debspersonaldogwalker

Greetings! It's a good idea to mount landing gear with nylon bolts so the bolts break instead of having the airframe damaged. But now the broken bolts need to be removed, ideally at the flying field, quickly so you can continue crashing. The bolts are often broken flush with the airframe surface or even recessed a bit.

I have had good luck removing #10 nylon bolts with an altered Xacto blade. I've ground the blade so it is in effect a sharp screwdriver blade. The sharpened blade is rocked from side to side with pressure and forces its way a bit into the nylon. Then torque is applied and the bolts actually come out easily. It helps if you have prepared the wood mounting block by first tapping the wood for the proper threading, then soak the threaded hole with thin CA, then tap again after the glue has set. If the bolts go in easily they should come out easily with the heads broken off so no load is on them.

j.duncker

My Feedback: (2)

Heat the end of a screw driver and push it into the broken bolt. IT forms a tight fitting slot. Remove and let it cool for a second or two.

Refit screwdriver and unscrew broken bolt. Even stiff bolt will usually come out.

Charlie P.

I usually just use a #11 blade as is.

mikegordon10

Yep, what he said.

tomfiorentino

No, no Charlie! That dulls them and it makes it much harder to get a clean cut on the cigar....

Tom

hattend

My Feedback: (20)

If you can get to them, go inside the fuselage and turn them out with a pair of needle nose pliers. Always a 1/4" or more sticking up past the nut on the inside.

Don

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

I just tap in a very small flat screw driver and back them out. I like some the ideas here though.


david

Alabama Racer

Drill a small hole in the center of the nylon bolt and then use
an easy out. But, I see that your OP makes note of doing this
at the flying field. Drilling may not be an option at the field.

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

I always heat up a small screw driver and push it into the sheared nylon bolt and let it cool. Good Luck, Dave

icegs

I have a set of left-hand drill bits. The turn counterclockwise and will generally start to unscrew the bolt as soon as they bite.

aspeed

Heated screwdriver is good.  Another way to mount the landing gear is to use a rubber nut so it just pulls out.  A piece of tubing with a nut the same dia. of the tubing that scrunches up when tightened is good too.  I use a torsion type wire landing gear if it can be designed in, then it springs back.