How to unscrew a broken self-tapping screw from a wall. Topic of the day: what to do if the screw cannot be unscrewed? Option # 4

Photo 1... Removing an old countersunk screw from a sash with glass.

Of course the simplest and quick way getting rid of old screws is a crowbar, but this method is only good when old ones are being disassembled wooden windows or doors before being taken to landfill or when appearance does not matter in principle. And to unscrew old screw with a minimum of damage to the tree in which it is twisted, and to the glass, if the work is carried out with a window sash (as shown in the photo), it is often necessary to take the following actions:

1. Clean the splines from paint

The slot (from the German schlitz - cut) is a recess on the head (head) of the screw for a regular or Phillips screwdriver. V Soviet times with all sorts of handles, locks and other latches on windows and doors, they did not stand on ceremony, and therefore they covered it with oil paint, without hesitation and not paying attention to what was on the fittings or screws protective covering or not. Well, the paint, obeying the laws of physics, accumulated in the slots and dried there, replacing the putty. It is almost impossible to unscrew a screw with 3-5 layers of paint on a countersunk head without cleaning the slot. However, it is not so difficult to clean the old oil paint from the slot. To do this, it is enough to have any sufficiently sharp metal object made of durable metal. A sufficiently strong metal means not only tool steel, but also various kinds of victorious and corundum solders on various scribes, in extreme cases, you can use a thin nail, in any case, its strength is much greater than strength oil paint... Personally, I use a special wedge bit for this purpose, which used to be part of a set of screwdrivers. With such a nozzle, you can not only bend wood, but also clean the slots from paint. However, the disadvantage of such a nozzle is that it is not always at hand. This happened in the described case, when in the country it was necessary to unscrew a couple of old handles, so a nail was used to clean the slots.

You need to clean the splines very carefully, the more paint you remove from the splines, the more likely it is that the screw can be removed. However, this is not yet a guarantee of success. I don’t know exactly why, whether because there was some mistake or flaw in the screw manufacturing technology, or screws for household purposes were made only on equipment worn out in the arms race, or from low quality steel, or simply because I only come across such old screws, but the slots of the old shovel screws are not of high quality. And their main drawback is that the slots are not deep. And the shallower the depth of the slot, the easier it is to "rip" or "lick" these same slots when twisting. After all, when we try to unscrew the screw, we must overcome the frictional force between the screw shaft and the wood. This force arises during elastic deformations of wood and does not weaken for many years and even decades, and if the screw also rusts, then it is necessary to additionally destroy the resulting scale. And this is not always easy to do. Even a simple nail driven into wood, which can be immediately pulled out with a crowbar without any special problems, after many years, due to corrosion, can adhere to the wood so that it is almost impossible to pull it out, just cut it off or break it off.

Sometimes if you have an old unnecessary screwdriver, you can sharpen it and use it as a chisel to deepen the slots.

2. Press the screwdriver as hard as possible at the very beginning of unscrewing

As already mentioned, the main task is to overcome the frictional force and the adhesive force of rust, i.e. rip the screw off the ground. If you managed to turn the screw at least a quarter of a turn, then consider that the job is done, then everything will only get easier. With each revolution, the contact area of ​​the screw with the wood will decrease and therefore the friction force will decrease. Sometimes in the process of unscrewing the slots are completely licked off, but if the screw is unscrewed at least half a centimeter, then you can continue to work with pliers.

3. Drill out the screw head

If the screw was hammered, and not twisted into the wood and at the same time bent, or rather, its axis changed its shape and became not straight, then enough play is needed to unscrew such a screw, which can only be obtained if the screw to be unscrewed is the last one. And also if you tore off the slots on the screw head, but could not turn it even a quarter of a turn, then in these cases the best option- drilling the screw head. To do this, you need to have a drill and drill for metal with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the countersunk screw head. When you tore off the splines, you can drill out the head without preliminary punching, and if the screw does not stupidly unscrew, but the splines are in place, then it is better to screw it first. However, in the course of drilling, the drill itself will fall into the pot. After the head is drilled out, you can remove the fittings and the rest of the screw, either unscrew it with pliers or hammer in deeper with a hammer.

There are probably other ways to remove old rusty screws, but I don't know them yet.

Instructions

As a rule, paint is applied to the threads of the smallest screws before tightening to increase the strength of the fastening. Therefore, if the head is not yet completely torn off, try to heat it with a soldering iron with a thin tip. It is important not to overdo it, because if next to the screw there are plastic parts housings - they can be melted to the screw.

After heating, immediately try to unscrew the screw - it should give way more easily. The main thing here is also not to overdo it, so as not to disrupt the thread completely.

If the thread is completely ripped off, superglue will help you. Drop some glue into the torn hole in the head and insert a screwdriver into it. Press down on the screwdriver to better connection screw and screwdriver. Do not wobble the screwdriver while the glue is on!
After waiting for a while (depending on the speed of drying of the glue), carefully, without sudden movements, begin to unscrew the screw, gradually adding force.

You can also try dripping with solder instead of glue, but this is less effective.

If all of the above measures did not help, take a drill with a drill, the diameter of which is equal to the diameter of the screw head. Carefully drill out only the head (!) Of the screw, trying as little as possible to touch the plastic of the part into which the screw is screwed. After you disassemble the laptop (phone), part of the screw will stick out from the bottom of the connection. It can be carefully unscrewed with pliers.

For assembly, instead of the drilled out screw, you must use a new screw with a washer (since the diameter of the hole in the plastic increased after drilling).

If the listed methods are not suitable and it is not possible to use the repair shop, but the unit needs to be disassembled, then take the soldering iron again and, constantly heating the screw head, at the same time try to separate the fastened parts (an assistant may be needed). Soon, the internal plastic threads of the housing will heat up and break. The method is bad in that a larger diameter screw is required for reassembly, which is impossible in some cases.

note

Perform all actions carefully, otherwise you can only aggravate everything.

Helpful advice

When loosening / tightening the screws, use only screwdrivers that fit the figure. This is especially true for screws - "stars", which have 5 or more marks for loosening.

The ability to properly tighten and unscrew the screws is necessary for everyone home master... To carry out this operation, the industry produces a wide range of tools - from simple screwdrivers to electric screwdrivers.

Instructions

Before carrying out any operation on the screw, make sure that removing or adding it will not jam the mechanism and its subsequent destruction, fall of an object, remove the cover behind which moving or live parts are located, and also that your hands or tools will not be caught. close proximity to such parts. If necessary, stop or de-energize the device you intend to work with.

Choose the right screwdriver or replacement blade. Do not try to loosen, say, a Phillips screw with a slotted screwdriver, even if it works. The size of the tip is also important - it must fit the slot in this parameter as well.

It is especially important to ensure the right combination splines and stings, if you are repairing mobile phones... Never try to use a Phillips screwdriver for this (except for Samsung devices, where such screws are sometimes used). Spend some money on a special set, and it will pay off after repairing the very first device due to the fact that you will repair it instead of purchasing a new one.

If your screwdriver has replacement bits that are magnetically or spring-mounted, make it a habit when changing a tip to immediately put the previous one in the box and close it. If you don't develop this habit, you will soon lose all the bits.

Unless otherwise specified, turn the screw clockwise when tightening and counterclockwise when loosening. The only exception is left-hand thread screws. If there is a nut on the opposite side, hold it with a wrench or pliers.

Never apply excessive force to the screw when tightening, otherwise the threads may break. This is especially important when working with a screwdriver. Learn to use the built-in force limiter.

Only use the specified bits with the screwdriver. Switch the direction of rotation with the reverse switch located next to the trigger.

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When repairing a car or motorcycle, home or garden equipment, you have to unscrew many fasteners, various metal and other elements. Very often, in this case, we are faced with torn off screws, the removal of which sometimes seems almost impossible. In fact, unscrewing a torn off screw is not that difficult.

You will need

• - spanner key or cap head;
• - adjustable wrench;
• - sharp chisel;
• - straight and Phillips screwdriver;
• - impact screwdriver;
• - drill;
• - gas-burner.

Instructions

Metal dowel The metal dowel-nail is the most difficult to remove. Take a heavy hammer and loosen the fastener. If it does not work, then next to it, as close to the dowel as possible, drill another hole. It will be easier to sway with him. It will not be difficult to pull out a loose dowel.

Plastic dowel It happens that during the renovation, you remove the wallpaper and find an old plastic dowel. You don't need it anymore. Everything is simpler here. Leave it in place, as it is obvious that the hole in the wall will enlarge as you remove it. You don't want to close up the wall again, waste time and effort. But if you need to drill a hole very close for a new dowel, then remove the old one. Use a regular corkscrew. Screw it into the nylon and pull the plug out of the wall with a pull. Cover the freed hole with plaster. Once the plaster has hardened, you can drill a new hole next to it.

Plastic dowel with broken self-tapping screw inside Here it will make you work a little harder. Give up the thought of drilling it out, since the steel of the self-tapping screw is very. We'll have to go for the trick.

Take a hot soldering iron 60-70 watts and heat the dowel along with the stub of a self-tapping screw. The plastic of the dowel will melt, and you use a knitting needle or tweezers to pull the screw out. If it does not work quickly, then hook the self-tapping screw and heat it further through the tweezers. In a few minutes it will fall out after all.

Method Two Take a thin-walled steel tube. Choose the diameter of the tube taking into account the diameter of the dowel. Use a needle file to make four teeth at the end of the tube. Use the resulting product as a drill. Such a tube will enter the hole without problems and come out directly with a self-tapping screw. Start drilling at a low rotational speed and gradually increase it. Even if your dowel is made of durable material, the steel tube will get hot at high RPM and you can burn out the dowel.

Renovation in the apartment involves high-quality finishing walls. To prepare the room for wallpapering or other application decorative coating, the walls need to be leveled, having previously freed them from the previous fasteners. Often, the master has to remove the dowels that have become unnecessary, through which the screws are attached. Skill and some tricks can help in this.

You will need

• - self-tapping screw;
• - corkscrew;
• - a sharp knife;
• - awl;
• - nail puller;
• - hammer;
• - soldering iron;
• - punch;
• - angle grinder ("grinder").

Instructions

To dismantle a conventional plastic dowel in the simplest case, use a self-tapping screw suitable size... Screw the self-tapping screw into the dowel about two-thirds so that the self-tapping screw is securely connected to the part to be dismantled. Then, hook the head of the screw with pliers and pull it out with the dowel. In some cases, a table corkscrew can perform the self-tapping function.

If ordinary pliers do not help, pry off the head of the self-tapping screw screwed into the dowel with a nail puller. This lever allows you to remove the plug with less effort. The main thing is that the self-tapping screw with its working part is tightly planted in the hole.

Dismantle the homemade wooden dowel from the nest in parts. To do this, crush it along the grain of the wood into several pieces using a chisel with a thin blade and a hammer. Pry the dowel destroyed in this way with the tip of a sharp knife, nail or awl, and then carefully pull it out.

I recently repaired a door and was faced with the question of how to unscrew a screw with a torn off head and now I am sharing my experience.
I had to remove the door without disassembling its box and keep the hinges in place, then everything was assembled into place. The door was planned to be stripped, sanded to wood, and repainted to renew and give a dignified appearance. All the same, 100% wood is better than modern paper-glued doors.

Screws in door hinges, of course they were smeared with paint, from time to time they did not want to twist and the edges on them, or rather the crosses, no matter how hard I tried to rip off (((
Only a few screws moved, while others held in place as if rooted to the spot.
Generally, I noticed that the caps of the old "Soviet" screws break off "at once". In addition, from time to time they become covered with corrosion and the adhesion to the tree becomes almost monolithic.
So, the task is how to unscrew a screw with a torn off head - with torn off edges on the head.
- The easiest option (if it was not necessary to put the door in place or it was possible to move the hinges on the box) is to drill out the caps and remove door leaf... Then hook the hemp of the screws with pliers and try to unscrew them. If this does not work out an option) - bite / saw off / hammer in the remnants, leaving the thread in place. Move the loop a little and everything would be "in openwork"
But it didn't work for me. I began to think.
We take a grinder with a thin circle and start working.
And you didn't have to cut the crosses, just one cut for a straight power screwdriver is enough.
Here is a small recipe for how to unscrew a screw with a torn off head in inconvenient places. On occasion, remember, it will come in handy. Just try not to rip the head off entirely 😉

Usually, there are no problems with unscrewing a self-tapping screw or screw - a screwdriver, screwdriver or drill, counterclockwise rotation - and now you have metal fasteners in your hand. However, if the head, head of a screw or self-tapping screw is torn off, the thread is damaged, the task becomes difficult.

We have already written about how you can pull out a nail that has a broken cap. Unscrewing a screw or self-tapping screw with the same problem or torn off edges on the head is even more difficult.

Option one

If part of the screw or self-tapping screw protrudes above the surface, you can try to grab this tip with pliers. Experts advise using thin pliers known as platypuses. Then, by turning counterclockwise, pull out the fasteners.

Option two

However, if the screw or self-tapping screw is screwed in deeply, there is simply nothing to grab onto. In this case, you will have to touch the surface into which the fastener is screwed. Yes, it will be damaged and it will have to be fixed later. But sometimes there is simply no other way out.

If a self-tapping screw or shurpa is screwed into a tree, you can get to them with a chisel. In case of concrete surface you can drill a shallow surface nearby or make cuts with a grinder in order to be able to grab the fastener with pliers, pliers.

If a self-tapping screw was used for metal, then it remains only to make additional holes nearby in order to get close to it with platypuses.

Option three

Suppose that the cap on the self-tapping screw or screw remains, but the slot is torn off, as many craftsmen say - "lapped", seamed. A screwdriver or drill simply breaks off such a fastener. The easiest way to deal with this problem is to use a piece of rubber or any rubberized material. For example, a medical harness or a bicycle camera will do. We cut out a small rectangular or square piece from the material and put it on the head of the fastener with a torn off thread. Then we rest with a screwdriver and begin to carefully unscrew. Rubber creates additional grip, the metal screwdriver no longer breaks off the slippery metal head and does its job. If the rubber is damaged or torn during operation, just take a new piece and continue twisting.

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Option four

On a torn off or damaged screw head, new faces can be cut. Rather, to deepen the previously existing, but worn out. The easiest option is to make one cut for the flat head screwdriver. To do this, use a grinder, a metal saw, a dremel. However, in the case of a self-tapping screw made of hardened metal, this option is problematic. In addition, some of the fasteners must protrude above the surface so that a notch can be made.

Option five

Apply Moment-type glue to the damaged head of a self-tapping screw or screw. Wait until it hardens a little, attach a screwdriver to this place and press for five seconds. The glue will seize, and the screwdriver will no longer slide off, you can slowly start unscrewing it.

Option six

Use an extractor. it special tool for loosening naughty bolts, but also suitable for self-tapping screws and screws. The secret of the extractor is that during counterclockwise rotation it grips the fasteners more and more, preventing it from breaking out. But before using the extractor, a hole should be drilled in the screw along the vertical axis, where the tool will then be inserted. In the case of a conventional screw, this is possible, you just need to choose a thin drill. But to drill a self-tapping screw from hardened steel is very difficult, the drill will simply go to the side.