Screw Extractor Trick

[Tom R]

Taught myself a new trick today. Had to remove a 3" stainless steel screw with a 'Robertson' (square) head, and the square hole stripped out, so I had to resort to pliers. Well, it was really in there tight, and at the rate I was going, it seemed like it would take forever. So I just backed it out about 1/4", - - then tightened the chuck of my cordless drill right onto the head of the screw, - - and backed it right out the rest of the way with a simple 'squeeze' of the trigger. If I wasn't the guy already makin' all the money, - - I'd have gone and given myself a raise! :lol: Like mj says, - - I kill me! :lol:

[Rich]

LOL. get some screw extractors :)

[Tom R]

Screw extractors would work good 'next time', - - but I was talking about 'this time'. In other words, - - I was at the job, not at the store.

[Cole]

I wish I had patience like you, if I would have been in your case, i would have gone to home depot and bought some screw extractors and bitched the whole way back to the job. :D

[Cole]

The real question is , who stripped the screw in the first place?

[Tom R]

:oops:

[Tom R]

I built a barrel-vault portico and it has fluted aluminum columns. I needed to 'release' the column caps to slide the aluminum coilstock underneath. Let me tell you, it's no picnic 'wrapping' a barrel vault. The only part I'm leaving wood is the bead-boards for the barrel, which I'll paint white to match. The customer wants it maintenance-free, which is fine, but I just decided vinyl soffitt would look too 'cheap' for the barrel.

[Rich]

Screw extractors would work good 'next time', - - but I was talking about 'this time'. In other words, - - I was at the job, not at the store.

Good point :)

[Tom R]

Like Clint Eastwood said, - - "you gotta improvise, - - overcome, - - adapt". :D

[plunkinberry]

In my experience, stainless screws are really soft. I find that even with the square heads, they are prone to stripping and even bending if you aren't putting pressure directly on the drill in-line with the screw. I backed a bunch of stainless screws out with vice grips building that cedar fence last month...

[Tom R]

Yeah, SS screws are definitely soft, - - I think you can parchase a 'harder' version, - - but of course more money, - - and not as readily available.