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If you regularly work with hardware, one of the problems you are likely to run into at some point in time is finding that your screws become stripped. This can happen when you are putting them in place, as well as when you are getting them out as well. Working with stripped screws can be […]

removing stripped screws
If you regularly work with hardware, one of the problems you are likely to run into at some point in time is finding that your screws become stripped. This can happen when you are putting them in place, as well as when you are getting them out as well. Working with stripped screws can be very frustrating, since the removal of the threads has the potential to make the work much harder to handle.

The fact that you will have to struggle more to remove them also increases the risk of damaging the item you are screwing into or out of. To this end, it’s important to have a few tips regarding how to undo screws that have been stripped. Some of the effective ways of doing this include:
Using a Dremel
When trying to remove screw types such as the Inconel Philips truss screw, you could choose to use a dremel or a similar tool to try and get it done. This tool can be used to cut a notch into the head of the screw, after which you can then use a screw driver to undo it through the notch. This is a very effective way of removing stripped screws, though it needs you to have the right tools on hand.

 
Drilling a hole in the screw’s head
Another trick you can pull is to use a regular drill to make a tiny hole in the center of the stripped monel 400 screw head. The idea behind this is to create enough room in the screw head to ensure that once you put a screw driver in it, it will have enough room to be unscrewed. You don’t need to drill too far into the screw in order to get this done.
Using a screw extractor
If you regularly work with screws and find that there are many times when you have to deal with stripped ones, you could opt to buy a screw extractor. This is a very cheap device that offers the easiest way of removing problematic screws. The only problem you might have is finding one. However, as long as you shop from high quality hardware facilities, you are likely to find one that you will like.
Modifying the screw head using JB Weld
JB Weld is a strong adhesive that can also be used to unscrew a stripped screw. To do this, you only need to get a nut you are not using, place it on top of the screw and then fasten it using JB weld. The latter is very strong, and will take only a few minutes to set. Once this is done, you can then use a wrench to unscrew the screw.
These are just some of the things you can do to reduce the chances of having to deal with problematic screws that have stripped heads. The most important thing to remember is that to avoid this problem from happening in the first place, you should consider buying high quality screws. Using the right equipment to fasten and loosen them will also help.

About the Author

Larry Melone
By Larry Melone
President

Started my career in the fastener world in 1969 at, Parker Kalon Corp. a NJ based screw manufacturer located in Clifton, NJ working in inventory control, scheduling secondary production and concluding there in purchasing. In 1971 I accepted a sales position at Star Stainless Screw Co., Totowa, NJ working in inside sales and later as an outside salesman, having a successful career at Star I had the desire with a friend to start our own fastener distribution company in 1980 named: Divspec, Kenilworth, NJ. This was a successful adventure but ended in 1985 with me starting Melfast in August 1985 and have stayed competitive and successful to date. Melfast serves the OEM market with approximately 400 accounts nationally.

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