Replies

1. 
   mikeinohio | Sep 13, 2022 09:58am | #1

   How about one of these?

   
1. 
   stantheman | Sep 13, 2022 09:59am | #2

   Thats what I use.

2. 
   john_c2 | Sep 16, 2022 05:36pm | #13

   That's what I use too.

2. 
   joeleonetti | Sep 13, 2022 02:17pm | #3

   If it's soft like brass, I've also heard of folks drilling it out (as in grinding it up with a drill bit).

3. 
   cl810 | Sep 13, 2022 04:09pm | #4

   Another option is Unscrew-ums. http://www.tltools.com They are capable of removing screws while removing a minimal amount of wood. Check out the videos on their website.

   My personal experience is mostly good but the 'bits' only have limited lives. YMMV

   I think they are the best option when you're trying to remove just the screw.

4. 
   geedubbee | Sep 13, 2022 09:25pm | #5

   I use what mikeinohio shows. You can make a temporary one out of a metal tube if you have one. Just file something like teeth on one end. A drill press will keep you on target if the piece in question can be put on the table.

1. 
   john_c2 | Sep 16, 2022 05:37pm | #14

   I think the unscrewums are roll pins, with saw teeth cut in the end.

5. 
   stevieray | Sep 14, 2022 06:14am | #6

   You can always excavate a little so that you can attach the tippy tip of a vise-grip, and then repair the damage with a plug. I've done that in extreme cases. Your problem is not unusual, especially if you are using brass screws.

6. 
   Jkatzowitz | Sep 14, 2022 08:27am | #7

   Maybe I'm missing something but why not try using an EZ out?

7. 
   _mj_ | Sep 14, 2022 10:01am | #8

   The head is sheared off.

8. 
   pantalones868 | Sep 14, 2022 04:04pm | #9

   It's not about getting the screw out it's getting the screw out and not wrecking the piece. What kind of screw? Every type of screw extractor that I know about assumes the head is still intact,well until I saw that thing that someone posted. If that works.....!
   If you can get the board loose without anything stopping it, spin the board off the broken screw shaft. If you can't do that then if it's a soft screw like brass or even regular steel take a center punch into the center of the screw shaft and make a divot, if you can, then a very small diameter drill and drill into the center, increase the drill diameter incrementally until the thing disintegrates. Ive done that and its a bitch but it can be done. If it's a black screw or some kind of deck screw the bad news is they are hardened and drilling will never happen. The good news is they are very brittle. If the bottom side of the board is not seen in the finish of whatever your making take a very thin bar, they make them, drive it between the two screwed together boards then give the screw shaft some sharp taps, often the screw will just break. Also there are those holders for hacksaw blades. Like a hack saw on a stick --maybe you can slip that in between and score or cut through the screw.
   Last but not least , just leave it in there. Carefully drill a pilot hole right next to the broken screw and insert another screw. With luck the head of the new screw will cover the ding from the old screw.

9. 
   _mj_ | Sep 14, 2022 05:52pm | #10

   Interesting approach... back-door it. If the part could be spun off (who knows?) then the screw could be twisted out with a pliers and the same hole is still in play.

10. 
    elmaduro | Sep 14, 2022 09:53pm | #11

    From a FWW #215 article:

    Oops. To remove a screw that’s broken off at or below the surface
    of the workpiece, Rodriguez uses a relatively new screw-extractor kit called Unscrew-Ums (from T & L
    Tools; tltools.com, 860-464-9485).

11. 
    AnglinaStone | Sep 15, 2022 03:35am | #12

    For that, you can use a utility knife, a chisel, or even something like a screwdriver to remove some of the wood around the top of the shank of the screw. Once you chip away enough wood, you should be able to grab the top of the screw with a pair of pliers and then screw it out.