When repairing or construction works with your own hands, it often happens that you need to remove a screw whose head has been torn off. Depending on the type, size and material of which the screw is made, various ways its extraction. It also matters how badly the slot is torn off and the material into which the screw is screwed.

You can remove the rest of the screw using special tools - extractors. They are selected according to the size of the screw, screwed into drilled hole counterclock-wise. After the extractor is jammed, you can turn out the screw. In the absence of such a tool, you can unscrew small screw with a torn off head by improvised means.

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Screw removal

There are several ways to remove the screw if the head is completely torn off:

If the diameter of the bolt allows, you can drill it out with a drill with a drill bit of a suitable size.
If you take a smaller drill, you can place a bent nail in the drilled hole and unscrew the screw.
If you need to unscrew a small screw, you can put superglue on it and attach a screwdriver. After the glue has hardened, you can try to unscrew it. Similarly, you can use liquid nails.
If the size and material into which the screw is screwed allows, you can use welding, then you need to weld the nut on top and then unscrew it.
On a large screw, you can cut a slot with a hacksaw and unscrew it with a screwdriver.

If the head is not completely torn off, you need to heat the screw very carefully so as not to damage the material into which it is screwed, then try to remove it.

Broken edges

If the edges of the screw are torn off, and the screwdriver turns when you try to remove it, you should:

Cut out the edges so that a flathead screwdriver can catch.
Rest the chisel against the edge of the head and, tapping with a hammer, try to turn the screw.
Use a box socket or adjustable wrench to remove a stripped screw.
Remove the screw by placing an impact screwdriver on the edge of the cap.
Place a flat screwdriver under the cap and lightly hit the handle with a hammer.

In the event that none of the options fit, you can break the screw into pieces with a chisel and chisel and remove it from the hole.

Quite often it happens that the edges of fasteners break during construction work. Usually this happens at the most inopportune moment when you need to have time to finish the job on time. How to unscrew a screw with torn edges? Why are there such troubles? What solutions fix the problem? We will talk about all this later in the article.

Why do the edges on the fastener break off?

Before we figure out how to unscrew a stripped star screw, let's highlight a number of reasons why the problem occurs. Most often, the trouble is caused by the use of low-quality tools. We are talking about the use of a screwdriver or a screwdriver nozzle with an insufficiently sharp sting. In this case, the tight contact of the tool with the notches of the fastener disappears. Therefore, so that in the future you do not have to be puzzled by the question of how to unscrew a screw with torn edges, before performing work, you need to make sure that the tip of the screwdriver is completely immersed in the grooves.

Another reason is non-compliance with the technology of screwing fasteners. Trouble occurs when the worker does not apply enough pressure on the tool. Sometimes the location of the screwdriver tip at an angle to the screw head leads to a problem.

It is easy to guess that this can happen due to the poor quality of the materials from which the fasteners are made. Individual units may also have notch defects. In order not to have to look for a solution on how to unscrew a screw with torn edges, you should ask him before buying fasteners technical specifications and perform a visual inspection.

What is the first thing to do if there is a problem?

When the tip of the screwdriver starts to jump off the cap of the fastener, the first thing to do is stop. So that the trouble does not acquire even greater proportions, you should not be persistent, repeating your own mistake. Otherwise, you can simply damage the material into which the fasteners are screwed, without achieving the desired result.

Next, you need to check how things will go with the use of another screwdriver. You should take a tool with an unworn sharp sting and try to non-violently remove the naughty fasteners. How to unscrew a screw with torn edges, if such actions do not help? In this case, it is worth using proven methods to fix the problem, which will be discussed later in the article.

Fastener head crimp

How to unscrew a screw with stripped edges? If its head protrudes above the surface of the material, it is worth using pliers, a gas wrench or round-nose pliers. It is enough to grab the screw with one of these tools and try to turn it. Unscrew the fasteners in this case in a counterclockwise direction.

Thread restoration

How to unscrew a screw with torn edges? You can try to make a new thread on the fastener head yourself. To do this, you should use a hacksaw for metal with the thinnest blade possible. Alternative option is the use of a miniature grinder. The cut should be made with extreme care so as not to completely destroy the screw head.

Drilling a screw

How to unscrew a small screw with torn edges? If no gentle method gives a result, it is worth taking drastic measures. We are talking about drilling fasteners to its base. It is recommended to use an automatic drill with a drill for metal for this purpose. Gradually, layer by layer, fasteners will be removed from the thickness of the workpiece.

Increasing friction force

To increase the adhesion between the tip of the screwdriver and the cap of the fastener, it is enough to put auxiliary material between them. You can use here a piece of abrasive sponge, a piece of metal wool, rolled tape, a thin strip of rubber. One of these materials should be applied to the damaged head of the screw and again try to remove it using a conventional screwdriver.

Fastener heating

How to unscrew a screw with torn edges? You can fix the problem by heating the fasteners. It is only necessary to resort to a solution if there is a minimal risk of damage to the material where the screw is screwed. Heating will expand the metal. When it cools, space will be released in the structure of the workpiece, which will weaken the grip.

To achieve the goal, you can use gas burner or building hair dryer. During the event, the device must be constantly in motion. Otherwise, the temperature may be too high and the material will be damaged. As soon as the fastener becomes hot to the touch, it is necessary to stop heating. After the screw has cooled down, you need to try to unscrew it with the help of improvised means, for example, capturing the head with the same pliers.

Application of the extractor

The solution to the problem can be an extractor. The tool is a kind of screwdriver, the tip of which contains a reverse thread. On the opposite side of the device there is a perpendicular crossbar, with which you can rotate.

First, you need to make a notch on the head of the fastener using a center punch and a hammer. The mark should be strictly in the center. Using a drill for metal, make a small hole in the head.

Next, you need to use the extractor itself. The tip of the tool should be inserted into the prepared notch and hit on its reverse side with a hammer. It is necessary to tap on the extractor until it is firmly fixed in the head of the fastener. Then you need to turn the device several times. As soon as the reverse thread of the extractor is firmly rooted in the structure of the material, you can begin to extract the screw.

Glue

You can try to remove a screw with torn edges using glue. The latter must be applied to the head of the fastener and attach a nut of the appropriate diameter here. It is recommended to use an epoxy adhesive for metal, known as " cold welding". As soon as the substance hardens well, it is necessary to put a wrench on the nut and turn the fasteners.

When doing work, you should use a few tips:

Before resorting to drastic measures, it is worth examining reverse side workpiece into which the screw is screwed. Perhaps the tip of the fastener peeks out from the inside. In this case, you can grab it with pliers and try to unscrew it from the inside.
Getting down to business, you need to make sure that the rotation of the fastener occurs in the right direction. Some screws contain reverse threads. In such situations, to solve the problem, it is necessary to perform rotations in a clockwise direction.
If after the screw a gaping hole remains in the workpiece, you can solve the problem by inserting a larger self-tapping screw here. Alternatively, use a bolted connection with a nut.
When extracting a screw using one of the above methods, the formation of all kinds of notches and metal burrs is likely. In order not to suffer during the work, it is enough to put on tight gloves on your hands and protect your eyes with glasses.

Finally

So we looked at what to do to extract a screw with damaged edges. As you can see, you can find the right solution even in the most hopeless situation. A wide variety of ways to unscrew damaged fasteners is proof of this.

Why do the edges on the fastener break off?

It is easy to guess that this can happen due to the poor quality of the materials from which the fasteners are made. Individual units may also have notch defects. In order not to have to look for a solution on how to unscrew a screw with torn edges, before buying fasteners, you should take an interest in its technical characteristics and make a visual inspection.

What is the first thing to do if there is a problem?

Fastener head crimp

Thread restoration

How to unscrew a screw with torn edges? You can try to make a new thread on the fastener head yourself. To do this, you should use a hacksaw for metal with the thinnest blade possible. An alternative option is to use a miniature grinder. The cut should be made with extreme care so as not to completely destroy the screw head.

Drilling a screw

Increasing friction force

To increase the adhesion between the tip of the screwdriver and the cap of the fastener, it is enough to put auxiliary material between them. You can use here a piece of metal wool, rolled tape, a thin strip of rubber. One of these materials should be applied to the damaged head of the screw and again try to remove it using a conventional screwdriver.

Fastener heating

To achieve the goal, you can use a gas burner or a building hair dryer. During the event, the device must be constantly in motion. Otherwise, the temperature may be too high and the material will be damaged. As soon as the fastener becomes hot to the touch, it is necessary to stop heating. After the screw has cooled down, you need to try to unscrew it with the help of improvised means, for example, capturing the head with the same pliers.

Application of the extractor

First, you need to make a notch on the head of the fastener using a center punch and a hammer. The mark should be strictly in the center. Using a drill for metal, make a small hole in the head.

Glue

You can try to remove a screw with torn edges using glue. The latter must be applied to the head of the fastener and attach a nut of the appropriate diameter here. An epoxy metal adhesive known as "cold welding" is recommended. As soon as the substance hardens well, it is necessary to put a wrench on the nut and turn the fasteners.

When doing work, you should use a few tips:

Before resorting to drastic measures, it is worth examining the reverse side of the workpiece into which the screw is screwed. Perhaps the tip of the fastener peeks out from the inside. In this case, you can grab it with pliers and try to unscrew it from the inside.
Getting down to business, you need to make sure that the rotation of the fastener occurs in the right direction. Some screws contain reverse threads. In such situations, to solve the problem, it is necessary to perform rotations in a clockwise direction.
If after the screw a gaping hole remains in the workpiece, you can solve the problem by inserting a larger self-tapping screw here. Alternatively, use a bolted connection with a nut.
When extracting a screw using one of the above methods, the formation of all kinds of notches and metal burrs is likely. In order not to suffer during the work, it is enough to put on tight gloves on your hands and protect your eyes with glasses.

Finally

Or a simple screw is often stumped home master. Still, because it needs to be unscrewed, and the screwdriver has nothing to catch on to even turn the screw a little. Let's try to consider several options for solving this problem. We will proceed from the fact that the head of the self-tapping screw is recessed, it is impossible to crawl up to it with a hacksaw. Consider what tools can be used to solve this issue, how difficult it will be to do.

The simplest "folk" means for solving the problem of unscrewing a torn self-tapping screw, the editors of Homius decided to combine them into one section. The first thing to try is a small piece of genuine leather. It fits like a gasket between the self-tapping screw and the bat. After that, with decent pressure and at low speeds, you need to try to unscrew the screw. Immediately make a reservation that this method does not always work. It is necessary that the slots of the cap are not completely smoothed - at least the slightest hook is needed.

Similarly, craftsmen advise trying to use a piece of rubber. If the screw is not driven too tightly, then the method is quite efficient. But what if the slots are completely smoothed, and the material into which the screw is screwed is quite dense. In this case, "heavy artillery" will be used.

The use of other tools and equipment for unscrewing a torn self-tapping screw

One of the most effective ways is application . You should not listen to those who say that it is enough to warm up a self-tapping screw with such a unit, and it will easily turn out - everything is not so simple here.

First you need to process the hat and the hole resulting from the breakdown of the slots in it with soldering acid. It will remove all the dirt along with the oxide film that prevents the solder from sticking. Next, a small piece of tin is taken and melted with a soldering iron on the screw head. Heat until the temperature of the screw rises to the required temperature for the solder to adhere. After that, a bit is immersed in the molten tin. It remains only to wait for complete cooling.

This action has 2 purposes:

Partial restoration of the slots of the self-tapping screw.
Burning of wood fibers along the thread as a result of strong heat.

For such purposes, you should use a powerful soldering iron. A small device consuming 40 watts is not suitable for this. When the tin is completely cool, you can turn out the screw - it will come out without any problems.

What to do if the previous 2 methods didn't work

If the methods described above were ineffective, you will have to use additional equipment and tools. Not bad in this sense, the engraver with a cutting disc has proven itself. With it, you can make a small incision on the cap, after which the self-tapping screw is unscrewed with a conventional slotted screwdriver.

Another method will most likely require a trip to the store to purchase a special nozzle on, called an "extractor". Such a bit has special slots, which, when rotated counterclockwise, bite into the steel of the self-tapping screw, finding the smallest remnants of the slots in the cap, cling to them, which helps to unscrew the screw.

In fact, there are a great many ways to unscrew a screw or self-tapping screw with torn slots. Home craftsmen do not even know about many of them, and therefore spoil the surface, trying to pick up the hat with side cutters or pliers.

Finally

Torn slots on the head of a self-tapping screw or screw are, of course, unpleasant, but not fatal. In such cases, you should not immediately give up, reaming the surface around the screw. You can find a way out of any situation, which means that it is better to try to use the options described in the article. At the same time, it is better to start with the simplest ones, such as leather and rubber. If in the set home instrument there is an extractor, then you can forget about the other methods - this way will be the easiest.

The editors of Homius hope that the methods described in today's article will help some of the home masters in the event of a similar trouble. Any questions on the topic, if any, ask in the comments below. We will be grateful if you share your experience of unscrewing self-tapping screws with torn slots on the hat.

Finally, we bring to your attention a short video on today's topic, from which you can learn a lot useful information about extractors.

All of us have faced a similar problem. Convulsive movements with a screwdriver in an attempt to remove a screw with a damaged slot only exacerbate the situation. The reasons why the notch was broken can be different, ranging from haste / haste to “gifts” that were so kindly provided by the repairmen that they unsuccessfully tried to finish what was planned!

Removing broken fasteners requires a little ingenuity, but the goal is noble and worth realizing. Here are 5 reliable methods for removing stripped screws, let's start with the most gentle method and move on to the method that can be called "cheap and cheerful." The method you choose will depend on your situation and the importance of removing stubborn fasteners.

Let's not let screws ruin our day. Let's unscrew them !

Step 1: Rubber band (elastic band)

Sometimes all it takes to get a stubborn screw out is a little more contact area. The elastic band will help keep the tip of the screwdriver in the cap with a broken slot and prevent scrolling.

You can take any elastic band, but a wide one is better. Since it provides the largest contact area between the cap and the screwdriver.

Put the elastic band over the screwdriver and pull hard enough so that it does not sag, then carefully place the screwdriver in the broken slot and slowly turn it.

If the slot is not completely “stubbed”, the rubber band will fill in the space where the notch is broken and provide the necessary friction, which will allow the screw to be removed.

Step 2: Clamp the screw into the screwdriver chuck

If the screw is not fully embedded in the material, there is a good chance that you will be able to clamp it into the drill/driver's chuck and back out easily.

We open chuck and place it on top of the screw head. Next, tighten the chuck by hand so that the "cams" are securely fixed on the screw. Set the Shurik / drill switch to reverse and slowly unscrew it from the board.

This works with any type of screw/screw/bolt that has a head size that allows it to be clamped in the chuck.

Step 3: Broken Screw Extractor

If you come across an extremely stubborn fastener that just won't come out, it's time to call in the heavy artillery.

Screw extractors have a left-hand thread, and screws have a right-hand thread.

Extractors are different sizes. Need to pick up right size for screwing into a broken slot. Install the extractor in the chuck of the screwdriver and tighten the chuck securely.

Set the drill switch to reverse. Since the extractor is reverse threaded, this means that a drill with an extractor set to reverse will drill into the head. By continuing to drill in the opposite direction, the extractor will begin to turn the screw, thereby unscrewing it from the board.