There’s nothing more disheartening if you’ve started a project that requires you to remove a screw that has set inside a piece of wood or metal, only to find the screw is stripped. Stripped screws are common, especially if they’ve been tightened several times, but make removal nearly impossible without special tricks. Put down the hammer and instead grab your screwdriver and a rubber band (yep--a rubber band).
- Position the rubber band over the stripped screw. You will want to make sure the rubber band is laying flat, over the screw top and is being held securely in place.
Make sure the rubber band you use has a wide enough band width so that the rubber completely engulfs the screw head. - Push the screwdriver into the screw head, over the rubber band. The rubber band will form into the previous screw indents, creating leverage for the screwdriver.
- Make sure the screwdriver is pushed far enough but not too far that it breaks through the rubber band skin.
- Turn the screwdriver counter-clockwise to remove the screw. Work slowly as even though your rubber band will provide you with a mold, the screw is still vulnerable and most likely difficult to turn.
- Re-position the rubber band over the screw head as you work if necessary. The screwdriver may penetrate through the rubber band at some point, especially if you are working with an electric screwdriver. Move the rubber band over to expose material that is in tact to continue to remove the screw.