How to Remove Broken Rusty Screws

Rusty embedded screws can cause delays during home projects.

There are many ways to remove broken rusty screws and no single method will work for every situation. If you have a broken rusty screw that has to be removed, you should try the simplest method of removal first. If your initial effort fails, you can then move on to more difficult options. Whichever option you are using, it is always important to find the proper tools then let your tools do the work for you.

Things You'll Need

• Hammer
• Screw drivers
• Screw extractor
• Welding or propane torch
• Water
• Penetrating oil
• Dremel tool and grinder

Instructions

1. Try to tighten the screw then reverse direction and loosen it. Strike it with a hammer. Another option is to use a 3- to 4-pound brass hammer. Also try to tap very lightly for several minutes and apply a few drops of penetrating oil. Tap some more. Let the penetrating oil set overnight then try to remove screw.

2. Try the metric method. Hammer a tight fitting metric socket on an SAE nut-headed screw. If the screw is metric, hammer a tight fitting SAE socket on the nut-headed screw. Then use a breaker bar on your socket wrench to turn the screw.

3. Use a screw extractor with a very hard reverse-thread bit. A screw extractor bit's tapered, reversed threads will dig into a pre-drilled hole. You will drill a small hole into the screw with a conventional drill bit before inserting the extractor to withdraw the screw slowly.

4. Try heating and cooling the screw to break the screw free of the rust. Use a welding torch, or hand-held propane torch to heat the screw head until it turns bright red, then squirt it with water so it will cool. Repeat this method until it frees the screw.

5. Drill off the screw head with an over-sized drill bit, then use a dremel tool with a grinder to remove remaining screw. A dremel tool is similar to a conventional drill but uses high speed rather than torque to complete the job.

Tips & Warnings

• Pay attention to the part of the screw that is turning and the part of the screw that is not turning so you can identify the problem and skip steps that won't work.

• When working with tools, position yourself with safety in mind. Make sure that if your hand slips, it will not be in harm's way

• When using the "hot and cold" method, wear proper safety equipment including welder's gloves and safety goggles. Also have a fire extinguisher within easy reach.

References

• How to Extract Struck Screws