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1

a photo of the bolt in question

A previous owner fitted the light fitting pictured above, and has not left me a tool to remove the bolt. The bulb has blown so I need to get in to the unit. The head diameter is about 12mm and the gap between the two notches is about 6mm. I would like to remove it with some technique involving more finesse than simply smashing up the fitting and/or drilling out the bolt.

I hope someone can recognise the bolt and give me a search term which will let me cheaply buy a bit for this bolt from somewhere like Ebay UK.

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2 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

It's called a spanner slotted (or slotted spanner) head. Useful site here. Hard to find in the UK, why the owner used one I cannot imagine. Screwfix doesn't have them. This site may do, although it is international. You'll need to figure out the correct size before you order.

Alternatively get a real cheap flat-head screwdriver the right width and file down the middle until you get the right notch.

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7  
I usually bend a paperclip into a u shape, stick the two ends into the screw slots, then get a set of pliers and grab the paperclip right at the screw face... then turn. – Hightower Oct 9 '12 at 9:14
Could work, depends on how tight it has been screwed in. – GdD Oct 9 '12 at 10:24
1  
You can also gang two thin screwdrivers together by clamping them between a pair of pieces of wood (to keep the alignment). If it's really stubborn, cut grooves in the wood so the screwdrivers don't spill. – Alex Feinman Oct 9 '12 at 12:59
up vote 5 down vote

I think that's a Spanner bit:

Four piece set

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