Self-tapping screw does not unscrew what to do. How to screw in or unscrew a problem screw

Engineering systems 17.06.2019
Engineering systems

Sometimes the screw head wears out and is difficult to remove with a screwdriver. This is practical guide explains how to remove a screw if it is stuck.

Your actions

Don't make things worse. If the screwdriver slips out, then you need to stop using it. Because sliding will wear down the head of the screw even more, and it will be even more difficult to get it out. Unscrew the screw in the correct direction, usually counter-clockwise ("unscrew left, tighten right"). Press firmly on the screwdriver, this will help prevent slipping.
  • Use a screwdriver, not a power drill. You can increase the pressure on back screwdriver (to increase friction) and slow it down. Not all drills are strong enough to provide the correct moment load required to remove a recalcitrant bolt. Some drills actually lose grip on the screwdriver during too much loading (especially when moving backwards).
  • Use the wrench. For a simpler and easier rotation, use wrench, it is in all professional screwdriver sets, with its help you will not strain your hand so much. A wrench turns 15 cm or more, as opposed to a hand screwdriver, which turns 1.25 cm or so. This greatly increases the number of turns you can put on a screw compared to what you can do with a screwdriver.
  • Use a bolt extractor. This is a tool designed to remove broken bolts without damaging them further. Basically, it's a screwdriver that has strong, coarse metal threads right on the tip. Their purpose is to penetrate the metal head of the bolt and stay there in order to remove it.

    • Use the bolt extractor like a normal screwdriver and remove the bolt. Do this slowly, applying a little pressure to prevent slipping and penetrate deeper.
    • If the bolt extractor cannot do its job, it may be necessary to drill a small hole in the head of the bolt. You will need a drill designed for working with metal, as a drill for working with wood will not be able to do this. Be careful! If you drill too deep into the bolt head, you will destroy the head or make the bolt brittle enough to make the task even more difficult. Be aware that when drilling, metal chips can get into your eyes, so wear safety goggles!
    • Also try to use a kitchen sieve or hard sponge to clean the bolt head after drilling, then insert a screwdriver and try to turn it.
    • The abrasive material will clean the bolt head and provide a better grip for the screwdriver.
    • There is also a spline type bolt extractor. A slotted extractor is like a hex nut with a slot instead of threads on the inner bore. The slotted extractor is put on the head of the bolt. Internal splines (teeth) are screwed into the head of the bolt. Slightly press the bolt extractor and turn it with a socket wrench. The spline type bolt extractor is excellent for Torx and Allen bolt heads when the Allen auger barrel is exposed. The slotted screw is commonly characterized as a "5-Piece Bolt Extractor".
  • Try using other screwdrivers. If you don't have a bolt extractor or don't want to use one, you can use a different screwdriver. A screwdriver with a larger head can help. Phillips and slotted screwdrivers are used on some bolt heads, for example, Phillips. You can try your luck with other screwdrivers as well. If you have a set of screwdrivers, you can try using Robertson (square), Allen (hex), or Torx (six star), depending on the shape of the hole. You may be lucky if you try to experiment with sizes.
  • Hitting a screwdriver with a hammer may also help. Hit it with a hammer, but be careful not to damage the bolt head.
  • As a last resort, drill out the entire bolt, and only if it holds metal objects together. If all else fails, you can drill out the bolt with a drill. This will most likely destroy the thread. At this stage, the following solutions are possible:

    • Replace the old screw with a slightly larger self-tapping screw.
    • Use nut and bolt. Optionally, weld the nut to one of the metal objects to create a permanent, threaded fastener.
    • If the bolt was large enough, install the HeliCoil thread insert.
  • Often, by placing a wide, flat rubber band between the bolt and the screwdriver, good results can be achieved if pressure and slow rotation are used. The rubber band fills the space that the screwdriver cannot reach.

    • Screw with cross slot can be removed with a hacksaw. After that, a screwdriver can be used to remove the bolt.
    • Try this simple method: (explanation for torx bolt)
      • (1) Hold and rotate the screwdriver with your dominant hand and guide the tip with your other hand.
      • (2) Without applying any pressure, turn the screwdriver counterclockwise, feeling tension in all possible positions.
      • (3) Keep turning until you feel maximum grip (after one full turn).
      • (4) Stop and turn clockwise to get the maximum grip effect.
      • (5) Now use all your strength to push (concentrate more on this, as if you fail, the cap will be damaged even more) and turn the screwdriver counterclockwise. If the bolt can be removed at all using a screwdriver, then this is your best chance.
    • If the bolt or screw is a machine, use a metal lubricant such as WD-40, PB Blaster, or other lubricating oil. It has great importance. It reduces the twist required to remove the bolt and therefore makes removal much more efficient. Without oil, any removal is more difficult.
    • You can try to unscrew the bolt by grabbing its head with pliers.

    Cautions

    • Welding is very dangerous and should only be carried out by specialists.
    • If you are using a bolt extractor, it may get stuck in the worn bolt and be difficult to remove. You can try to use it again, and then at least you will pull out the bolt.
    • Make sure the item you're removing the bolt from is well secured and under control so that if it slips out, you won't get hurt. You may need to put in a little effort for this.
    • Metal chips from the bolt can cause injury or mechanical failure.
    • Power tools can be dangerous and should only be used under adult supervision. Follow instructions and wear safety goggles.

    What do you need

    • Screwdriver
    • A device for extracting stripped bolts, a device for extracting pieces of stripped bolts or an extracting screw (from 35 to 700 rubles)
    • socket wrench
    • Electric drill
    • Drill for metal
    • Protective glasses
    • Work gloves
    • A hammer
    • Professional welder (optional)

    http://wikisurv.ru

    A very common problem during construction works is the deformation of fasteners associated with the inexperience of the performer. However, sometimes even professionals find it difficult to figure out how to unscrew a screw with torn edges, and also to prevent a similar situation from happening again. Let's think about solving this problem together.

    Causes of face deformation

    It is no secret that unscrewing a tightly seated screw or self-tapping screw with torn edges from the body of the material can take a lot of effort, time and nerves, which is why it is advisable to take care of preventing such situations in advance.

    And the first thing you should pay attention to is the quality of the tooling, because it is the wear and tear of the tool, in most cases, that causes the edges of the fasteners to “lick off”. This circumstance is connected with the fact that the tip of a screwdriver or screwdriver bit is not sharp enough and does not provide full contact between the screw and the working tool. Also, a similar phenomenon can be caused by a discrepancy between the equipment used, which is why, before directly carrying out work, it is advisable to make sure that the tool tip is completely immersed in the fastener slots, thereby ensuring a good connection.

    The second reason for the deformation of the edges of the screw / self-tapping screw is the failure to comply with the screwing technology, which in most cases manifests itself when the performer does not apply enough force to the tool, that is, does not put pressure on it properly. Or the equipment (screwdriver, screwdriver) is located at an angle to the fastener. In addition, driving screws at high speeds can also damage the head of the fastener.

    The quality of the screws themselves (type of material, correctness of shape) also affect the correctness of their installation, which is why you should take an interest in their technical characteristics before purchasing fasteners.

    Method of unscrewing a screw with torn edges

    If the trouble with the screw did occur (the screwdriver or the bit began to turn, jumping over the edges), you don’t need to fall into despair and try your best to tighten the “stubborn” or even worse hammer it, but simply stop and take all possible actions to remove the fastener from material body. Moreover, depending on the circumstances, you can use one of the following methods to solve this problem.

    screw removal

    The first step is to try to remove the deformed screw standard method, carrying out its unscrewing. However, this operation should be done only quality tool, which may require the purchase of additional equipment (bits, screwdrivers).

    If the above action did not give the desired result, and the edges of the screw “sticked together” even more, then more radical methods will have to be applied.

    So, if the screw is not screwed into the body of the material to its full length and the head protrudes slightly above the plane of the material, then it can be unscrewed using pliers, round-nose pliers or a gas wrench. Why is it enough to press the head of the screw with the sponges of a metalworking tool and unscrew the fasteners counterclockwise.

    When the screw is completely screwed into the body of the material, it is unlikely that it will be possible to unscrew the fasteners without damage by the above method. As an alternative, it is advisable to use the following methods.

    Edge sawing

    Allows you to provide a screw with a recess of 2-3 mm, with which (using a flat screwdriver with a sharp sting) you can unscrew the product. And to make such a slot is quite simple, using a conventional metal sheet.

    Threading

    At a professional level, a stuck screw can be removed with special device(tap with left-hand thread). Why should a hole be drilled in the body of the fastener with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the screw, and after that, the extractor should be screwed into the resulting hole (counterclockwise) and when it rests, unscrew the fastener.

    If all the above methods did not lead to the desired result, then the screw with torn edges is simply drilled with a drill with a metal drill.

    Before unscrewing a screw with torn edges, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with a number of recommendations, due to which the work of removing fasteners will be less laborious.

    To form a free gap between the self-tapping screw and the body of the material into which it is screwed, the fasteners can be heated (for example, using a soldering iron, an industrial hair dryer or a lighter). At the same time, during heating and subsequent cooling, the screw will slightly increase, and then decrease in size, thus spreading out the material into which it is screwed.

    In the article, we will look at how to unscrew a screw or self-tapping screw from a wall or from another structure if it sits tightly in it and cannot be unscrewed.

    1. If with a screwdriver, the screw or self-tapping screw is not unscrewed, and the screwdriver starts to scroll in the head of the screw, then stop and do not try to unscrew it further, as you can tear off the edges under the screwdriver at the self-tapping screw, and then it will be even more difficult to remove it from the structure.

    2. We take a screwdriver and press with force on the back of the screwdriver handle, try to unscrew the screw, making movements, then to the left, then to the right. If it is not possible to remove the self-tapping screw from the structure, then we proceed to another method.

    3. We take special screwdriver, which has a hexagon for a wrench on the back of the handle. Pressing the screwdriver against the self-tapping screw with force, we begin to turn it with a wrench.

    4. To unscrew the self-tapping screws, you can use the “eco-tractor screw” nozzle, as it completely captures all the edges of the self-tapping screw. For better adhesion of the ecotractor with the self-tapping screw, we use a cleaning agent, such as "pemoxol", applying it to the ecotractor.

    5. If the screw does not lend itself in any way, then proceed as follows. Having inserted a screwdriver into the self-tapping screw, we strike it with a hammer, thereby weakening the adhesion of the self-tapping screw to the structure. The main thing is not to overdo it with blows, because if the wall is made of drywall, then you can break it. After striking the self-tapping screw, we try to unscrew it with a screwdriver.

    6. We take thin rubber, and with the help of a screwdriver we insert it into the slot of the self-tapping screw, since the rubber fills the entire space between the screwdriver and the self-tapping screw, after which we try to unscrew it from the structure.

    The edges of a screw usually break at the most inopportune moment, regardless of whether you are a master or a beginner. How to unscrew a screw that has broken edges?

    Why is this happening

    Most often, the edges of the screws break off due to the wear of the tool used. When the edges on the working area of ​​the screwdriver tip are not sharp enough and there is no tight contact between the tip and the screw, the ribs on the screw head are destroyed (“licking”).

    Another common cause is not enough force applied by hand to the tool. Due to the fact that the tip of the screwdriver does not fit tightly into the grooves on the head of the screw, during rotation the tip of the screwdriver slips, as a result of which the edges on the screw break off.

    What to do first

    The first thing to do when the tip of the screwdriver begins to jump off the edges and turn is to stop immediately. You should not be persistent, repeating attempts that aggravate an already difficult situation.

    Whether you've driven the screw or removed it before, the only task you have now is to remove the screw without damaging the material it's in.

    Tool change

    The second action in case of problems with the edges of the screw should be the obligatory replacement of the screwdriver with a new one, with an unworn tip.

    Using new tool, try to unscrew the naughty screw, making sure that the tip of the screwdriver fits securely into the grooves on the screw head and is pressed tightly against it.

    If this does not help, the screwdriver continues to slip, and the edges on the screw are irretrievably torn off, proceed to the following methods for unscrewing the stuck screw.

    Emergency ways to unscrew the screw

    If the screw is not fully screwed in, grasp the sides of the screw with the pliers and, squeezing the pliers tightly, slowly begin to turn them in the opposite direction from the clock. Usually after a short exercise the screw is free.

    Another way to unscrew an incompletely screwed screw is to make a shallow (about 1-2 mm) cut with a hacksaw, and then try to unscrew it with a screwdriver with a flat (and always sharp!) sting.

    If the material into which the screw is screwed allows, it is also a good option to remove it by heating the screw head with a match flame or. When heated, the screw, although not by much, will expand and increase in volume, compressing the material into which it is twisted.

    After the screw has cooled, its volume will return to its initial state, but a microscopic gap will appear between it and the material. Now the screw will no longer “sit” so tightly and it can be unscrewed, if not with a screwdriver, then with pliers for sure.

    The find will be the presence of WD-40 lubricant on hand, which must be sprayed into the gap between the screw and the material into which it is twisted. Due to the lubricating properties of the liquid, the friction force between the screw and the material will be significantly reduced and the screw will become easier to unscrew.

    If none of the above tips helped, the screw will either have to be completely drilled or drilled a little, and then screw the extractor into this hole and use it to unscrew the screw.

    There are no hopeless situations, and the solution to the problem of unscrewing a screw with torn edges is a confirmation of this.

    Good luck to you! May you succeed!

    How to unscrew a screw that has broken edges? Anyone who is even a little involved in the economy is familiar with a similar situation.

    You need to unscrew the screw. You take a screwdriver, start to twist and make sure that your efforts do not bring results. The screwdriver turns but the screw stays in place.

    Most often, this happens with cross screws.

    What to do, how to unscrew?

    You can, of course, pry with a screwdriver and try to grab the screw with pliers. This gives a result, but there is a high risk of scratching the surface, and you will have to tinker decently.

    We offer a simple way that anyone can handle, even a woman. Moreover, this method is perfect when there is no suitable screwdriver.

    The essence of the method is elementary. It is necessary to put any rubber band on the head of the screw. Though from money, though for hair. Fits any size rubber band.

    It is necessary to put an elastic band and calmly unscrew the screw. That's all.

    For clarity, watch the video, after which everything will be clear to you.

    How to unscrew a broken screw. Video

    So simple and useful way. Keep this information for yourself, and you will never be afraid to unscrew any, even the oldest screws.

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