doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Fox Sterlingworth Floor Plate Removal

I just started to work on a new - old Phili Fox Sterlingworth. I need to replace the broken stock and am trying to remove the action floor plate which has one large screw in the center of it. It won't budge even after soaking in Kroil on the outside and inside. I thought I would ask for suggestions on removing this screw before I mess it up.

Thanks.

Put your screw driver bit #340-2 (340" wide and .020 thick) in a drill press with the gun over wooden blocks secured with towels and leveled........this allows you to apply down force pressure and then turn the drill chuck by hand with a wrench while holding firm down force pressure on the drill press handle......

You can use your wife to hold the gun if it helps or use a C-clamp with towels to hold the gun firm and level against the blocks of wood and the press base.....

My drill press has a drill press vice bolted to the base plate, which I towel up and it securely holds the gun.....

First make sure you are using a good hollow ground gunsmithing screwdriver that completely fills the slot. This is no place for a cheap common ill fitting tool that will break or cam out of the slot and bugger the screw. Second, allow plenty of time for your penetrating oil to get into those 80 year old threads. I have not had good luck with Kroil though some swear by it. I have found that it often will not penetrate more than a couple threads deep, even with long soaks. Don't be afraid to try something else. You could rap on the end of your well fitting screwdriver to help break the bond of the threads, or apply the tip of a soldering iron or heated copper rod to get some differential expansion of the male and female threads. Patience is most important. When you get impatient to get this frozen screw out is when you will break it or damage the screw or gun. I have soaked stubborn screws for months until they finally came free.

If you think taking the floorplate off was fun wait till you try to put it back on. I spent a couple of frustrating days trying to do just that a couple of years ago and a forum member really helped me out. Per his recomendation; I put the floorplate in the freezer overnight and it slipped right into place the next day.
Jim

Doug's drill press method works for me.Kroil has not worked too well for me also. Bobby

Hold butane lighter flame on the screw head about 10 seconds then immediately try your screw driver.

Listen to PA24, he has the solution. I just did an A-grade using this method.
Regards,
Ron

Thanks everyone for the advice.

The drill press method works well to keep the driver bit firmly planted in the slot, but if those threads are still frozen, too much force by this or any method can wring off the screw head. Now your troubles have really begun. Can you spell EDM?

I had the same issue, considered EDM but instead sent it to a 'smith in Eastern Pa. He was able to remove it.