Spiffles wrote on 2022-10-06, 14:05:https://i.postimg.cc/nrqF1tJQ/screw.jpg
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kaputnik wrote on 2022-10-06, 13:14:
Upload some photos, what methods are suitable depends on how much is left of the screws and so on 😀
Not much to say, really - about 1-2mm of the screw sticks out. On the opposite end, it broke right at the surface, with nothing much sticking out.
Urgh, that's basically as bad as it gets, broken more or less flush with the surface in a recess. No easy task even for someone with years of workshop experience 🙁 Assuming there's no way to get to the screws from the other side?
I'd mark the center of the broken screws with a center punch as guide, and drill them out with a 2.5mm bit (assuming they're 6-32 or M3 screws), preferably in a drill press if you have one available. If you can file the fracture surface flat first, it's easier to find the center. Drill on low rpm using a sharp bit and light pressure. Don't hurry, patience is key. Looks like the drive chassis is made from cast aluminum or zinc, both of which are much softer than the screw. You don't want the drill bit to slip, if it does it's basically game over.
Removal of the remains of the screw and cleaning up the internal thread can be done with a corresponding tap.
If you can remove the drive from the case, it might also be possible to simply hammer a sharp small slotted screw driver deep enough into the screws to get a grip, and remove them. No telling how the sensitive mechanics in the drive will react to the shocks though, and there's also a possibility that the cast metal cracks.