clarence said

Hellcat1 said
 After researching it a bit, I see that I’m not alone in having that problem.
 

You’re not, I promise you.  First, drive a close fitting punch all the way through & out the opposite side.  Then wack the screw head hard with a plastic mallet as many times as is takes to make it “catch.”  

Hah!  So we’re talking brute force here!  I guess I could give that a try.  Any thoughts on the use of a clamp (or vice) with soft jaws, instead?

And thanks again, Clarence, for all of your advice.  You’ve been extremely helpful.

Frank

clarence said

Yes, but I wouldn’t have recommended such “brutality” without confidence in your own adroitness.  Obviously, try a light tap on the head first, using a nylon-tipped punch if you have one, but I think it will take a smart blow to seat it into the threads.  Use of a clamp I never thought of, but it’s a good idea–report how it works.  

Well, the clamp idea didn’t work (for me, at least).  Since the foreend is curved, the clamp kept drifting as I tried to tighten it, so I couldn’t clamp it too tightly.

But that’s ok, because the plastic mallet trick worked great!  It’s a good thing I just bought one a couple of days ago.  It was the perfect tool for the job.

Thanks again.

Frank