Interested in what different tools/techniques people use for removing
stubborn screws where the head has become buggered.

"joseph" wrote in message
...
Interested in what different tools/techniques people use for removing
stubborn screws where the head has become buggered.


Do you mean when the screwhead is sunk into the wood? and you would like to
save the wood rather than damage it? :-)

I drill the head off then prise the wood away which then leaves the screw
stub which can be screwed out with pliers or mole grips.

joseph wrote:
Interested in what different tools/techniques people use for removing
stubborn screws where the head has become buggered.

I've used stud extractors with limited success on machine screws, but
they're not up to much on the smaller sizes. They're essentially a left
hand threaded hardened self tapper. A left hand drill bit if you can
get hold of one often works better.

--
Spamtrap in use
To email replace 127.0.0.1 with btinternet dot com

"joseph" wrote in message
...
Interested in what different tools/techniques people use for removing
stubborn screws where the head has become buggered.

In wood or metal? In metal, above 6 mm or so a small cold chisel will
sometimes work. If a shade larger, experienced welders sometimes tack a bit
of steel on. The thermal shock probably helps to loosen rust. In wood, a
mole wrench.

On Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:24:34 +0100, joseph wrote:

Interested in what different tools/techniques people use for removing
stubborn screws where the head has become buggered.

Not breaking the heads first. If it's likely to be awkward, use
techniques beforehand to free it, don't just hope and then compalin
after you've broken it.

If it's a broken screw, then use an expensive Facom-brand parallel
splined pin extractor (from Halfords, to special order) and the
appropriate magic-sized drillbit. These work, in a way that the cheap
tapered ones simply don't.

joseph wrote:

Interested in what different tools/techniques people use for removing
stubborn screws where the head has become buggered.

http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index...._Damaged_Screw


NT

In message . com,
wrote
joseph wrote:

Interested in what different tools/techniques people use for removing
stubborn screws where the head has become buggered.

http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index...._Damaged_Screw


In addition

If a screw head has been painted, heating the screw driver blade/tip
with a blow torch allows it to quickly burn through the paint.

On cross head screws filing or grinding off the end of the screw driver
(the pointed bit) allows the driver to catch on the grooves that left on
the outside of the cross.

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

Alan wrote:
In message . com,
wrote
joseph wrote:

Interested in what different tools/techniques people use for removing
stubborn screws where the head has become buggered.

http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index...._Damaged_Screw


In addition

If a screw head has been painted, heating the screw driver blade/tip
with a blow torch allows it to quickly burn through the paint.

On cross head screws filing or grinding off the end of the screw driver
(the pointed bit) allows the driver to catch on the grooves that left on
the outside of the cross.

I've added the hot tip trick, but whats the purpose of the pointless
screwdriver? I cant think of a situation where the hollow was
damaged but the outer part of the screwhead not.


NT

wrote in message
oups.com...
Alan wrote:
In message . com,
wrote
joseph wrote:

Interested in what different tools/techniques people use for removing
stubborn screws where the head has become buggered.

http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index...._Damaged_Screw


In addition

If a screw head has been painted, heating the screw driver blade/tip
with a blow torch allows it to quickly burn through the paint.

On cross head screws filing or grinding off the end of the screw driver
(the pointed bit) allows the driver to catch on the grooves that left on
the outside of the cross.

I've added the hot tip trick, but whats the purpose of the pointless
screwdriver? I cant think of a situation where the hollow was
damaged but the outer part of the screwhead not.


NT


Where the head has worn down slightly & the outer channels aren't as deep as
they once were?

Don.

Alan wrote:

If a screw head has been painted, heating the screw driver blade/tip
with a blow torch allows it to quickly burn through the paint.

Does that not also destroy the temper of the screwdriver?

--
Cheers,

John.

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John Rumm wrote:
Alan wrote:

If a screw head has been painted, heating the screw driver blade/tip
with a blow torch allows it to quickly burn through the paint.

Does that not also destroy the temper of the screwdriver?

I presume it would knacker it in short order. Maybe someone with
metallurgical skills will know for sure. At 4 for £1 to make a job
quick, not a problem, long as you dont use decent bits.


NT

wrote:

John Rumm wrote:

Alan wrote:


If a screw head has been painted, heating the screw driver blade/tip
with a blow torch allows it to quickly burn through the paint.

Does that not also destroy the temper of the screwdriver?


I presume it would knacker it in short order. Maybe someone with
metallurgical skills will know for sure. At 4 for £1 to make a job
quick, not a problem, long as you dont use decent bits.

Even when using a quality screw driver, you have to consider that it can
be thrown away, just to get a difficult job done.

I always looked at my DIY time as costing X No of £s per hour. If I got
a job that could take me many hours to do, the tool got sacrificed.

Dave

Dave wrote:
wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
Alan wrote:

If a screw head has been painted, heating the screw driver blade/tip
with a blow torch allows it to quickly burn through the paint.

Does that not also destroy the temper of the screwdriver?


I presume it would knacker it in short order. Maybe someone with
metallurgical skills will know for sure. At 4 for £1 to make a job
quick, not a problem, long as you dont use decent bits.

Even when using a quality screw driver, you have to consider that it can
be thrown away, just to get a difficult job done.

I always looked at my DIY time as costing X No of £s per hour. If I got
a job that could take me many hours to do, the tool got sacrificed.

Dave

Quite. Cheap tools in situations like this give easy gains you cant
get
with decent ones. Its worth chucking a pack of £1 tools to save 10
minutes, but generally not decent kit.


NT