Stripped Screw? This Simple Trick Extracts It In Seconds

While DIY repairs and projects can have their moments of frustration, few things can bring your project to a halt like a stripped screw head. Trying (and failing) to extract a stripped screw out can quickly consume your day. And given how powerful cordless drills and impact drivers have gotten, it’s little wonder that stripped screws are a fairly common occurrence. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to sideline your project for long. Here’s how to remove a stripped screw quickly, so you can get your project back on course.

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Removing a Protruding Screw 

If the screw head is protruding from the surface of the wood, the fix is a fairly easy one:

• Take a pair of locking pliers and grip the screw head. 
• With the pliers locked into position, rotate the pliers counter clockwise to remove the screw from the wood. You can also use a standard pair of pliers, you’ll just have to put your best death grip on them to turn the screw. 

Removing a Screw that’s Flush to the Wood

What do you do when the screws are flush to the material and there’s no place to clamp onto it (or if you don’t have a pair of pliers)? You don’t need a screw extractor set to solve this issue. All you need is a rubber band:

• Hold a rubber band over the stripped screw head. 
• Push the screwdriver tip against the rubber and into the stripped out head. 
• Turn the screwdriver counterclockwise. The rubber gives the screwdriver head something to grip onto so it can turn the screw.
• Once the screw head is clear of the material, use your locking pliers to finish removing it. 

Rubber Band Variations

If you don’t have a rubber band handy, you can use other materials to add friction to a stripped out screw hole, including steel wool and duct tape. You can also add an abrasive substance, like Comet or Bar Keeper’s Friend to the hole to give the screwdriver tip something to grip. 

When All Else Fails

If the above efforts fail, you may need to wave the white flag and invest in a tool most professional carpenters have at the ready–a screw extractor set. These sets come with two sets of bits–drill bits and reverse threaded bits–that work with a cordless drill. You use the drill bit to drill a hole into the stripped-out screw head. You then insert a reverse threaded bit into the hole. The threads of the bit bite into the drilled hole, creating enough friction to allow you to back out the screw.