How do I remove a small stripped screw?
Use one of the screws that you were able to remove so that you can best judge what size drill bit you need to drill through the centre of this screw. The problem here is that you could very likely ruin the existing female threads.. . .. So never mind, you need a small pair of vice grips to lock onto it from the outside diameter, and get it started twisting and shouting.
Before long, you'll have it doing the "mash potato," and the limbo, and the.. .. yeah.
Place a small flat piece of elastic rubber band on it (just cut out a bit from an old band you might have), place on top of stripped screw, then use screwdriver on that - it will give you more traction. This trick has worked for me in the past! - but I'm not sure if it works 100% of the time on all screws.
You can purchase a set of easy-outs though i'm not sure if they make them small enough for this screw. If the screw is really hard to get out it could have been cross-threaded when it was put in the last time so be careful about using too much force as you could shear the head off. If that happens you will have to drill out the screw and then tap another set of threads.
If everything else fails try this: File one side of the screw to make a flat edge and try to use a small set of pliars or a small wrench - Usually a 2-3mm works fine.
Thank you Rob. This not actually a picture of the screw I'm trying to remove, - just the closest photo I could find. The screw I'm trying to remove is very small and very soft white metal.It is much more badly stripped than the one in the photo.
On my screw, there is barely an edge of a tiny star shaped screwdriver slot left. My smallest ratchet-set star head fits but doesn't budge it. I will definitely try the WD40 though, thanks for that info!
- Duddy.
It looks like it would come out if you used a better fitting screwdriver. Is the one you are using big enough. Have you tried using WD40 to loosen it.
Cut a slot across the head with a hack saw and use a larger flat head screwdriver. OrGrip it with a pair of mole grips. OrGlue your phillips screwdriver to the screw.
Or Drill it out.
I use SEVERAL methods for removing stripped screws. My first suggestion is to always try to use a proper screwdriver that "fits" and doesn't slip. If screwdriver slips, then stop!
Get another screwdriver that might grip better. If however, the screw becomes stripped, I use these methods: Grab the screw head with a SHARP POINTY wire-cutter and grip tightly while twisting. If the screw moves JUST A LITTLE then you've got it.
Another method is to grind a little NOTCH on the outer-edge of the screw... then use a FLAT screwdriver and a small hammer to "hammer" the screw at an angle untill it unscrews. Another method is using a DREMEL cutting wheel. I grind a SLOT into the screw-head then use a flat screwdriver to remove the screw.
Another method is to GRIND-OFF the screw head (using a cut-off-grinder or dremmel) . Then use a pliers or wire-cutter to unscrew the stub sticking out. Some screws are located on metal that can be HEATED without damaging surrounding items.. LIKE on a car... I would heat the area with a propane torch then "ANGLE HAMMER the screw out as described above.My final method is to use an electric drill and drill out the head of the screw.
All of those methods have advantages and disadvantages. Some can not be used in certain situations ... like when there is tight work-space and you cant ANGLE-HAMMER the screw... or etc etc.What I am trying to explain is... you have to look at each situation closely and choose which "method" might work the best.
Sometimes the head of a screw becomes worn and becomes difficult to remove due to slippage between the screw head, and the screwdriver bit. This how-to discusses how to get these difficult-to-remove screws out of whatever it is that they've gotten stuck in. 1Avoid making the problem worse.
If the tool you are using is slipping, stop using it immediately. Further slippage will only continue to wear down the screw head and make it harder to remove. Definitely be sure you are going in the correct direction for removal, which is usually--but not always--counterclockwise ("righty tighty, lefty loosey").
Pressing down hard as you are unscrewing will help prevent slippage. 2Use a manual screwdriver rather than a power drill. You will be able to put more pressure on the back of the screwdriver (to increase friction) and to go more slowly.
Not all drills are strong enough to exert as much torque as you need to remove a recalcitrant screw. Some chuckless drills will actually lose their grip on the screwdriver bit if you put too much torque on them (especially in the reverse direction). 3Get more torque with a socket wrench.
If you need a lot of torque because you are hurting your hand or you are not getting results, the best tool is a socket wrench, a common part of many professional screwdriver sets. This allows you to get 6 inches or more of lever arm rather than the half-inch or so a screwdriver handle produces. This greatly increases the amount of torque you can put on the screw for a given amount of hand pressure.
4Use a screw extractor. The right tool for the job, assuming the screw head is worn but intact, is called a "screw extractor". This is essentially a screwdriver or screwdriver bit which has strong, rough metal threads right on the tip.
These are intended to burrow into the metal of the screw head and get stuck there so you can put some torque on it. Use a screw extractor like a normal screwdriver to remove the screw. Be sure to go slowly, and press down hard enough to prevent slippage and engage the burrowing threads.
If the screw extractor can't get a grip, you may need to drill a small hole into the screw head. You will need a drill bit that is designed for drilling metal; a wood-drilling bit won't survive. If you drill too far, you will destroy the head entirely or make it fragile enough that it will snap off, making it even harder to get the screw out.
Given the nature of what you are drilling, pieces of metal may suddenly come flying out of the assembly, so wear eye protection! Also try using a small piece of steel wool or a piece of the green abrasive on kitchen cleaning sponges- press a small piece into screw head, insert screwdriver and turn. The abrasive material will bite into the screw head, and give better grip for the screwdriver.
There is also a multi-spline type of screw extractor. The multi-spline extractor is like a hex nut with splines instead of threads on the inner bore. The multi-spline extractor fits over the head of the screw and over any projecting stud.
The internal splines (teeth) engage the rounded head of the screw. Tap the extractor gently into place and turn it with a socket wrench. The multi-spline extractor is good for Torx and Allen head screws if the cylindrical body of the Allen screw is exposed.
The multi-spline extractor is typically described as "Bolt extractor 5-piece set". 5Try a different screwdriver. If you don't have a screw extractor and don't want to try to get one just yet, you can try to use a different screwdriver or screwdriver bit.
A screwdriver with a bigger head may help. Some screw heads can accept either a slot or a cross-head (e.g. You may have some luck trying the other kind. If you have them in your screwdriver set, you might also try a Robertson (square), Allen (hexagonal), or Torx (six-pointed star) bit, depending on the shape of the hole you have.
You may have some luck if you experiment with sizes. 6Tapping the screwdriver into place with a hammer may be helpful. Tap it with a hammer, but be careful and gentle as excessive force will destroy or remove the head of the screw.
7Drill out the entire screw as a last resort, and only if the screw is holding together metal objects. If all else fails, it is possible to drill out the existing screw with a power drill and bit of the same size as the screw's shaft. This will most likely remove the existing thread.
Replace old screw with a self-tapping (thread-forming) screw of slightly larger size. Use a nut and bolt instead. If desired, weld the nut to one of the metal objects to create a stationary, threaded mount.
If the screw was large enough, install a HeliCoil insert. 8Often placing a broad, flat rubber band between the screw and the screwdriver will yield good results if firm pressure and slow rotation is used. The rubber band acts to fill in the space that the screwdriver cannot grip.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.
Related Questions
How do you remove a screw whose head is stripped?
Looking for a small riding lawn mower for a small lawn! small h.p. small cut size?
How to remove a rusted screw?
How small is small ie small approximation of up to which angle of physical pendulum in calculating time period?
Small idea! :D I was doing a small search on MA! However...a small idea came out! How to follow the tipped questions! More inside?
What should I pay someone to clean one small bathroom, mop a small kitchen floor and vacumn and dust a small living room?