A stripped screw is a screw that’s stuck because the top indents have been worn away. The screwdriver or drill bit can’t turn the screw because it can’t grip. If you don’t have a screw extractor tool, there are plenty of other ways to remove a screw using common materials like rubber bands, steel wool, or abrasive powder.
Removing Stripped Screws From Metal, Wood, and Plastic: Why the Material Matters
Most of the methods described below will work if a stripped screw is embedded in metal, wood, or plastic. Removing a stripped screw from each material, however, presents its own challenges.
- Stripped screws in metal need to be removed carefully, otherwise you risk scratches or damage. Be extra diligent when using power tools and cutting materials.
- A stripped screw in wood will likely be flush with the material or slightly lower than the surface, so using a stripped screw extractor may be your best bet to retrieve the screw.
- Plastic is a fairly soft material, and a light touch is a must if you want to reuse a hole in plastic after removing a screw. Hammering, grinding, and cutting to remove the screw may render the hole unusable.
No matter which material you’re working with, you’ll need a bit of muscle to remove stripped screws. You must use firm pressure and patience, moving the screw a fraction of a turn at a time, otherwise you risk breaking the screw and making the removal process all the more challenging.
Ways to Remove a Stripped Screw
Learn how to remove a stripped screw with or without a drill, plus what to consider when removing a stripped screw from wood, metal, or plastic.
1. Use a Different Driver
Remove a stripped Phillips head screw with a manual flathead screwdriver. Angle the blade into the screw head. Force the blade down hard. After about 1/4-inch of the screw has been exposed, clamp locking pliers to the sides of the screw head. Turn the screw the rest of the way out.
2. Use Pliers
Bypass the stripped screw head and grip the screw with a pair of locking pliers. Turn the adjustment screw on the pliers, then clamp down on the screw either from the top or the sides. Turn the screw counter-clockwise until it releases from the material.
For screws flush or embedded in wood, groove out a couple of shallow indentations next to the screw head for better grip.
3. Add a Rubber Band
Put a wide rubber band between the screwdriver tip and the stripped screw head. The rubber band adds grip and fills in gaps on the screw head. For large screws, double up the rubber band. For smaller screws, use one layer.
4. Use a Larger Driver
Change out the properly sized driver bit or screwdriver to one that is slightly larger in diameter. A larger bit or screwdriver tip fills the void on the stripped screw head.
Lean hard into the drill or screwdriver. Turn counter-clockwise. Old, rounded-down drill bits or screwdrivers are beneficial because they have flatter tips, so there is more surface contact between the tip and the screw head.
5. Use a Manual Screwdriver
Use a manual screwdriver to remove the stripped screw instead of using an electric drill and driver bit. A manual screwdriver gives you more torque and control than an electric drill. It’s easier to lean into the screw and add pressure without the risk of further stripping the screw.
6. Add Steel Wool
Place a small section of steel wool and turn the stripped screw through it. The steel wool improves friction on the screw head. Tear off a coin-sized piece of steel wool. Flatten it, then place it on top of the screw head. Insert the tip of the screw through the steel wool and press down while turning counter-clockwise.
7. Tap With a Hammer
Tap a manual screwdriver into the screw head with a light hammer. This seats the tip of the screwdriver slightly deeper into the screw for better grip.
Use a manual screwdriver that is properly sized for the screw. Tap the back of the screwdriver handle with a hammer three or four times. Do not remove the screwdriver from the screw or dislodge it. Turn the screw to remove it.
8. Cut a Slot
Cut a slot into the screw head with an electric tool. The tip of a flat-head screwdriver can be inserted into the groove to turn the screw.
Use a rotary cutting tool or a multi-tool fitted with a metal blade. Turn on the tool. Wearing safety glasses, hold the tool parallel with the material and cut a shallow groove in the screw head. Place the tip of a flat-head screwdriver in the groove, press hard, and turn counter-clockwise.
9. Stripped Screw Extractor
Do you come across a lot of stripped screws in your projects? A dedicated set of stripped screw extractors may be the only solution you need. These attachments for your drill come in different types and sizes, and they involve a two-step process. You first use the drill bit to create a hole in the screw head, then you use the extractor to remove the screw.
10. Left-handed Drill Bit
Typical screws loosen by turning to the left. The less common left-handed drill bit has flutes that twist in a counterclockwise direction. The torque applied by a left-handed drill bit can be more effective than a right-handed bit at loosening a stripped screw. For it to work, however, the drill must be set in reverse.
11. Liquid Abrasive
Give your screwdriver or drill bit something to grip by using a liquid abrasive, which can be a great stripped screw remover. These fluids contain tiny crystals that anchor between the screwdriver and the screw to create friction where there was none. These liquids generally don’t stain, and you don’t need much more than a drop per screw.
12. Hot Glue Gun
Rather than run out to purchase a new tool to remove stripped screws, turn to something you probably already have at home: your glue gun. Fill the screw head with glue, and stick in your screwdriver until it cools and dries. Then it’s just a matter of slowly twisting the stripped screw with a screwdriver until it comes out.
13. Oscillating Tool
If there’s an oscillating tool in your workshop, such as a Dremel (and if you’re a committed DIYer, you probably should own one of these tools), affix the metal-cutting disc and create a new, deeper slot in the screw head. Follow up with a flathead screwdriver, pressing it firmly into the indentation and twisting it slowly.
How to Avoid Stripping Screws
The best way to remove a stripped screw is to avoid stripping it in the first place:
- Avoid using a screwdriver or bit with a rounded tip.
- Only use a screwdriver or bit that is the right size for the screw.
- Use a better-quality screw since some screws are made of softer, lower-quality metal.
- Do not bear down hard when driving the screw.
- Hold the driver in-line (perpendicular) to the screw; do not hold the driver at an angle.
- Drive the screw with a manual screwdriver, if possible, for better torque control.
- Drill pilot holes in wood to relieve the strain.
- Stop turning as soon as the driver slips on the screw—continuing to turn will only strip the screw more.
Side notes
Removing a stripped screw is a beginner-level skill, one that you can easily do yourself as you work your way through many home projects. That said, expect that stripped screw removal will take time. Don’t try to rush the process, otherwise you might damage your project.
Armed with all these tips, the next time you strip a screw you can rest assured that it’s not the end of the world—it’s just another solvable, albeit annoying, problem. No single trick works every time. You may need to use a combination of techniques to remove the screw, but don’t overdo one method, or you risk stripping the screw even more.
Once you know how to remove a stripped screw and become familiar with all of the options at your disposal, you’ll gradually learn to recognize which scenarios call for which particular solution.
