How do I remove stuck screw with stripped head ?

[Spendorite]

I was removing the guide holder and one of the two screws near the spindle was very tight.
I used some penetrating oil and tapped on the screw but this didn't help and then I got the screw head stripped.
Can anyone offer solutions ?
Will one of those screw extractors such as SpeedOut get the screw out ?

[chris64]

I was skeptical at first, but I picked up one of the stripped screw removers (at Lowes) and have used it several times (in wood) with ease and success. Cant vouch for screw removal in metal.

[conwaygolfer]

Go to somewhere like NAPA auto parts and tell them what the problem is and they will have the correct extractor. I have done that in the past and they always work.

Conwaygolfer

[durango dude]

Screw extractor set ---- HOWEVER
get a good one -----

I started with a Harbor Freight set (bad idea) --- and then tried
a craftsman set (another bad idea).

The problems I had was brittle bits. The extractor bits were fine in both instances.

I eventually went to the hardware store, and got some really good irwin
metal bits.

[Spendorite]

Thanks to all for your suggestions.
A mechanic suggested I try an impact screwdriver, I did and got success.
While the screw head was mostly stripped there was still a little bit of edge
where the impact driver could bite into.
I was fearful of damaging the guide holder by banging away at it but with just
two whacks the screw came loose.

[iceman61]

I have had moderate success using left handed drill bits combined with penetrating oil. Since the threads are right hand, usually the bit will end up biting into the metal & removing the screw. If it doesn't you have to drill a hole to use a screw extractor anyway. McMaster-Carr has some decent extractors. Also, I have noticed that WalMart also sells the same extractors sold at Lowes. Never used them but they do look like decent quality.

[woodturner]

Thanks to all for your suggestions.
A mechanic suggested I try an impact screwdriver, I did and got success.

The kind you use with a hammer? The impact of the hammer both turns the screw and forces the bit into the fastener head, so they tend to work well.

Another "trick" when the screwdriver is camming out of the head is to dip the screwdriver tip in valve grinding compound. This provides an extra bit of grip that is often sufficient. Works especially well for Phillips head screws.

[woodturner]

I started with a Harbor Freight set (bad idea) --- and then tried
a craftsman set (another bad idea).

The problems I had was brittle bits. The extractor bits were fine in both instances.

I eventually went to the hardware store, and got some really good irwin
metal bits.

Screw extractors need to be hardened to a higher Rc number to be hard enough to dig into grade 8 fasteners. Harder metals are more brittle, in general.

I'm curious what problems you had with brittle bits?

If you only need to work with softer fasteners like wood screws and grade 2 hardware (e.g. "normal" nuts, screws, and bolts) the softer Irwin bits should be fine. If you are going to use them on really stuck or higher grade fasteners such as those found on cars around here (the winter salt causes every exposed metal piece to corrode), I would suggest the Craftsman. I have the Craftsman, they work very well, and are hardened enough to work on the grade 5 and 8 fasteners found on cars.

[durango dude]

My extractor set had:
a) drill bits
b) extractors

My problem was with the drill bits ---- they were so darn brittle, they broke very easily when I drill into the screw heads.

I fixed that problem by buying good metal-penetrating drill bits made by Irwin.

The extractors themselves were just fine --- both HF and Craftsman.

I only occasionally need to extract stripped bolts/screws ----- but were I doing that regularly, I'd pick up
the nice 48 piece set made by Irwin.

[capncarl]

If your screw head has a lot of jagged pieces of the screwdriver fitting it is hard to get a good start with a bit. I start off with a center drill that is a metal cutting bit for countersinking with a small really stout small drill bit in its center. That gets rid of the jagged pieces and usually locates the center of the screw for me. Now I can follow up with the proper drill.

[BigguyZ]

I've used the grabbit with great results. They used to be on TV, and then Woodcraft carried them. I think either HD or Menards now carries the 4 bit sets of them...

[gerti]

The kind you use with a hammer? The impact of the hammer both turns the screw and forces the bit into the fastener head, so they tend to work well.

I think he means the newish impact drivers, like screw guns with an additional hammer drive. I have used those too as last resort for mostly stripped screws, works quite well.

[mpc]

Depending on the type of screw, and more importantly what material it's screwed into, a common mechanic's technique is to use a Mig, Tig, or arc welder to build up weld blobs on top of the screw... then Vise Grips can be used. Or drop a regular nut on top of the screw head and weld the inside of the nut to the screw head. The welding heat also frees up a lot of rusted screws/bolts. Works well when the bolt head has sheared off too.

Probably a lousy idea for trying to get screws out of wood or plastic though.

For stripped screws in wood or other materials where welding isn't an option, when there is enough space, I just use a Dremel-style rotary tool and the small cutting disks (less than an inch in diameter) to cut a new straight slot into the screw head. I've even used a regular cordless drill with a Dremel-style cutting disk when there was no convenient electrical outlet around. Takes less than five minutes.

"Easy-Outs" are my last resort: since those Easy-Out bits, if they break off inside the damaged screw, make it virtually impossible to to re-drill and try again. They're harder than most drill bits and deflect drill bits trying to re-drill a centered hole in the screw for the next larger Easy-Out.

mpc

[Spendorite]

I think he means the newish impact drivers, like screw guns with an additional hammer drive. I have used those too as last resort for mostly stripped screws, works quite well.

Actually, Woodturner is right, I used a manual impact screwdriver which you
strike with a hammer.

[gerti]

Actually, Woodturner is right, I used a manual impact screwdriver which you
strike with a hammer.

Oh neat, didn't know those! Apologies to Woodturner. So how do these work, is some of the impact energy converted into a rotation or do you need to manually twist them during impact?

Thanks

Gerd