doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT How to remove epoxy glued screws in a scope?

Jose,
How'd you do on this project?

Hi gentlemen:

I am exactly in the "same place" as when I start trying to remove the screws a week ago.
First I apply heat with a lighter, I burned my finger but not the glue, then I find an industrial epoxy remover, bought it (expensive), apply.... and nothing happened (it disolves the surface glue, but the problem is that there are glue all over the mounts, inside and out, and the remover has a jelly consistency so does not penetrate).

Do someone sugested to apply cold? I think epoxy ar very stable at low temperatures, so I think is not a viable option.

I think my last resource is to apply "serious" heat, very carefully, with a propane torch to melt the epoxy. Do you think I will damage the surface of the rifle around the bases with the direct fire of the torch?
I can protect the scope with a wet cloth; my plan is to first remove the bases from the rifle (2 big screws), then decide how to remove the rings from the scope when the scope and rings are separated from the rifle.

Now I perfectly understand when you advise regard apply strong glues to screws in a firearm: It is crazy what the previous owner do mounting this scope.

Best,

Jose,
I think I'd give what was recommended earlier a try.

Get two allen wrenches of the correct size.

Heat one of them to a very hot (red/yellow) and put it in the screw head and leave it for at least 15-20 seconds, quickly remove and use the cold allen wrench to attempt to loosen the screw.

The epoxy is stable but can get brittle at very low temps, so may crack and free up the threads when you apply torque to the screw. The primary reason I suggested freezing the screw was to quickly shrink it by contracting the metal. That bit of shrinkage in the major and minor diameters of the threads may allow you to turn the screw out. You would need to freeze just the screw very quickly and get the temp very low for this to work. I was thinking about the liquid nitrogen guns with pinpoint control, such as dermatologists use to burn nasty things off your skin. Not worth buying the equipment, but if you have a physician friend, see if he will zap it for you.

I think if you put your scope properly mounted in a drill press and then get a well fitted allen wrench mounted in the chuck, you should be able to keep pressure on the screws with the drill press and allen wrench and turn the screws out by using the drill press Key as a handle to turn the drill press chuck. You do need to align all perfectly. Do the heat thing as Chuch H says just before engaging the chuck held second allen wrench which might make it easier. You might briefly try to tighten the screw before trying to back it out.

By now I would have drilled out the screws, possibly sacrificing the mounts, but protecting scope from further more frustrated attempts.

me too....

The mounts are sacraficail in this instance unless they are antique and not replacable;. Are they German claw mounts?

Drill out the screws and save the scope.

I would agree in putting up with the loss of the mounts if they are replacable. However, I wouldn't drill them out unless I had a carbide drill of the correct dia. I don't know about American socket headed cap screws, but here in England they are as hard as the hobbs of hell.

Better just to saw the mounts through on the inside of the screw. If your not happy sawing freehand with a hacksaw then set the item up in a vertical mill and use a slitting saw instead. You only need to cut through the top half of each mount then just lift the scope off.

Harry

Sako mounts of any make are pricey and I'll bet they are scarce where Jose is. I'd do what I could to save the mounts.

There is a cyanoacrylate "debonder" that I've been told is really just high percentage nitromethane. It is as thin as water and does penetrate well. I don't know if it works on epoxy.

http://www.supergluecorp.com/zap/zap-z-7-debonder