How To Remove A Stripped Screw

You have decided to change a portrait in your living room, but find it almost impossible to remove the frame that secures the portrait. Nothing can be more frustrating than your work getting delayed due to a jammed screw. A screw comprises of two important parts - the screw head and the threading. The screw head is the place where the screwdriver is placed in order to move the screw in an anti-clockwise or clockwise direction. At times, due to over usage, aging and wear and tear, the screw head tends to wear off making the slits on the screw head less prominent. This makes the screw useless. In such cases, how does one manage to remove such a screw? Too much of force applied through the screwdriver might damage the screw further, making it impossible to remove. If you want to learn how to remove a stripped screw, this piece will tell you how to go about the same.

Tips On Removing A Stripped Screw

Materials Required

Metal saw or cut-off tool
Screwdrivers (Philip/flathead screwdrivers)
Safety glasses
Screw extractor
Standard drill bit

Method

You will have to attach a Philip screwdriver, one larger than what is usually used to remove the screw. Push the screwdriver really hard using an angle and try to remove the screw slowly. If you see that this is worsening the stripping, stop using the screwdriver at once.
If the Philip screwdriver does not work, then you can make use of the large flathead screwdriver for the purpose. You can make use of the largest of all flathead screwdrivers if the slits on the stripped head of the screw are centered. Put some pressure on the screw and try to turn the screw anti-clockwise. This might get the screw out, but if it does not help or if it strips the screw even more than what it actually was, you will have to try some other trick.
If the flathead screwdriver also does not work in your favor, make use of the cut off tool or the metal saw to create a slit in the screw. Make sure to put on your safety glasses to avoid getting hurt by the metal pieces or the dust that comes out in the process. If you succeed creating a slit in the screw, try the previous step once more to get rid of the screw.
Another way in which you can try to remove the stripped screw is by using a drill to create a hole that is smaller than the head of the screw. The hole created should be approximately 1/3 the size of the head of the screw and around ¼ of an inch into the body of the screw. Once the hole is created, insert a small Philip screwdriver into the hole and try to remove the screw.
Make use of either the screw extractor or the drill bit to remove the stripped screw. Push the screw extractor or drill bit on the stripped screw head and slowly try to remove the screw. Do not push the screw too hard, or else the screw may break.
If all the above-mentioned steps fail to get rid of the stripped screw, then make use of the drill machine to drill out the screw. You will require a drill bit either of the same size or a slightly smaller one than the stem of the screw. Take all safety measures while using the drilling machine as pieces of metal might hurt your eyes.

If left unattended for a while, screw heads tend to rust and change shape, thus making it difficult for you to remove. These tips on how to remove a stripped screw will prove handy if you face such situations.

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