How to unscrew a screw with a broken head. How to unscrew a broken screw How to unscrew a self-tapping screw if it turns

Usually there are no problems with unscrewing a self-tapping screw or screw - a screwdriver, screwdriver or drill, rotation counterclockwise - and now you have a metal fastener in your hand. However, if the cap, 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 remove a nail whose head has broken off. Unscrewing a screw or self-tapping screw with the same problem or torn 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-nose pliers, known as duckbill pliers. Then, by rotating counterclockwise, pull out the fastener.

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 will have to be fixed later. But sometimes there is simply no other choice.

If a self-tapping screw or shurpa is screwed into a tree, you can get to it using a chisel. In the case of a concrete surface, you can shallowly drill the surface nearby or make cuts with a grinder to be able to grab the fasteners with pliers or pliers.

If you used a metal self-tapping screw, all that remains is to make additional holes nearby so that the platypuses can get to it.

Option three

Let's assume that the head on the self-tapping screw or screw remains, but the slot is torn off, as many craftsmen say - “licked”, rolled. A screwdriver or drill simply breaks off such fasteners. The easiest way to deal with this problem is to use a piece of rubber or any rubberized material. For example, a medical tourniquet or a bicycle tube would be suitable. We cut out a small rectangular or square piece from the material and place it on the head of the fastener with the broken thread. Then we rest against it with a screwdriver and begin to carefully unscrew it. The rubber creates additional grip, the metal screwdriver no longer comes off the slippery metal head and does its job. If the rubber was damaged or torn during operation, just take a new piece and continue unscrewing.

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Option four

New edges can be cut on a torn or damaged screw head. Or rather, to deepen previously existing but erased ones. The easiest option is to make one cut using a flat-head screwdriver. To do this, use a grinder, a metal saw, or a Dremel. However, in the case of a self-tapping screw made of hardened metal, this option is problematic. In addition, part of the fastener must protrude above the surface so that the notch can be made.

Option five

Apply “Moment” type glue to the damaged head of the self-tapping screw or screw. Wait until it hardens a little, apply a screwdriver to this place and press for about five seconds. The glue will set and the screwdriver will no longer slide off; you can slowly begin to unscrew it.

Option six

Use extractor. This is a special tool for unscrewing unruly bolts, but it is also suitable for self-tapping screws. The secret of the extractor is that as it rotates counterclockwise, it grips the fastener more and more, preventing it from being pulled out. But before using the extractor, you should drill a hole in the screw along the vertical axis, where the tool will then be inserted. In the case of a regular screw, this is possible, you just need to choose a thin drill. But it is very difficult to drill a self-tapping screw from hardened steel; the drill will simply go to the side.

When carrying out repairs or construction work 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 from which the screw is made, they can be used various ways extracting it. It also matters how badly the slot is torn and the material into which the screw is screwed.

You can remove the remaining screw using special tools - extractors. They are selected according to the size of the screw, screwed into drilled hole counterclock-wise. After the extractor jams, you can remove the screw. If you do not have such a tool, you can unscrew small screw with the head torn off using improvised means.

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Removing a screw

You can remove the screw if the head is completely torn off in several ways:

• If the diameter of the bolt allows, you can drill it with a drill with a drill of a suitable size.
• If you take a smaller drill, you can place a bent nail into the drilled hole and remove the screw.
• If you need to unscrew a small screw, you can drop superglue on it and attach a screwdriver. After the glue has hardened, you can try to unscrew it. Liquid nails can be used in a similar way.
• 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.
• You can cut a slot on a large screw 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.

Torn 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 grip.
• Place the chisel against the edge of the head and, tapping with a hammer, try to turn the screw.
• Use a socket or adjustable wrench to remove a screw with stripped threads.
• Remove the screw by placing an impact screwdriver on the edge of the head.
• Place a flat-head screwdriver under the head and lightly hit the handle with a hammer.

If none of the options work, you can use a chisel and chisel to break the screw into pieces and remove it from the hole.

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

Why is this happening

Most often, the edges of screws are torn off due to 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, destruction (“licking”) of the ribs on the screw head occurs.

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

What to do first

The first thing to do when the screwdriver tip 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.

No matter what you did before: screwing a screw or unscrewing it, the only task facing you now is to unscrew the screw without damaging the material in which it is located.

Tool change

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

Using new tool, try to unscrew the unruly 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 irrevocably torn off, proceed to the next methods of unscrewing a stuck screw.

Emergency methods for unscrewing a screw

If the screw is not screwed in completely, grab the head of the screw from the sides with the jaws of the pliers and, squeezing the pliers tightly, slowly begin to turn them in the direction opposite to the clock. Usually after a short physical exercise the screw comes loose.

Another way to unscrew a screw that is not fully tightened is to use a hacksaw to make a shallow (about 1-2 mm) cut, and then use a screwdriver with a flat (and always sharp!) blade to try to unscrew it.

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 the flame of a match or. When heated, the screw, although slightly, will expand and increase in volume, compressing the material into which it is screwed.

After the screw cools, its volume will return to its original state, but a microscopic gap will appear between it and the material. Now the screw will no longer “fit” so tightly and you can unscrew it, if not with a screwdriver, then certainly with pliers.

A good idea would be to have WD-40 lubricant on hand and spray it into the gap between the screw and the material into which it is screwed. Thanks 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 help, the screw will have to be either completely drilled out or drilled out a little, and then screw an extractor into this hole and use it to remove the screw.

There are no hopeless situations, and solving the problem of unscrewing a screw with broken edges is proof of this.

Good luck to you! May everything work out for you!

Fastening any products with screws, convenient and reliable way. However, almost everyone who has ever screwed or unscrewed a screw with a semicircular head or a countersunk head from a wall or board has encountered the problem of how to unscrew the screw if the crosspiece for the screwdriver has been torn off. Let's try to figure out how to make unscrewing more effective.

Types and types of screws

Screws are cylindrical rods with a screw groove and a formed head. Hardware is manufactured in accordance with GOST 1144-80, GOST 1145-80, GOST 10619-80, 10620-80, 10621-80, DIN, ISO.

There are two main types of screws: self-tapping (“self-tapping”) and, in fact, “classic” screws. When designating hardware, its diameter and length are most often used (for example, 5x35 mm, self-tapping screws length 35 mm, diameter 5 mm).

They are classified according to the design of the head and the design of the slot for the screwdriver:

• Countersunk head (flat head screw);
• With reduced concealment;
• With hemispherical;
• With a press washer.

All of the above types can be made with a straight slot, a Phillips slot, a Torx slot (commonly known as an asterisk), an internal hexagon, and a number of other less common ones. Combinations of splines (for example, straight and cross-shaped) are also possible.

Separately, we can highlight self-tapping screws with a hex, octagonal turnkey head (roofing self-tapping screws); they can also be made with various slots.

There are also screws with special heads (ring screw, hook screw, hairpin screw, furniture screws (confirmed screws, although logically it would be more correct to call them furniture screws), etc.

According to the type of threaded part, they are also divided into types, determined primarily by the scope of application and the materials being fastened (metal screws, drywall screws, screws for small household appliances), in this article we will not dwell on this classification.

All hardware can be manufactured either with a coating (chemically phosphated, galvanized) or without it.
Why does a screw with a flat head or a hemispherical head break off?

More precisely, the slot in its head breaks off. There can be quite a few reasons for the breakdown of edges, let’s look at the main ones:

1. Use of low-quality, unsuitable size (type) or worn-out tools;
2. Applying insufficient (and as a result, the tool jumps out of the slot) or excessive force when screwing in or out;
3. Using a self-tapping screw for other purposes (attempting to screw into an unsuitable material, without pre-drilling when required, etc.);
4. Corrosion in the product, both the screw head and the screw thread (so-called “acidification”)
5. Incorrect screwing (“hammering”).

Unscrewing

So, how to unscrew a universal screw with a countersunk head or a self-tapping screw with torn edges or worse than that no hat at all.

The first thing you need to do is inspect the tool with which the eversion is performed and replace it with a suitable one. The tip of the tool should fit tightly into the slot and not be worn out.

To remove a screw, the screwdriver must completely match the shape and dimensions of the slot. If the replacement does not give anything, we use other methods. Self-tapping screws for drywall can most often be unscrewed using a thin sheet of rubber, placing it between the screwdriver and the slot.

When twisting out of the board and others wooden products It is effective to hit the head of the screw followed by tapping the screwdriver at the moment the force is applied. If a universal screw with a semicircular head is not fully screwed in (protrudes at least a millimeter above the surface) or the design of its head allows this to be done, then you can use pliers or a gas wrench to try to unscrew it.

A few drops of brake or lubricating fluid or kerosene will make the screw rotate. You can heat the hardware, it will expand and deform the surrounding materials, and cooling will allow you to turn it out.

It is possible to use adhesives (superglue, “liquid nails”, “cold” welding, and if time permits, then epoxy compounds), soldering, or if the parts being fastened allow, then welding. If the screw does not begin to unscrew, we proceed to radical measures.

Carpentry Tricks. 10 Methods for Removing a Broken Screw.

Sawing edges

Regardless of the type of head and the original type of slot, you can try to unscrew it using a flat-head screwdriver. To do this, you need to cut a straight slot in the head using a hacksaw or grinder.

It should be borne in mind that the depth of the slot should not exceed half the height of the head, otherwise there is a risk of its destruction. Using sawing in conjunction with the methods listed above will increase your chances.

Using Extractors

Another way to remove screws is to use extractors. To do this, you need to select a drill whose diameter is less than the diameter of the recesses of the threaded part of the screw, drill a hole in the head, cut a left-hand thread in it and, using conical extractors, unscrew the hardware.

This method is suitable for unscrewing fasteners with all types of heads. But it is not suitable for unscrewing screws, because... they are made hardened.

There are spline extractors, which are a hex washer with a slot that is located on the internal channel instead of a thread. The spline extractor is placed on the head, and the internal spline is screwed into it.

Unscrew the self-tapping screw with torn edges

Self-tapping screws with torn edges or with a torn head are easiest to unscrew by applying heat or by welding (if the unscrewing force is not very great, then gluing) to the remaining part of the nut or lever, or by making a cut.

How to remove a self-tapping screw?

If all of the above methods do not produce results, the fastener is very rusty, you can drill it with a metal drill of a suitable diameter and screw a larger one in its place. To drill a self-tapping screw, you need to take a carbide drill. Hexagonal head, practically does not break off. And if it breaks, you can use the tips above.

How to unscrew a torn screw, how to unscrew a self-tapping screw with torn edges

In this article we will look at how to remove a screw or self-tapping screw from a wall or other structure if it sits tightly in it and cannot be unscrewed.

1. If using a screwdriver, a screw or self-tapping screw cannot be unscrewed, and the screwdriver begins to turn 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 from the screw, and then it will be even more difficult to remove it from the structure.

2. Take a screwdriver and press firmly on back screwdriver handle, try to unscrew the self-tapping screw, making movements, now to the left, now to the right. If it is not possible to remove the self-tapping screw from the structure, then we move on to another method.

3. Let's take it special screwdriver, in which on the back of the handle there is a hexagon under wrench. Pressing the screwdriver firmly against the screw, we begin to turn it using a wrench.

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

5. If the screw does not give in, then proceed as follows. Having inserted a screwdriver into the screw, we hit it with a hammer, thereby weakening the adhesion of the screw to the structure. The main thing is not to overdo it with blows, because if the wall is made of plasterboard, then you can break it. After striking the screw, we try to unscrew it using a screwdriver.

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