

Pro Tip: If you’re working a bolt or plug out of an engine, mind those metal shards – you don’t want them falling into the engine block! Step 4: Drilling a Guide Hole

If that’s the set you have, skip the punching and drilling step. Some screw extractors have a burnishing end that you can use to drill out the screw head directly. This will create an indentation in the very center of the screw that will help guide the drill bit. To do this, you align a punch to the center of the screw and hammer it down lightly. With a basic screw extractor, you may need to provide some space in the screw head for it to work. That means drilling or expanding a hole in that old screw. You may also want a pair of gloves if you’re concerned about metal shavings cutting you. You always want to protect your eyeballs from debris.
#Screw extractor how to
How to Use a Screw Extractor Step 1: Gather Some Needed Tools Makes sense, right?īasically, after punching or drilling into the top of your busted up screw, you’ll use a screw extractor to bite down into the screw and twist it back out of whatever it was holding together. This helps it lock into and remove damaged screws. While brands vary, the most common design uses a tapered drill bit with reverse threading. The key to the screw extractor’s usefulness lies in its general design. How a Screw Extractor Removes Damaged Screws If you’re just starting out, or you find yourself apprenticing with a Pro, we can show you how to extract a screw as if you’ve been doing it for years. It will let you quickly remove those pesky worn and weathered fasteners with a minimal amount of frustration.Īny Pro from mechanics to woodworkers should keep a set of screw extractors close by. Keep a relatively inexpensive screw extractor on-hand. Rounded out and stripped screws can throw a real wrench in your productivity, but they don’t have to bring your work to a grinding halt.

Other times, however, you’ve simply got to get it out. Sometimes you can cut or bend off a fastener and it’s fine.
#Screw extractor free
