I had a stuck screw in my garage several years ago that was blocking the next project. I knew I needed to do my research about stubborn screw removal before getting frustrated. When the first step worked, I thought I had "over-researched" the topic, but two days later my best friend texted me that some guys were getting frustrated at a stuck screw, they weren't impressed her best friend is an engineer, so did I have some suggestions? My immediate reply: too long for a text, check your email. We don't know which step worked (just that they removed the screw after exposure to my list), but I no longer feel like I did too much research!
My record so far is all screws were removed by a much bigger screwdriver (12 inches / 30 centimeters long!), except one (a stripped Phillips #2 #4-40 inside a computer) that turned after a few minutes of a heat gun.
Here are the steps I collected, and the order I would try them.
- Try a different screwdriver: larger head, longer handle.
- For stripped or worn screws, improve screwdriver's grip with: rubber band, steel wool, duct tape (sticky side on screw), green abrasive pad from a kitchen sponge, friction paste (like Drive Grip by Vibra-Tite), abrasive paste from car repair shops.
- Heat the screw for 2-3 minutes with a hair dryer or heat gun or small torch or soldering gun, and try again.
- Chill the screw with ice cubes, and try again.
- For screws into metal that might be rusty, or might have paint or debris, clean around the screw as much as possible, apply a rust penetrant (Liquid Wrench, PB Blaster, WD-40) or paint stripper, wait 15 minutes, try again.
- If headroom, tighten a drill chuck over the screw head, and unscrew with drill.
- If headroom, remove with a pair of pliers. Flatten opposite sides with a file or dremel to improve gripping.
- Tap the screwdriver with a hammer, primarily for Phillips head. For a standard #2, drive a #1 bit into the screw. Tap the screwdriver while turning (improvised manual impact screwdriver).
- Use a manual impact driver. (manual better than electric for forward thrust)
- Drill a shallow hole into the head, so the screwdriver sits deeper.
- Use a dremel to cut a slot all the way across, and use a large slotted screwdriver.
- Adhere a nut to the head with welding adhesive, let dry recommended time, use ratchet.
- Drill a pilot hole, and then use a screw extractor.
- Use a hole saw to remove the screw and a plug of wood around it; replace the plug of wood with one without a stuck screw.
- Drill out the whole screw.
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