Have reached a stalemate uninstalling the 5W laser module.
On step 5 Gil cautions to proceed VERY carefully and not to damage any threads. My dilemma is not the threads because I cannot for the life of me budge any of the three tiny heads. I called my husband in for help but he has the same issues. I’m worried that I am now quite possibly enlarging the holes in the heads and chewing off the edges of the 1.3mm hex key.
I tried 3 tiny drops of WD40, twice, but didn’t see any improvement.
HELP!
Worst case scenario we have had some customers Dremel a small slot into the screws and then use a flat head screwdriver to release them.
Alternately, a #0 screw remover will work, but it is a rare tool people usually have in their tool kit.
Thanks Domenic, it is all fixed now thanks to your suggestions.
I had an unused box of Screw Removers which I once picked up at Aldi, “just in case”. I tried both size zero and size one but they were useless for me as they seem far too chunky to get any purchases on those tiny screws. I resorted to Dremel slots and with lots of budging from my husband’s stronger hands, he eventually moved all three. I have to say that most screws were almost impossible for our old hands and steps 5 to 13 took us five and a half hours to achieve.
p.s. Aldi often sells screw removers in a small wooden box, when they are doing a small tools sale. I think they were well under $10.
Hi Elayne,
Sorry it was such a difficult process. If we could have thought of an easier way, we would have.
Hopefully the efforts will be worth it with the new 10w unit in place now.
No worries, it’s all part of the journey. Can’t wait to try it out.
This happened to me… had to use a dremel very carefully to put slots in it so i could use a flat head screwdriver
Hi Darkly, One suggestion I would make is to document the process of using a Dremel as a fallback to remove the screws. I think it would help with lowering user frustration and support tickets.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for the suggestion. We will get this in the works.
I initially tried the supplied Allen wrench and it turned inside the screw head. I then used a wrench similar to those used to repair eyeglasses. It has a thick body for turning pressure and a “head” for pushing into the screw head. The screws came right out.
Maybe a bit late but, if someone else has the same issue, try using a soldering iron to slightly heat the bolt.
It expands the area slightly and releases the tension and any connection between the two surfaces making it easier to remove.