Anyone had luck getting broken needle screws out? EDIT - VICTORY!!!

[emgcr]

Well done and sounds really great. Lots of happiness ahead................

[Oedipus]

The usual difficulty is that the screw is hardened steel, and the drill wants to slide off it into the nice soft brass. But if you can get a drill to stay in the centre (it needs to be smaller than the screw. as Steve says), a left-hand threaded drill is useful. With any luck, it will remove the screw itself. Another problem is that the inner end of the screw is often burred over from years of being tightened on hard steel needles, Turn the stub back in and file its inner end with a tiny watchmaker's file ...

[EdgarFB]

The usual difficulty is that the screw is hardened steel, and the drill wants to slide off it into the nice soft brass. But if you can get a drill to stay in the centre (it needs to be smaller than the screw. as Steve says), a left-hand threaded drill is useful. With any luck, it will remove the screw itself. Another problem is that the inner end of the screw is often burred over from years of being tightened on hard steel needles, Turn the stub back in and file its inner end with a tiny watchmaker's file ...

Thanks, but it’s already sorted as per a couple of posts back! Sounds lovely fitted to my 1939 red 102. Not quite as perfect as the one that came with the machine though so will be a backup.

[JeffR1]

The usual difficulty is that the screw is hardened steel, and the drill wants to slide off it into the nice soft brass. But if you can get a drill to stay in the centre (it needs to be smaller than the screw. as Steve says), a left-hand threaded drill is useful. With any luck, it will remove the screw itself. Another problem is that the inner end of the screw is often burred over from years of being tightened on hard steel needles, Turn the stub back in and file its inner end with a tiny watchmaker's file ...

Thanks, but it’s already sorted as per a couple of posts back! Sounds lovely fitted to my 1939 red 102. Not quite as perfect as the one that came with the machine though so will be a backup.

For next time and anyone reading this, Snap-On (and probably others) make reverse drill bits that would have served this situation better.
That's assuming they make "Number" drills like that.