Frames: Fixing Those Screw-y Problems

One of the most frustrating things you can encounter is a stubborn eyeglass screw. These frustrations manifest themselves in many ways. They may be difficult to remove due to many factors, including the patient's bungled attempt to remove them. In Fix & Fit this month, we will address both causes of and ways to deal with these predicaments.

The quality of a frame will often have a lot to do with screw retention and its ability to function when needed. A poor quality frame may have screws or barrels with shallow threads that strip out easily when tightened.

You may have a wonderful selection of replacement screws to choose from, but this is costly to maintain.

STOCK TO KEEP ON HAND

Because loose or broken screws can be a common problem, your ability to efficiently deal with them relies on whether or not you have the proper tools on hand. What follows is a list of some helpful items to keep handy.

Original equipment. If you are handling high-end frames, you might consider keeping "original equipment" screws around to help your more demanding patients.

Self-tapping screws. Another option is to keep a set of self-tapping screws on hand. Available from several suppliers, these screws are longer than normal so they can be used to replace anything from multiple barrel hinges to the shortest eyewire barrels. It is wise to keep a supply of every diameter, since a screw that strips out may need to be replaced by an oversized one.

After inserting one of these screws, an important tip is to break the screw off by first bending it slightly in one direction and then snapping it off in the opposite direction. This will ensure a clean break with no sharp edges to aggravate the wearer.

Tapered tip screws. These make the assembly of spring hinges a snap (no pun intended). The self-tapping screws also work fairly well since they have a small tip, but the tapered screws are easier.

Pliers. It is very helpful to have screw-holding pliers to force the screw through the misaligned holes. Tweezers are too flimsy, and plain snipe-nosed pliers are too slippery, but screw-holding pliers allow you to use the screw to pull the barrels into alignment.

Heating and hot oil. When a screw has been broken off, and only a small piece of the threaded part is left, there are several methods to remove it.

First, however, you should consider giving the area a hot oil treatment. This can improve your chances of removal greatly.

Begin by heating the area. How much depends on whether or not there are any plastic pieces around it or a finish that might be burned if too much heat is applied. You can usually heat the area with a frame warmer, but with a little practice, you might consider a torch or a "Hot Fingers" machine. After heating, you should quickly apply oil. This can be just about any type of oil and can easily be applied with a pinpoint oiler (also available from supply sources). The heat makes the oil very thin and, combined with the heated area cooling, it draws the oil between the threads to dissolve corrosion, lubricate, and facilitate removal.

METHODS OF REMOVAL

There are several ways to work with broken or loose screws. Obviously, the easiest methods are possible when a part of the screw is protruding from the barrel.

Easy out. Another method is using an "easy out," which is available in three different diameters for different sized screws. The easy out fits in a standard screwdriver handle, but has four points connected by knife-like edges. To use the easy out, hold the handle firmly in the palm of your hand and rock the sharp edges across the screw while pushing down. This cuts into the screw, and if you keep the pressure on while turning counterclockwise, you can sometimes back out a screw. This method rarely works without the hot oil treatment.

Screw-slotting file. Lastly, with the piece of screw protruding, you can carefully cut a slot into the piece with a screw-slotting file. This is a very sharp-edged file that looks like a knife blade. It is critical to saw back and forth in the exact center of the screw.

To start, you may only want to saw in a back stroke until the slot is well established. You should use a small bladed screwdriver to remove the broken piece.

Drilling. This is usually considered a last resort unless you become quite skilled. As with all methods, the hot oil treatment makes things easier. You should select a drill bit that is smaller than the threaded portion of the screw. For most eyewire and temple screws, a #65 drill will suffice.

When you begin to drill, look to see if there are any dimples in the end of the piece. If so, use the dimple as a pilot to drill exactly through the center of the screw. Very often a lubricated screw will spin out quickly, negating the further use of the drill. This is why the drill should be smaller than the screw-so it will preserve threads.

If you drill through the center of the screw and it does not spin out, you can use an extra small reamer to put through the screw and then rotate it out. If the reamer rotates without turning the screw, try to jam it in a little further in order to cut into the inside of the hole.

Hand chuck or Dremel tool. When drilling metal, many people try to use a Dremel(r) tool to turn the drill bit. This is probably not the best choice since a Dremel tool spins in excess of 20,000 RPM, which is much too fast to drill metal using a standard drill bit. A flexible shaft hand chuck is a much better choice since it rotates much slower and has more power at slow speeds.

If a Dremel tool is all you have, you may want to investigate using round dental burrs. These are designed to be used at fast speeds, but you will need to drill patiently since they remove only a little metal at a time. You can also burn up a bit as easily as a drill at high speed and heavy pressure. Dental burrs can also stray off center easily, so hold on.

Punching out. There is one last resort if all else fails. Broken screws can be punched out with either punch pliers or a staking set. There is, however, a great risk of pushing too hard and expanding the barrels to the point of breaking. If your drill strays off center and you've drilled completely through-only to find half the screw still in the hinge barrels-you will need to carefully coax it out with this method. This is the time you will need those extra fat self-tapping screws. They are a much better alternative to a nut and bolt fix, and it usually stays tight.

Speaking of staying power, isn't it about time we eliminated the problem of loose screws altogether? If you really want to dispense the ultimate in eyewear, take a moment to lock the screws in so the patient will never have to be concerned. It's easily done with Loctite(r), silicone, and many other methods. The major brands of self-tapping screws even come with coatings that gum up the hinge to keep screws tight and temples from flopping! To keep the shiny screw heads from showing against a muted colored frame, use a permanent marker or jewelry antiquing to hide them. Giving your customers the best fix available, and keeping the appearance nice, will keep them coming back for more.. EB