Dremel fix for problem screws

If you do any work with drills and screws you know that it eventually happens, a stripped head. You know how it goes, driving the screw home and it binds up, slows down and then the bit slips and spins and chews up the head. So you go from a Philips cross to a rounded out hole. Usually it happens just before you get the screw seated. Its to close to the work to use vise grips on it and its not far enough into the wood to just leave it. So now what? Often trying to back it out just strips it the other way so now it doesn't go in or come out.  Well there is an ideal Dremel fix for this.

Step 1 Enter the Dremel

Put the cutting wheel on your Dremel and use it to cut a slot into the messed up screw head.
Don't cut it to deep but deep enough so you can get a regular straight bladed screwdriver into it. It should be cut close to the middle but if its a little off don't worry about it. All you want to do is get this screw out, not make it look pretty. Avoid cutting into the wood if you can. And of course don't have anything flammable around when the sparks are flying.

Comments

[gmichaelt]

Fine idea. I've used it many times.

I'll second the suggestion that you use a smaller diameter cutting disc (meaning, practically, a well-worn one) to ensure that your cut across the screw head largely remains within the diameter of it. As ever, 'aim small, miss small'; take care to cut the new slot as close as possible to the mid-line of the screw head. There being so little exposed material, you don't want to 'screw up'.

Another thing you can try, as an adjunct to this method, is to 'punch' the screw a bit in order to facilitate its eventual extraction: take the original bit (or screwdriver), insert the point into the damaged screw head, and drift with a hammer (not too hard, but with some force). In many cases, this will reduce the friction you'll have to overcome while backing the screw out; the punching of the screw into the material - however slightly - will likely enlarge - however slightly - the spiral trace of the thread the screw has made in the material.

Finally, given the general aversion to slotted screws (lo! the many better alternatives available), it wouldn't be a terrible loss to take a few of your flat-bladed screwdrivers and Dremel the tip to a slight shovel-point (to fit deeply into the curved bottom of the slot you'll be making with this technique), leaving a centering 'tongue' at the middle of the tip, so that you can dedicate such screwdrivers to this kind of job. The 'tongue' will help by keeping the otherwise dull-normal flat blade from slipping laterally out of the slot.

[jonpersonals]

I like this idea. The next thing is to take a old screwdriver and arc it, and keep it for future use. A old trick I have used, is to coat screws with fine valve grinding compound and then screw this really does help altho it sounds strange. .. I just tried it and it works great.
In a pinch I have used a handfull of sand , washed out the big particles and then used the small ones for the grip improver

[Diabloscope]

we do this all the time , when replacing Ignition switches with the One time use bolts that mount the switch to the sterring column, with the wood you might want to use the stick attachment and a smaller used wheel ,less chance of etching on the wood especially on a nice deck or cabinet work .

Great putting it out there for people to see this handy trick !!

[pettrik]

Now, where were you when I needed you last week?!? ;-)

Great instructable! Thank you for sharing.

[CrLz]

Very handy!

[mossDboss]

great instructable.