material like Acetal for the sleeve.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    395

    Default

    Dunno how you’d do this but heat to char around the bolt.
    Maybe arc weld some thing onto the bolt head and heat it thru that with the oxy.
    Whatever you weld on could then be used to start revolving the bolt to loosen in before drifting it out.
    H.
    Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,322

    Default

    But for the conductive stirrup, you could connect a welder to each end of the bolt and heat it up.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    9,088

    Default

    If you have a 1/2" impact gun, I'd be tempted to try welding a nut or short bolt to the head of the bolt and give it a zap and see what happens.

    Though I like Rusty's idea of using a welder as it heats the bolt along its length.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    54
    Posts
    825

    Default

    I've used an air chisel to remove rusted in bolts from an old wooden engine transporter frame.
    Remove the nut (unscrew or break), use a 6 or 7mm drill to make a shallow locating dimple in the end of the bolt.
    Use the the pointy chisel tip in the dimple to drive the bolt out.
    If this fails I'd go with heat as suggested by clear out.
    Cheers,
    Greg.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Australind , WA
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kwijibo99 View Post
    I've used an air chisel to remove rusted in bolts from an old wooden engine transporter frame.
    Remove the nut (unscrew or break), use a 6 or 7mm drill to make a shallow locating dimple in the end of the bolt.
    Use the the pointy chisel tip in the dimple to drive the bolt out.
    If this fails I'd go with heat as suggested by clear out.
    Cheers,
    Greg.
    Thanks. I forgot to say I'd tried that. Used a Rotary Hammer Drill...no good...Just mushroomed the bolt.

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