How to Remove a Damaged Screw! 2026

How to Remove a Damaged Screw has always been a headache for everyone, as we usually use a screwdriver to try to remove a screw that has been deformed, either by hasty hands or left behind by a previously frustrated repairman.

Removing these types of damaged screws is something easy and practical that you can do yourself in the comfort of your home. In this article we will teach you 5 foolproof methods to remove a deformed screw, starting from the least destructive and moving through more destructive methods.

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The method you choose will depend on your circumstances and how important it is to remove that stubborn screw.

Steps to remove a damaged or deformed screw

Step 1: Rubber Band

Sometimes all it takes to remove a stubborn screw is a little more grip.

The elastic surface of a rubber band can help keep the end of the screwdriver in the deformed screw head and prevent it from slipping out of the grip.

Any rubber band will work, but wide bands work best as they provide the greatest contact area between the screw head and the driver bit.

Place the elastic band over the tip of the screwdriver and pull it tight enough so that there is no slack, then gently insert the tip of the screwdriver into the head of the screw and release the screw.

If the screw is not completely deformed, the rubber band will help fill in the areas where the screw has been removed and provide friction where needed, allowing the screw to be removed.

Step 2: Grab with the drill

If the screw is not completely sunk into its material, there is a chance that you can grab it with a power drill and easily pull it back out.

Open the drill chuck and place it over the head of the screw, then hand-tighten it to secure the jaws of the drill chuck over the screw.

Place the drill in reverse and gently remove the screw from the material.

This works on almost any type of threaded screw or stuck bolt, as long as there is a part of the head that the chuck can attach to.

Step 3: Screw Extractor

If there's a particularly stubborn screw that just won't come out, then it's time to get a little destructive.

Screw extractors are a good option as they are threaded in the opposite direction to the thread of the screws: screws have a right-hand turn and screw extractors have a left-hand turn.

Screw extractors come in different sizes, and you will need to select the correct size to fit the head of the unthreaded screw.

Load the extractor into your drill control and tighten the chuck to hold the extractor securely.

Put the drill in reverse.

Since the extractor is reverse threaded, it means that with the bit in reverse, the extractor bit will drill through the stripped screw and bite into the head of the screw.

The drilling will continue in reverse and the extractor will begin to rotate the screw in reverse and remove it from the material.

Step 4: Cut a notch

SlightlyMore destructive than a screw extractor is cutting a notch in the stripped screw head with a rotary tool.

Depending on the depth of the screw into the material, cutting the notch may damage the surrounding surface.

Using a rotary tool with a cutting wheel, cut a single slot in the head of the deformed screw.

This will make a channel for a slotted screwdriver to sit in and allow you to back out the screw.

Step 5: Wood Plug Cutters

If the deformed screw is really deep inside your material and other options don't seem to work, it's time to get really destructive.

Wood plug cutters can be used to remove material from around the deep set screw and allow you to access an otherwise unreachable screw.

Place the cutter in a power drill and place it over the screw.

Engage the plug cutter with the wood and remove material from above and around the stripped screw until the plug cutter has reached the depth of the screw head.

Remove the connection cutter and any debris it created and see if you can access the head of the screw to remove it.

Step 6: Leave it?

Can you live just by leaving him? Sometimes the screws are too buried or hard to get, and aren't worth the money.

Although not ideal, there may be no other way to deal with a warped screw and you may be able to avoid it.

If you are resigned to leaving the screw in place, then perhaps you could try hiding the screw with a similar patch of wood.

Step 7: Share your tips!

Necessity is the mother of invention, and I'm sure there are many more clever ways to remove a screw that people have invented. You can learn how to use melamine screws by clicking here.

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