Picture this scene; you are trying to take apart an object. You get to the very last screw, and of course, it strips. What are you going to do now?
You have two choices. You can either spend an extremely frustrating half hour attempting to pry or dig it out, possibly ruining your project, or you can find an easy way to remove these fasteners and fixings. The second choice may be the best one, and it isn’t as difficult as you might think.
The following are a few helpful tips for removing stripped screws and bolts.
Tips for Removing Stripped Fasteners and Fixings Like Bolts and Screws
- If you have a Dremel, or a tool that is similar to it, you can easily remove stripped fasteners and fixings. Take the Dremel and cut a small notch in the head of the screw. You can then use a screw driver with a flat head to remove the screw.
- Use a drill and a drill bit to drill a tiny hole in the head of the screw. It doesn’t need to be deep, but it should be deep enough to allow a Phillips screw driver to sink into the hole so it can turn the screw easily.
- Welding adhesives like JB Weld are an excellent way of removing stripped fasteners and fixings like screws and bolts. Simply choose a nut that is the same diameter as the screw head. Place it on the head of the screw and fill the middle of the nut with the welding adhesive. Be careful though! If you let the adhesive run, you will be making a mess that could prevent you from removing the screw at all. Let the adhesive dry, then use a socket wrench to grab the nut and twist out the screw.
- If you have an item as simple as a wide rubber band, you can remove stripped screws as well. Put the rubber band over the head of the screw and then push your screw driver into the top of the screw. Many times, the rubber band will provide enough grip to allow you to turn the screw.
- Is the screw partially exposed? If so, grab a pair of needle-nose pliers. See if you can grab onto the head of the screw with this tool and turn the screw until it is loose.
- Take a hammer and the appropriate screw driver and carefully tap the end of the screw driver into the head of the screw. Sometimes, if the metal in the screw is soft enough, you can hammer the screw driver into the head enough to get a good grip on the screw. When you have a firm position, simply twist and remove.
- One of the easiest ways to remove a stripped screw or bolt is to use a screw extractor. This tool was made specifically for this job and is a tool you should definitely have in your toolbox. A screw extractor will allow you to remove stripped fasteners and fixing with very little time, effort, or cost.
If you are constantly faced with stripped fasteners and fixings, consider these helpful tips. They will allow you to easily remove stripped screws and bolts and continue your do-it-yourself project.