How to unscrew a screw with torn edges

Torn off screw

It is not uncommon for screws with a flat / hemispherical head (or rather, slots) to break off, and there may be several reasons for this:

  • using an old, low-quality or unsuitable tool;
  • improper screwing in (with a hammer, for example);
  • insufficient effort when unscrewing / twisting and, as a result, the screwdriver jumps out of the slot;
  • Screw "acidification" (corrosion);
  • incorrect use of hardware (without drilling, when it is necessary, or for an unsuitable material).

Method number 1. Twisting

Carefully inspect the screwdriver with which you unscrew the screw, and, if necessary, change to a more suitable

It is important that the tip fits snugly into the groove and is not damaged. If replacing the screwdriver did not help, you can use other methods.

If you need, for example, to unscrew a screw from a wooden product, then hit the head, and then tap on the tool with each application of force. You can also use pliers if possible, as we mentioned above. Or you can use a rubber band to seal.

On a note!
To make the screw start scrolling, use a few drops of lubricating or brake fluid, kerosene. You can also heat the screw so that it expands - this is how the material surrounding it deforms, and the product can be unscrewed.

If all else fails, drastic measures can be taken.

Method number 2. Sawing

You can try to unscrew any type of screw with a flat screwdriver. Using a grinder or a hacksaw for metal, make a straight slot in the screw head. But remember that the slot must be at least ½ of the head height, otherwise you risk destroying it. This method can be used in combination with others.

Method number 3. Extractors

Another good way to remove the screw. Select the drill so that its diameter is less than that of the threaded part of the hardware, make a recess in the head, cut the left thread there and unscrew the screw using conical extractors. This is suitable for all types of heads, but in the case of self-tapping screws, you will have to choose a different method - they are produced hardened.

What conclusions can be drawn? If you need to unscrew a screw with torn edges, then the easiest way to do this is by welding (or gluing, if the force is not too large) a nut or some kind of stop to the rest of the hardware, heating and cutting.

Video - How to unscrew a licked screw

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A question has come from a reader of our blog site. Let me voice it now and we will try to solve the problem that has arisen.

“It often happens to me that when screwing in a screw, the edges break off and it is impossible not to tighten it further and not to unscrew it. Is there any easy way to remove such a screw. Thanks in advance for your advice "

In my opinion, the problem is very common and those who like to do something with their own hands have met at least once with torn edges on the head of a screw or self-tapping screw. And most often this happens with screws for a Phillips screwdriver.

First of all, I would like to advise you to use screwdrivers with sharp edges for screwing in. And yet, if you feel that the screwdriver or began to scroll, stop immediately and at low speeds or, better, manually try to unscrew such a screw or self-tapping screw.

If it does not give in, try to heat it and then cool it, the metal expands when heated, and back when it cools. And you can try again.You can also spray it with WD-40 liquid (usually any motorist has it), wait a little and try again.

Well, if there are no edges left on the slap, and the screw is not tightened yet, then the pliers will help - we squeeze the cap with effort from the side and try to unscrew it. It didn't help again! Then we take a hacksaw for metal and make a cut on the screw head with a depth of 1 mm, take a flat screwdriver and unscrew it. I always managed to twist it this way.

Everything is fine if the screw is not completely screwed in, but what to do with the screws completely screwed into the body of the material. Then there is no way to crawl up to him. In this case, only a special tool as in the photo can help us. These are special taps with left-hand threads or special bits for a screwdriver.

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

Unscrewing

So, how to unscrew a universal screw with a countersunk head or a self-tapping screw with torn off edges, or worse, without a cap at all.

The first thing to do is to inspect the tool used for turning out and replace it with a suitable one. The tip of the tool should fit snugly into the slot and not be worn out.

To remove the screw, the screwdriver must fully match the shape and dimensions of the slot. If the replacement did not work, we use other methods. Self-tapping screws for drywall are most often possible to unscrew by using thin sheet rubber, laying it between the screwdriver and the slot.

When unscrewing from a board and other wooden products, it is effective to hit the head of the screw, followed by tapping on the screwdriver at the moment the force is applied. If the universal screw with a semicircular head is not completely wrapped (protrudes above the surface by at least a millimeter) or the design of its head allows this, then using pliers or a gas wrench, try to unscrew it.

A few drops of brake or lubricating fluid, kerosene will make the self-tapping screw scroll. 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 fastened parts allow, then welding. If the self-tapping screw does not begin to twist, proceed to radical measures.

Carpentry Tricks. 10 Methods for Removing a Broken Screw.

Composition and structure

The screw has the following main elements:

  • Kernel.
  • Rod thread.
  • Head.
  • Slot.
  • Tip.

The screw shank length is split into two different sections. There is a thread on one of them, and on the other not. That is, the last section has a finished smooth surface.

  • Screws are mainly made from soft alloys. The top must be covered with a special anti-corrosion compound.
  • The structure of this hardware consists of special grooves (thread) that help the hardware to hold securely in the material.

You will learn below how to unscrew a screw if it is rusted (with ripped edges) without a screwdriver, and in general in which direction to unscrew (unscrew) the screw.

Differences between self-tapping screw and wood screw

How can you rip off the self-tapping slot?

The grooves on the self-tapping head can be damaged for various reasons, however, most often, these are:

  • ? A poor screwdriver nozzle, with lapped edges, is also the cause of the destruction of the self-tapping splines. Therefore, you should not use a worn-out PH2 screwdriver attachment, because as a result, you may not be able to unscrew the screw back.
  • ? Low-quality self-tapping screws made in violation of norms and requirements. The metal of poor self-tapping screws is too soft and the slot can be easily damaged, even without strong force, with a screwdriver or electric drill.
  • ? Excessive application of force on the screwdriver while tightening the self-tapping screws also often leads to the grinding of the slot. This is especially true of those moments when the nozzle fidgets over the screw cap, in simple words, it presses against it perpendicularly, and with some bevel to the side.

Whatever it was, but the self-tapping screws can be unscrewed.

For these purposes, you will need a piece of rubber or a tool such as a bolt extractor. With the help of an extractor, it will turn out to unscrew even the worst version of a self-tapping screw, when its cap does not have a slot at all.

How to unscrew a screw

Wood screws

Unscrewing broken screws from metal structures is quite simple, since the head almost never sinks into the metal due to its hardness. In case of breakage, any screw or self-tapping screw can be unscrewed from the metal profile using ordinary pliers.

With a tree, the situation can be much more serious. Since the wood is soft, it does not offer much resistance to the screw head during tightening, and it can sink to a sufficiently large depth without any problems.

Therefore, it is quite problematic to unscrew such a screw in the usual way (using pliers). There are several techniques for removing a broken wood screw. Let's consider them in more detail.

Method number 1 Twisting with removal of the tree surrounding the head

Using a chisel or chisel, a wooden surface is processed, located in the area of ​​the screw head

This method is used if it is not a pity to spoil the appearance of the board into which the screw was screwed. This is the most reliable method, the essence of which is to remove wood fibers from the location of the screw head, followed by its extraction in any convenient way.

After that, chips are removed from the surface.

The sequence of actions in this case looks like this:

Then the screw is unscrewed in any convenient way, for example, with pliers

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Processing is carried out until the moment, until a space in a diameter of 20 to 30 mm from the center of the screw is freed. The depth to which the ditch is made should correspond to the immersion depth of the screw head.

With this method of unscrewing, the probability of breaking the screw is significantly lower.

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At the same time, at the initial stage of unscrewing, the pliers are held at an angle of 45 °, when the cap appears from the surface of the wood, you can unscrew the screw holding on to its thread.

Method number 2 Removing a screw with a torn slot

Broken splines are one of the most common screw breakages.

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Usually, it is caused by poor quality material, the use of the wrong nozzles or excessive force.

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to unscrew such a screw with an ordinary screwdriver.

2

To solve the problem of the torn slot, it is necessary to "fill" it again. To do this, you need to use an insert screwdriver, colloquially referred to as a "bat". You can use a regular or double-sided bat.

One end of the bit is inserted into the damaged slot, on the other, several blows are made with a hammer

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Then you can use a regular screwdriver.

After the slot is "updated", the screw can be unscrewed without any problems with an ordinary Phillips screwdriver

Method number 3 If the screw is difficult to turn

First, the screw head is warmed up with a soldering iron.

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A situation that is also encountered quite often. The reason may be wetting (or, conversely, drying out of the wood), the use of too hard material, the absence of a hole for tightening the screw. In this case, it is necessary to use the heating of the screw and the place of its tightening.

Then the tree in the area of ​​the cap is warmed up with an iron.

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Such actions lead to the fact that the tree dries out severely. Locally, its structure at the location of the screw changes.

After that, the screw is easily unscrewed with a regular screwdriver.

Method number 4 When the hat is missing

A broken hat is also quite common.

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The main reasons are still poor quality material or excessive tightening force.

A new slot is made using a triangular file

2

In this situation, you can try to unscrew the remnants of the screw with pliers. If this does not work (for example, most of the thread is in the wood), you can make a new spline.

Next, the screw is unscrewed using an ordinary screwdriver.

Method # 5 Using an extractor

The shape of the working surface of the extractor allows it to be used for unscrewing screws in a variety of situations

1

In most cases, you can generally use a special insert - an extractor.

It is enough just to use an extractor insert with a screwdriver to unscrew the problematic screw

2

Using the extractor allows you to unscrew all previously considered "problem" screws: deeply screwed, with "lapped" slots, "tight", etc.

VIDEO: HOW TO REMOVE THE SCREW WITH RIPPED EDGES how to unscrew the licked-off screw

How to unscrew a screw with torn edges

How to unscrew a screw with torn edges

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How to unscrew a broken screw

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How to unscrew the mixer nut if it is stuck

The easiest way to get a stuck nut to unscrew is to knock it down with a chisel or hammer. You can use a grinder. But in most cases, this option is not suitable. It is required to unscrew it, so that later it can be screwed back. It would seem that the situation is hopeless, but this is somewhat untrue. There are several ways that you can help "over-straighten" a rusted nut.

Dissolving rust

Many people know such a liquid as WD-40. In the common people it is called "Vedashka". The essence of this tool is that it dissolves rusty deposits and, as a result, reduces friction. As a result, the mount gradually begins to give in.

If this tool was not at hand, then a replacement can be found. Kerosene, carburetor cleaner, gasoline, and brake fluid are good options. In addition, vinegar, iodine or alcohol are suitable for the same purposes.

Guide to action:

  1. Thoroughly pour liquid over the nut and wait about thirty minutes. As soon as time passes, you can take the key and try to turn it off. If the fastening does not give in or gives in, but it is very tight, then the liquid has not saturated the rust enough. Wet again, only this time with a piece of rag, and wrap the nut with it. This will give the liquid a better chance of attacking the rust.
  2. After such a lotion, the fastening element should begin to move. To make the movement easier, you can knock on it a little with a hammer. And only then, with the help of the key, you can try to rip it off. The key handle can be lengthened to make the jerk stronger. Any piece of pipe will do.

We heat the nut

Exposure to high temperatures leads to the expansion of metals, and accordingly, the rust will collapse. After such an execution, any compound, even a completely soured one, will cease to be so strong. Any heat source can be used for heating. You can use a hair dryer, torch, blowtorch, or a regular lighter.

Guide to action:

We thoroughly warm up the nut and screw itself. After that, we try to turn it with a key. Sometimes the edges of the mount are damaged, which prevents the use of the key. In this case, we put the socket head on the nut and warm it up with it. Then unscrew it with a crank.

We destroy the nut

You can destroy the connection with an ordinary chisel, you can cut it with a hacksaw or a grinder, or you can also use a drill.

Guide to action:

  1. Striking the chisel with a hammer, we make grooves on the edges of the nut.The blows must be strong so that the chisel goes deep. This increases the inner diameter. Gradually we will destroy the fastening element. The same effect will be obtained if you drill holes on the edges with a drill. When the nut is destroyed, it can be easily removed.
  2. The case will move much faster if you cut off the nut with a hacksaw or an electric grinder. The main thing is to make a cut along the axis.

As you can see, even the most rusty nut can be unscrewed (if you really want to). However, it is much better not to bring the situation to such a result. It is best to initially use a mount that does not corrode. Then you certainly won't have to puzzle over how to unscrew the "stubborn" and not break it.

Ways to unscrew rusted parts at home

Dismantling with socket head or spanner

If the rust layer is not too thick, use a socket or box wrench. In this case, the tool must have 6 or 12 points of contact. Next, you need to alternately tighten and loosen the thread with sufficiently sharp movements. If that doesn't work, brush the surface with a wire brush and then apply one of the greases mentioned above. Once the product has started to work, take a hammer and lightly tap on the mount to knock off the top layer. Then use the key again, the clamp should loosen. To enhance the effect, you can use a pipe on the wrench or use a non-ratchet tool with a long handle. But be careful in your work, bad and old tools can break right in your hands.

Use muscle power and this tool

Exposure of nuts and bolts to high temperatures

Alternatively, heat can be used to remove the part. Take a blowtorch and use it to warm up the mount

It is important to heat only one side of the bolt or nut so that it expands from the heat and damages the rust layer. If such a tool is not at hand, you can use an ordinary candle.

After heating, pour cold water over the part, and then pick up the key again. The only drawback of such methods is that they spoil the hardening of the metal.

Do not use this method near flammable objects and rubber gaskets

How to unscrew with a screwdriver using a mixture of gearbox oil and acetone

A mixture prepared with your own hands is effective. It consists of 50% automatic transmission oil and 50% acetone. It is necessary to use the lubricant several times over several hours, each time leaving it for at least 40 minutes. Sometimes the bolt is meant for a screwdriver, in which case take the same tool or a chisel and hammer. Then, with the help of blows, try to loosen the fasteners. If you are not afraid of extreme methods, use zinc or sulfuric acid. Initially, you need to make a small side of plasticine or wax around the fasteners. Then put a piece of zinc into the formed recess, pour a chemical element on top. The problem will be resolved in a day. In the same way, you can unscrew the stuck screw on the mixer.

Twisting until it stops

An important method is the so-called "contradictory method": in order to loosen the fastening of a stuck part, you should not unscrew it, but, on the contrary, try to tighten it tighter, to the end. This will allow the bolt or nut to travel more freely, which ultimately helps in removing the rusty mount.

Complete dismantling

If all these methods were unsuccessful, then the mount will need to be destroyed. This can be done in several ways. If you are working with a bolt, you need to drill it out and cut a new thread. You can also use a special tool such as a nut puller. It tightens the part, it cracks under pressure, so that the nut can be removed with an ordinary wrench. The most radical way is to use a grinder.It is enough just to saw the bolt lengthwise using a metal disc.

Prevention is the best way to fight rust. Always tighten the fasteners according to the torque of similar threaded connections, use quality bolts, nuts and screws, lubricate the part before tightening
... Even if the part is new, it is better to clean it again. All this will allow you to avoid the moment when you have to resort to shock methods.

All the methods described above are quite effective, so you can safely use any of them. They have been tested by different craftsmen and have always given a positive result. By following these tips, you can easily overcome stuck screws, bolts or nuts.

And by taking preventive measures into account, you can avoid recurrence of the problem.

When carrying out repair work, sometimes the question arises: how to unscrew a bolt or a screw with torn off edges. This task has several solutions, knowing that you can untwist almost any hardware. Even in the case when you overdid it and ripped off the head or broke the hairpin, there are methods and tools that allow you to turn out the fragments of the fastener.

Any problem is better prevented than solved. Therefore, if you applied enough force, and the fastener did not move, you do not need to continue until you completely damage it. Better do the following:

The above steps will not be superfluous even in the case when you decide how to unscrew the bolt with the torn off edges.

Possible difficulties

You can understand that there will be problems with the bolt even before the start of work or at the very beginning of it. In some cases, understanding why the fasteners are not unscrewing directly indicates the best way to solve the problem, so it is worth taking a closer look at the “anatomy of a disaster”. Here are some examples of why we have to tinker with the screw:

  • rust is visible on the surface of the fastener, there are characteristic red streaks around the head - a rusted screw is almost always stuck, and as a result it is often also "licked", because the edges of a weakened product quickly become torn off under the rough influence of a screwdriver;
  • broken or gouged head - if the cross is torn off, and instead of a quadrangular one has a triangular or generally shapeless hole, it will be difficult to pick up a screwdriver for it;
  • the base into which the fasteners are screwed underwent deformation: the wood could swell from moisture, and the metal flattened under pressure - then the thread is tightly clamped, and the frame will not just release the bolt;
  • the connected parts are displaced relative to their original position - this is especially true in the case of large products that simply cannot be re-aligned as expected, and in the meantime, heavy parts create an increased load on the self-tapping screw.

Be prepared for the fact that in most cases the trouble does not come alone - the same rusty screw is dangerous both by sticking and breaking the cross. Worst of all, if the mount is also placed in a hard-to-reach place that you can't really get to.

Recommendations for working with heads of screws, self-tapping screws

During the performance of these works, in order to get the expected result and not be injured, you must adhere to the following rules:

  • before attempting to unscrew the screw, you must inspect the back of the workpiece. If its end looks out of it, then you can try to unscrew it from this side, and when the head is free, grab it with pliers;
  • it is necessary to decide whether there is a right or left thread on the fastener in order to unscrew the screw or self-tapping screw in the right direction;
  • after the screw has been unscrewed, you can ensure reliable fastening in this place using a larger self-tapping screw, or you can use a bolt with a nut;
  • during the application of the described methods, notches and shavings are formed, therefore, in order not to get injured, you must work in protective glasses and gloves.

There are no bad situations. If there is a problem with unscrewing a screw, screw or self-tapping screw, you need to assess the situation, choose one of the described methods, and then use it to remove the fasteners.

How to unscrew a rusty bolt or nut

faced the problem of rusted bolts. For motorists, this problem is more familiar, since there are a lot of threaded connections in a car that are operated in harsh environmental conditions, when moisture is constantly acting on the bolt and nut.

Moisture getting on the surface of bolts and nuts under the influence of an oxygen atmosphere oxidizes the iron and the nut material at the place of the thread begins to merge with the bolt material. In the process of metal oxidation, the volume of oxides increases significantly in comparison with the volume of the original metal. As a result, the bolt-to-nut connection is jammed.

The more time passes, the more the joint rusts and the stronger the adhesion of the bolt and nut. Given the various designs of bolted joints, it is very often necessary to unscrew the rusted bolt and not cut it off, for example, with a grinder.

And we want to talk about how to unscrew a rusted bolt in this article. In our article, we tried to describe all the main methods for loosening corroded bolts.

Methods for loosening rusted bolts

So, having tried to unscrew the nut, you realized that it does not unscrew even with the application of excessive force. Firstly, do not panic and try to unscrew the nut with the help of force. This is fraught with the fact that you simply rip off the head of the bolt or nut. Alternatively, you can ruin the wrench, especially if you are trying to loosen a rusty threaded connection with a classic open-end wrench.

If you use an open-end wrench, replace it with a socket or socket head. The second type of wrench, in contrast to the open-end wrench, fits more tightly to the bolt head, and most importantly, over a larger area, it comes into contact with the faces of the nut.

After the key is selected, it is necessary to clean the joint from rust. To do this, you can use both mechanical tools (nail, awl) and liquids (kerosene, brake fluid, gasoline, special rust removers, tap water, etc.).

A very good remedy is such a popular drink as Coca-Cola. This is what motorists use in America. Due to its chemical composition, it peels off rust very well. Liquid is preferable, as it penetrates deep into the threaded joint and separates the rust mass into layers, which reduces the strength of the bolt-nut connection. After you have applied the necessary liquid to the threaded connection, you need to wait 10-15 minutes.

Then, using a socket wrench, try to be careful with the application of great force (you can try to lengthen the arm by cutting the pipe). The main thing is not to overdo it and not to rip off the bolt head. You need to unscrew it as follows: apply force in small jerks with a gradual increase in force. As a rule, the bolt will gradually give in.

If the corrosion is very strong, the above agents may not lead to a positive result. In this case, you can use a hammer and chisel. The chisel is placed on the edge of the bolt head at an angle in the direction of the thread and with sharp, light blows we try to knock down the bolt so that it turns. Similarly, you can try to knock on the key on the head or nut, the main thing is to calculate the impact force so as not to break the bolt or key or "lick" the head.

Another good way to loosen a rusted bolt is to heat it up. As you know from physics lessons at school, metal expands under the influence of heat.If you heat the bolt very well, the threaded connection will part a little and until it cools down you need to unscrew it.

Bolted joints can be heated with a gas torch or blowtorch. However, be careful not to start a fire while heating.

When the fastener bolt turns

It rarely happens when a bolt turns in a threaded hole, how to unscrew it, we will consider in more detail.

First you need to pry the product with a nail puller and try to pull it out as high as possible. Leaving the connection in tension, slowly turn it out with a key. If a nailer is not available, you can use a screwdriver. If the bolt is small, you can remove it with pliers.

The head is clamped and pulled upward with force. If it was not possible to remove the bolt immediately, then start rotating the head clamped by the pliers counterclockwise, without loosening the upward force.

These lubricants are designed for rubbing parts. If you lubricate a bolt or nut with them, over time the grease will harden and will be more difficult to unscrew than a rusty bolt. It is better to lubricate the bolts and nuts when tightening them with graphite grease.

You can buy it at any car dealership.

I hope that the article was useful and helped you find a way out of a difficult situation.

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