What to do about a broken off plastic jag in my good rifle cleaning rod?

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Matt Dillon

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2003
Messages
839
Location
Houston, TX
Friends, I have one of those nice graphite cleaning rods, and foolishly, I stored it with a plastic patch jag attached to it, and the jag broke off and now the end of the jag is flush with the end of the cleaning rod, and there is nothing to grip to unscrew the broken off patch jag.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I might remedy this? I don't think I'm steady enough to drill it out, and am unsure what sized drill bit I would need, and just how would I remove the plastic without messing up the threads?
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated, thanks so very much in advance!
 
Heat up a screwdriver with a lighter and press it into the plastic to cut a slot. Turn out like a screw.
 
I used the pointy tip of a #11 X-acto blade to engage the edge at a low angle and pushed on it to permit unscrewing. The "melt a slot" trick *is* pretty neat.
 
The hot screwdriver is clever, I like it!

I was going to suggest hitting it with oil (if needed) and turning it out with a scribe or other little pointy thing, just make a hole near the edge and whirl it around until you can simply unscrew it by hand.

But the hot screwdriver is probably simpler and faster - I'm just putting up the scribe concept for anyone with a similar problem and a non-melty stuck bit.
 
Pretty clever all right!

I think the first time I did it was in 1950-51 when I was 6-7 or so to get a broken plastic screw out of my cap gun.
Nobody told me how.
I just figured it out on my own.

I guess some of this gunsmith & mechanical aptitude stuff is just hereditary or something. :D

rc
 
broke off

I like the heat and screw driver. I usually use my left handed drills. I know this plastic you have there but in th case of metal cant beat them left hand drills.
 
rc, you shouldn't be playing with lighters or matches when you're 6-7...what were you thinking??? :)
 
You can drill it out or do any of various other options. It's just plastic. It'll drill easily and disintegrate when there's not much left of it, long before you hit the threads. Just go slow.

When I was 3 years old I completely disassembled a gumball machine and put it back together correctly, and was taking doorknobs and other things apart and properly reassembling them. I used a penny for a screwdriver for the gumball machine.
 
Any broken-off plastic screw in anything, is best addressed with a red-hot "something" that fits in the hole to melt into the broken-off plastic threaded part.

Then let it get cold, and unscrew it by the new "handle".

There is NO chance of damaging the threads, and it will take it out the first try.

rc.
 
Bet even RC never tried a fix of mine a few weeks ago. C.T. economy model, grip laser. The switch button is tiny and a pain. Put a tiny, hot, machine screw right into that button. Got lucky, I guess. Oh and coated the hard plastic grip with liquid tape. Not factory looking but I'm happy with it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
  • Locked
Cleaning Rods/Jag Problems?
Replies
11
Views
1K
Lupinus
L
D
Help with cleaning jag and wet powder!
2 3 4 5
Replies
103
Views
3K
Ugly Sauce
Ugly Sauce
B
  • Locked
Wedged Wad
Replies
17
Views
941
Billy_Reb
B
Dave Markowitz
  • Locked
Made an aluminum field rod for my Cabela's Hawken
Replies
12
Views
520
Dave Markowitz
Dave Markowitz
M
  • Locked
Garand Bore Guide Problem
Replies
2
Views
444
Murphster
M
Back
Top