Removing screws/standoffs from motherboards to take the end bracket off

I was going through my motherboard pile removing brackets and couldn't find my socket for the screws/standoffs. After twisting a few with needle nose and getting tired of that, I grabbed my trusty vise grips and locked them on. With minimal effort the things just snapped off. I checked it out and it ended up being chrome plated brass. Some are steel, but most of the ones I found are brass. The main thing is that they are much easier to snap off with the vice grips than unscrewing them.http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4313/013dv.jpg

Nutdriver works good, but a ratchet with socket will work well also, they make bits for electric screw drivers for those also. It all depends on how quick you want it done. I could buzz em out with my electric screwdriver faster than by using visegrips and get all of the brass.

What I had before actually was a nutdriver before I misplaced the thing. I can't find the right size socket now (5mm maybe?) or that electric screwdriver would be a breeze. Do you happen to know the size? I've seen a few larger but most I believe are standardized.

I've been looking for a tool for this myself, but not as much the stand off's, the're kinda fun to unscrew,
it's the ones on the backs of towers, usually 6 of 'em very close together, I been looking for a screw driver type thing with a socket to fit at the end, yeah maybe electrical.

what is the size of the stand off's? like spanner size?

heh, we we're asking the same question at the same time, i'm telling ya's, it's this 12/12 thing

I use a 5 mm socket on my drill for those.

I've been using a 3/16 SAE nut driver to take them off. Didn't know it was brass. I'd been assuming they were stainless. D'oh! Now I have to dump out my container of small stainless stuff and test it all with my file.

freonjoe....thanks for the size info

billygoat....I know how you feel!! I've had the same thing happen soo many times. Dump it all out and start over. Some of them might actually be stainless, I can't seem to locate one right now.

scrapperben.....hey you're right, it is 12/12/12. I hadn't noticed that until now. What's supposed to happen, star alignment? aliens? Government reconciliation?
Yes, we're talking about the same ones on the back of the tower like where the monitor cable hooks in.

Haha... I thought it was 12/12/12 myself but after looking it up, I found out the world won't come to an end until 12/21/12. So I guess I'll have to keep plugging along until next Friday.

Here's what I use. That little 1/4" socket to chuck adapter comes in handy. ATM it's got a 5mm
http://upsimple.com/uploads/anonymou...8a2be_6972.jpg

BUT snapping them off just makes them dirty brass/stainless, only gonna be worth .10-.12 a lb. The screw part broke off inside is still steel.

Mechanic... Oh great, yet another bucket to fling them at. I just checked some of my newer motherboards and you're right on those, brass with steel insert. However, those that I snapped off yesterday that are in the pic are all brass without the steel screw part. It's not a very good pic but you can see the cast yellow color of the brass. Now that we have at least 3 different compositions of these and 3 or 4 different sized tools to take them off AND several methods of removing them, I feel like this is a job well done. I'm glad we got that all cleared up.

BTW BEAR.....like that sweet little adapter rig you got goin' there

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

BUT snapping them off just makes them dirty brass/stainless, only gonna be worth .10-.12 a lb. The screw part broke off inside is still steel.

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shred price is .11 right now where I go

Ok, lets get back to basics (scrappin 101) Magnet, ALWAYS check everything with a magnet, even the screws. You will be surprised at how many screws are made of ss. Grinder is the second test, if it sparks it's ss, if it's yellow it's brass, if it's oranage/brownish it's copper.

i tore down a big 200 pound server today, the standoffs were steel, however each board is on its own aluminum tray, so im gonna have about 30 pounds of clean aluminum after i bust all those stand offs off. The problem is i have 20 trays that have pressed in standoffs, so im not sure whether im gonna take the time to clean them or just let it go as dirty aluminum. Half the time the standoffs are steel so you need to pull one and check it with a magnet before you pull the rest.

Pop them off with a Vice Grip.Come straight down on them with the V.G. and rock it towards the rounded head part and use that for leverage.

Just like in the pic.

yep, im just not liking the idea of 2 hours pulling standoffs for $15 dirty to clean aluminum, i think ill just throw it an a pile and get to it when im watching tv one of these days.

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Originally Posted by jghilino

yep, im just not liking the idea of 2 hours pulling standoffs for $15 dirty to clean aluminum, i think ill just throw it an a pile and get to it when im watching tv one of these days.

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All you have to do is loosen them a little and they'll unscrew by hand.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

BUT snapping them off just makes them dirty brass/stainless, only gonna be worth .10-.12 a lb. The screw part broke off inside is still steel.

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i get like 80 cents for dirty brass at my yard , the steel braided hoses on my fire extinguishers have brass fittings(nearly impossible to get off) so i just clip them with a chopsaw leaves the hose inside the fitting, i rarely question prices at the yard but i think i would ask the yard manager to check it out instead of the guys that unload, i get 11 for shred just seems really low