10 Easy Ways To Remove A Stripped Screw

How to remove a stuck screw… Finding an easy solution to removing a stripped screw is not always simple. Maybe you have stripped a screw on your mobile device such as an iPhone or taking apart a household appliance. We have all been in a situation where time is a factor and a screw becomes stripped. What is the easiest and fastest method to remove it? That answer depends on what type of screw or fastener you have stripped. No matter what type of screw you have stripped (Phillips head, Flat, or Straight head) these screw removal methods will help you to extract it quickly. Use the list below to find the best method to remove that stripped screw or bolt no matter what your situation is.

1. Rubber Band – This screw removal method is done by putting the rubber band over the stripped screw. Put your screwdriver over it and with the rubber band between the screw and the screwdriver push with heavy force and turn slowly.
2. Hammer Method – Put the screwdriver into the stripped screw. Hammer the end of the screwdriver. This may work by getting the screw driver to go into the soft metal of the screw allowing you the added grip to screw it out.
3. Epoxy Glue – Glue a nut on top of the screw. You can also use a strong adhesive like JB Weld also. Once the glue or adhesive is dry and set, use a wrench to turn the nut and hopefully it will hold and unscrew the screw with it.
4. Screw Extractor – This is a special tool that is made for the purpose of removing stripped screws. These would be “easy out’s, grabit’s, left twist’s, reverse bits, and vampliers”. These all can do the job of removing screws but should be purchased before hand and kept in your toolbox for future screw and bolt extraction issues.
5. Drill Hole In Screw – You can use a drill bit slightly smaller than the screw head. Drill a small hole into the center of the screw head. This method works by opening up the hole to allow you to get deeper into the screw to unscrew it.
6. Size Bigger Screwdriver – If you have a stripped Phillips head screw, sometimes using a size bigger Phillips screwdriver can give you the extra grip needed to get the screw out. Maybe even try a smaller Phillips also.
7. Grip With Pliers – If the head of the screw is slightly above the hole, you can use a pair of pliers or vise grips to securely grab the screw head and turn it out. This is the easiest method if the screw is stripped but the head is sticking out above the hole.
8. Grinding Tool – If you have a grinding tool like a Ryobi or Dremel tool, you can use one of the cutter blades to cut a straight notched line on the screw head. The deeper you make the notch the easier it will be to remove the screw.
9. Weld It – If you know how to weld and heat will not damage the device the screw is in, weld a nut or piece of metal to the screw. Once welded you simply only need to turn the nut or metal piece and the screw will be extracted.
10. Drill Head Off Screw – Use a drill and as a last resort, drill the head of the screw completely off. Use a smaller drill bit than the width of the screw so you do not drill the threads out on the device the screw is in. Do not drill deep and you only want to remove the screw head. When the screw head is removed, the shaft of the screw should be sticking out. You should be able to grip it with a pair of pliers and unscrew it out.

Below are 3 different charts to help you better understand what type of screw head and screw type you are working with. If you need to go to buy a screw extractor kit, use the charts below to know what type of kit you may need as extractor kits differ slightly.

Got a great tip we don’t have listed here to remove a stuck screw? Help everyone out and leave a comment below.