I just bought a gorgeous new headstall online (not used). I thought it had clips but nope…Chicago screws. These things are so frustrating, they’re just spinning and spinning and spinning and I cannot make it unscrew!! I’d really prefer to not butcher the headstall so how on earth do I unscrew these things?!
I hesitate to say this because it seems so obvious, but you are holding the front side still while you’re trying to unscrew the back side, right? If you can’t hold it still with your fingers, try using a pair of needlenose pliers.
I’ve heard of people putting a drop of glue inside the screw to ensure that it doesn’t work its way loose, but I wouldn’t think you would encounter this on a new bridle.
If the above suggestion doesn’t seem to work, try putting one side on firm surface (pad the surface with some newspaper or a chunk of leather) and tap on the other side. Sometimes it just needs the “shock” of a good tap to loosen it up. And then try the above suggestion again.
When you get it apart and then reassembled, and don’t want the stupid screws to come out accidentally, try Locktite Blue (check the label) - it will keep it from coming apart in use but let you unscrew it later (might have to do the tapping trick again). Or try a dab of nail polish on the threads to keep it from falling apart.
OP, you have the cheap chicago screws supplied by the manufacture that doesn’t have slots for the screw driver on both sides, right?
Those do indeed suck. I like the “shock” method. After that, go get a Chicago screw that has those slots on both sides. Or get a concho with a screw back. This is what the Chicago screw attachment was built to accommodate.
My dress up bridle had conchos on the outside, so no slot on both sides. I put a rag over the concho part, held it still with regular pliers, and unscrewed the other side with the screwdriver. Rag protected fancy concho part from teeth of pliers, still held it tight to get unscrewed.
We always used nail polish for locking those screws pieces together, not hard to break loose with tools, when bridle needed cleaning. And coward that I am, I usually used double sets of Chicago screws, so they were a pair at each location, removing or lowering the chance of rein or headstall coming OFF THE BIT while being used. Have seen THAT happen more than once, and there is NEVER a good time to lose the Chicago screw.
Nail polish works well for me, any cheap color for locking the screw to prevent it unscrewing in use.
Yep, MVP - those ones. I was holding down the non-slotted end but apparently not hard enough! I eventually got it unscrewed and it seems as tight as it was before, but I’ll recheck it before I ride Tuesday. I hope I never have to change the bit on this thing. :lol:
I hate Chicago screws. Just sayin".
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I too am a Chicago Screw Hater. Years ago I was riding my young Appy gelding at a lovely canter/lope down a nice tree covered trail…came to a spot where a tree has fallen over the path at about my chest height. No prob…right…I would just pull him up…both Chicago screws came loose during that ride unbeknowst to me. I went to pull him up and both reins detatched from the bridle. OMG… that wonderful saint of a gelding had a good verbal whoa, or I would not be here to tell this story!
Since then I have prefered buckles or anything other than a Chicago screw…blue Locktite is your friend!
I’d replace them with some sort of water tie, they can still look nice, but those screws fail when you least need them to (AKA NEVER while hanging on the wall).
This is the proper tool for future reference:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MALAN-CHICAGO-SCREW-REMOVAL-TOOL-CONCHO-INSTALLATION-TOOL-/230889097483?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c210090b
It’s a set of vice grips with an open end that let a screw driver pass through
