V
22

Warning: I just hit 50 stripped Pentax K1000 advance lever screws this year

I keep a tally on my workbench whiteboard, and that number really hit me. It means I've had to drill out and re-tap that specific screw on half the K1000s that came through my shop in Chicago. The factory threadlocker turns to glue over decades. Anyone else have a go-to extractor bit for this, or a better method before I hit 51?
4 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
4 Comments
erickelly
erickelly1mo agoMost Upvoted
My buddy in Milwaukee had to drill out three last week, same exact problem.
10
evan_davis
Read a camera repair blog that swore by a tiny drop of acetone on the screw head. The idea is it wicks into the old threadlocker and softens it up. Let it sit for a bit before trying the screwdriver again. A soldering iron is still a good first step, but this can help if the threadlocker is really gunked up. Just be careful not to get it on any painted surfaces.
4
phoenix_martin40
That's a brutal number. Have you tried heating the screw with a soldering iron first?
1
susan81
susan811mo ago
Heat can really help, just don't burn the surrounding material.
3