Screw Extraction

[BTDT]

In the middle of a home kitchen reno. I found that the previous owner/installer put a screw right in the middle of an open face cabinet. It is a black screw that will stand out once we repaint the cabinets white.

I tried removing it with a bit. No dice, the screw just spins. Tried a cheap screw extractor (first time using one) and it would not bite into the screw.

Any suggestions? I can use a pair of pliers and turn the screw out but it would take too long given the placement and desire to not damage the surrounding cabinet face.

Brad

 

[Ken Nagrod]

? Needle nose Vise Grips

 

[Alan m]

i presume you mean that there is no material behind the screw or that there is no material around the threads on the screw. if so i would get a strong magnet ( maybe a mag jig )and pull the screw out until the threads catch the cabinet. then use drill to take out.

if the head is stripped and the screw body is solid i would drill out the head and some of the screw body then fill before painting. i presum the screw is needed there just not wanted to stand out.

 

[Theshipstore]

you could try a left hand twist drill. I use them often to remove broken screws and even larger studs from many things in the Boatyard

 

[mastercabman]

If the screw just spin,i usually take my 5 in 1 and pry it while using my drill/driver.

 

[jmbfestool]

What I have done in the past with a spinning screw and to avoid causing damage is to glue my bit into the screw.

You can either use mitre bond and glue your bit PZ2 or what ever in and use a hand screw driver with adapter. If you use a drill you break the bond as its brittle cause you have to be very carefull!    If that does not work then use proper bonding glue for metal but then you could end up loosing your bit which is no big deal just use a old one cause its permanently stuck to the screw but then you can use a drill or hand drive and you will definitely get it out then.

Best of luck!

JMB

 

[pugilato]

Have you tried the grabit?  Google it; they sell it at Home Depot.

 

[Kevin Stricker]

What I have done in the past with a spinning screw and to avoid causing damage is to glue my bit into the screw.

You can either use mitre bond and glue your bit PZ2 or what ever in and use a hand screw driver with adapter. If you use a drill you break the bond as its brittle cause you have to be very carefull!    If that does not work then use proper bonding glue for metal but then you could end up loosing your bit which is no big deal just use a old one cause its permanently stuck to the screw but then you can use a drill or hand drive and you will definitely get it out then.

Best of luck!

JMB

brilliant.......

 

[jmbfestool]

Have you tried the grabit?  Google it; they sell it at Home Depot.

They dont really work very well but also he said his screw is spinning and they wont work on spinning screws.  The screw head has to stay fixed so it enables it to as the name says it GRAP it  but because the screw spins when you try and use the GRAP IT it will just spin the screw so it wont grap the screw.  

The head could be spinning for three reasons!

1. The head has snapped off when it was screwed in

2. The person who screwed the screw in screwed it in to much and it lost its grip so no material around the thread to hold the screw as most screws have no tread at the end.

3. The person screwed it to much and broke up the material around the thread causing it to spin often happens on MDF or chipboard materials

To removing the screw you need to pull and turn the screw this is not possible unless you can get under the screw but this will cause damage around the screw if you tried, so the  only way I can think of and has worked for me is to glue your bit into the screw head.    I use Mitre bond if its a small screw and try my luck as I always have mitre bond on hand and its instant  but like I said if it doesnt work or its a larger screw I will use some proper bonding glue and this should work as your able to pull and turn the screw.

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

What I have done in the past with a spinning screw and to avoid causing damage is to glue my bit into the screw.

You can either use mitre bond and glue your bit PZ2 or what ever in and use a hand screw driver with adapter. If you use a drill you break the bond as its brittle cause you have to be very carefull!    If that does not work then use proper bonding glue for metal but then you could end up loosing your bit which is no big deal just use a old one cause its permanently stuck to the screw but then you can use a drill or hand drive and you will definitely get it out then.

Best of luck!

JMB

brilliant.......

I know!  [tongue]

 

[BTDT]

The pliers (and needle nose) were marking up the cabinet back and I was having problems gripping the screw. (Note to self: use this to upgrade from bargain bin needle nose pliers.)

JMB got it right. The back of the cabinet was 3/4 thick but the screw had no thread for the last inch. Whoever put it there must have put it there so that it would hold the cabinet to the wall. The problem was that there was no stud... just drywall so there was nothing for the screw to hold onto.

I used crazy glue and it did the trick. (I had the cat's paw on hand too just in case I needed it for some gentle persuasion.) The screw came out just like that. Both were wicked ideas. Now I just have to fill in the hold and I am good as gold. (For now.)

Thanks all!

Brad