The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors removing trim screws

Does anyone have any tricks for removing worn down phillips screws. I'm talking mostly about those trim pieces that hold down the weatherstripping in the doorway of a 51 chevy 3100. I would just drill them out but I need to get the new screw into that hole so I need to remove the screw.Thanks---Jack

Use a impact screwdriver ....

I've had to cut the screw head deeper with a dremel, so that it breaks off, and then redrill. I know that's not what you were looking for but it's the only method that worked for me.

several ways. . .
vice-grips
weld a hex nut to the screw
cut a deeper notch with a dremel cut off wheel and use a flathead screwdriver
'easy out'

Try something like this.

https://www.buyspeedout.com/?MID=4878676

There are other brands out there like this though. I think Sears has their own. Irwin has thier own.

For the future, when trying to get screws out, I'll second the impact gun idea.

I have a small 12v Rockwell impmact that takes 1/4" bits, It's amazing what that thing can get out when a screw gun would just strip it.

Chris

The impact screwdriver I've used is hand held with pressure to the left, then hit with a hammer . It used to be a necessary tool to work on Harley motorcycles .

best practice removing stuck screws is to first tighten them with the impact, which will usually un-stick them .... or snap off the heads

Bill

I have a bag of assorted driver bits from HF I keep just to weld onto screws when their stuck. Sort of like welding a nut on a broken bolt...

CJSTP - I'm right there with you. I have one trim screw on each piece of door trim that is stuck. very bottom screw at the door sill. I'm not sure how much I'm going to fret over it, as the trim is very beat up and may warrant replacement. If so, It's going to get the grinder then vise grips.

I tried all the usual suspects, with zero success other than stripping out the head. I think now all that is left is drilling out the head.

Small screws are almost impossible to drill out or drill into. They are also hard to cut a slot and hard to grab onto. If you have a welder and there is some stick-up of the screw or screw head, find a washer with a hole just a tad bigger than the screw and weld it to the screw first. Welding at the washer hole area. Then weld a nut to the washer. That has always worked for me without damage to the associated trim piece. As Bill says rock the screw in and out awhile with a socket on the nut. This is, of course, after you have PB Blasted for a day or so. In this method you will have a large leverage advantage so don't break off the screw shank. Go slow and lots of back and forth with minimal torque. I don't like electric or air tools on small stuff. You have no feel or control. You will strip a Phillips head in no time. I have used a small cordless driver with a ratchet torque setting. Set it way low and let it knock. Not for the force of it but for the vibration without stripping Phillips. It will set there and buzz and finally turn....maybe.

You folks have given me alot of ideas. I think I'll dig the dremel out of the bottom drawer and start trying some of these. Thanks---Jack

I have one of those hand held impact drivers that use different bits. You hit them on the head and the bit turns slightly under impact.I cleaned out the bit slots in the screws and sprayed with pb blaster. Them impacted and resprayed. Loosened all four screws on both sides on the trim piece in the doorway on the floor.I got most of them out with a screwdriver. A couple had crust on them so I had to unscrew them the last bit with vise grips. All out and ready for cleanup.---Jack

Just to add an idea. I decided that rather than hacking it up with a chisel, hacksaw, dremel, etc., to just take a cutting torch with a welding tip on it. I added enough heat to get the head of the screw cherry red, but not heat the strap. Waited until the screw head cooled enough to not show any color, then used the screwdriver and backed the screw out like it was in butter.

I would say you could probably have good success with a MAPP torch similar to what a plumber would use to sweat copper fittings. They sell them all over.