Question 500General Subjects - Assistant Engineer

The correct answer is A) Drill a hole in the center of the broken stud. Drilling a hole in the center of the broken stud is generally the best first step to begin the process of removing a bolt or stud that has broken off flush at the surface. This allows you to create a recess or pilot hole that can then be used with a bolt extractor or other removal tool to grip and back out the remaining portion of the stud. The other options, such as heating the bolt or using a tapered screw extractor, are less effective initial steps as they do not create this critical pilot hole. Tapping the bolt with a punch may also damage the surrounding material. Drilling the pilot hole is the safest and most effective first action to take.