Getting Out Screws

[Liightniing]

Me and my Crew are trying to uninstall a railing from a set. There are several stripped screws that just won't come out. There is also a screw that the head broke off that we can't get out. We can afford to build a new one but we would prefer not to.

 

[dbaxter]

Dremel tool with a grinding/cutoff disk.

 

[josh88]

vise grip and spin on the broken one? lol I've used a rubber band over the stripped screw to gain enough traction to back it out. There are also stripped screw extractors you can get on amazon or from the big box stores https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NGTLM40/?tag=controlbooth-20

 

[Amiers]

Elbow grease and patience.

Cats paw or chisel to get the head exposed and good ole visegrips.

Again lots of patience.

 

[AudJ]

Screw extractor, thick rubber band, or make your own slot:

Use a Dremel cutoff wheel to make one cut straight down into the center of the top of the screw. This will slightly damage the surrounding area, but make a good slot for a flat screwdriver. This should also work on the one with no head where the other methods will not.

 

[manuallyfocused]

If enough of the screw is exposed above the wood with the head broken off, you can tighten a drill chuck down onto the screw shaft, reverse the drill, and use that to remove the screw.

 

[Liightniing]

If enough of the screw is exposed above the wood with the head broken off, you can tighten a drill chuck down onto the screw shaft, reverse the drill, and use that to remove the screw.

I Tried that several times times with a few different drills with no success.

 

[Liightniing]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far! I will definitely pass everything on to my TD.

 

[JonCarter]

Chances are good that if the screw is tight enough in the wood that the head twisted off when trying to unscrew it, a new slot head cut in the remainder of the shaft of the screw will twist off, or the shaft itself will twist off in the vice grips. (But give it a try, anyway.) When all else fails, drill a 1" hole with a hole saw, pilot drill as close to the broken screw as you can get. After the pieces are apart, if you have to save the upper piece (now with the 1" hole where the screw was), plug it with a piece of 1" dowell.

 

[porkchop]

If you have the time and materials to do a bit of rebuilding I would cut out the sections that can't be removed and repair them later on.

 

[kicknargel]

Can you get a sawzall blade between the parts you're trying to unscrew to cut through the screws?

Also, this is where I have to give a free plug for McFeeley's Promaster screws. Solid steel, combo head. Way less stripping and breaking. Expensive, but you can reclaim and reuse.

 

[dbaxter]

Not only McFeeley's, but also Rockler carry square-drive screws. It's all we use. Built a little tray with 6 peanut jars for 3/4, 1, 1.5, 1.75, etc. Those and a Makita impact driver and we're good to go. We recycle some, but include a line item in each set budget for replenishment.

 

[Zebulon1880]

Me and my Crew are trying to uninstall a railing from a set. There are several stripped screws that just won't come out. There is also a screw that the head broke off that we can't get out. We can afford to build a new one but we would prefer not to.View attachment 15519

I see your problem here. First you must look at the material that the screw is set into. The wood appears to be tight grained. Probably quarter-cut milled. As wood ages it shrinks. That is probably why the screw is stuck. If it was stuck in metal, I would suggest heating the metal around it causing expansion, which would release the screw. In this case, I would use a small drill bit to bore small holes around the screw. That way the screw will loosen without causing too much damage in the wood around it.

 

[Amiers]

Hopefully he has already gotten it out after a month of working on it.

 

[Robert F Jarvis]

vise grip and spin on the broken one? lol I've used a rubber band over the stripped screw to gain enough traction to back it out. There are also stripped screw extractors you can get on amazon or from the big box stores https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NGTLM40/?tag=controlbooth-20

Holy Mackerel! The frustration I have had with stripped screw heads is unbelievable. I didn't know such extractors existed - so ordered some right away. Thank you and may all your screw back out evenly!