Originally Posted by
LabRat
Had to do this for an Ansco 8X10 + other wood cameras, even flush broken screws... First thing to try is taking a dental pick or heavy sewing needle and scraping out all the rust the best you can... Then place standard on a firm table top where it won't rock and heavy downward pressure can be applied, then take a higher quality well fitting screwdriver, tap handle with a light hammer a few times, then with strong downforce turn screw a little both ways, then evenly try to rotate a little at a time counterclockwise.. The initial seating is a little stuck, but once it's moving, should continue to turn...
Plan B if head breaks (usually still strong enough even rusty) is to dig around the screw head into the wood enough to grab screw body with toothed fine needle nose pliers to start turning it out directly... If head breaks, there is usually enough remaining to grab... (The wood around it can be fixed later by drilling out and inserting a piece of hardwood dowel, gluing, and drilling a new hole through it)... Then paint flat black and install with new screws...
Flat head screws are difficult to torque in tight spots as driver needs to be square on head to avoid slipping, but other heads grip better if driver is at a slight angle (Phillips, hex, torx etc)... Note that holes are shallow and screws too long will start breaking out the other side, so be careful choosing...
And don't forget to mark the orientation on the frame (up) and re-install exactly so holes will line up again...
Good news is screws are not too deep in wood, and originally not too tight, so once moving, they will remove with less effort as they turn...
Not as hard as it looks!!! Good luck!!!
Steve K
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