A stripped screw stops a project cold. The head is rounded off, your driver just spins, and every push seems to polish the metal a little smoother.
The good news is that a stripped screw almost always comes out with tools you already own. The real skill is picking the right method for how badly the head is chewed up, and starting gentle before you turn destructive.
Below are nine ways to back out a stubborn fastener, ordered from quick friction tricks to heavy-duty extraction. Work down the list and stop the moment one grabs.
Key Takeaways
- Start with friction: a rubber band or a pad of steel wool packed into a lightly stripped head restores enough grip to turn it.
- Switch from a power drill to a manual screwdriver to control torque and stop the head stripping any further.
- Cut a fresh slot across a badly rounded head with a rotary tool, then back it out with a flathead screwdriver.
- For a fully bored-out head, a screw extractor kit or a left-handed drill bit bites into the metal and reverses the screw out.
How To Remove a Stripped Screw
Remove a stripped screw by restoring grip (rubber band, steel wool), cutting a fresh slot, or drilling it out with an extractor, gentlest method first. Screws strip because of cam-out: when the driver meets more resistance than the recess can hold, it climbs out of the slot and grinds the drive walls smooth (1). The original Phillips patent, filed in 1933, actually asked for a recess with no tendency to cam out at all, and a follow-up patent in 1942 recognized that the same slip protected the screw and bit from an early power tool’s unreliable torque clutch (2). Once that happens, the fix is to restore grip or cut past the damage.
Try these proven methods in order, gentlest first, and stop at the first one that bites. Match the effort to the damage. A lightly rounded head often gives up to a rubber band, while a head that is completely bored out needs an extractor.
1. Use the Rubber Band Trick
This is the classic DIY hack for a reason. If the screw is not completely bored out, a wide rubber band can fill the gaps and give the bit something to bite. Lay the band over the screw head, press your screwdriver in firmly, and turn slowly.
The rubber increases friction and stops the bit slipping. It works best with a manual screwdriver rather than a power drill, where the higher speed just shreds the band.
2. Switch to a Larger Driver Bit
Sometimes the problem is simply a mismatch between the tool and the fastener. If a #2 Phillips bit spins in the head, try a #3 Phillips instead.
The larger bit spreads the force across a wider surface and can catch drive walls the smaller bit skips over. If you are using a drill, drop it to the lowest speed and lean into it with steady downward pressure so the bit bites instead of camming out.
3. Add Friction Material
If the rubber band failed, reach for abrasive friction. Steel wool, a dab of valve grinding compound, or even a gritty kitchen cleaner all work.
- Place a small patch of steel wool over the screw head.
- Insert the screwdriver bit into the wool and press down hard.
- Turn slowly.
The abrasive grit bridges the gap and helps the bit grab the smooth metal of the stripped head.
4. Use Locking Pliers (Vise-Grips)
If the screw head sits even slightly above the surface, locking pliers are your best friend. Standard pliers tend to slip, but Vise-Grips clamp and hold onto the metal.
Lock the pliers horizontally onto the head as tight as they will go, then twist counter-clockwise. Once the screw loosens a few turns, you can usually finish the job with a regular screwdriver.
5. Cut a New Groove
When the head is completely rounded, you can manufacture a fresh drive slot. Use a Dremel or rotary tool fitted with a thin metal-cutting disc to cut a straight line across the diameter of the screw head.
That turns a stripped Phillips or Torx screw into a simple flathead. Fit a large flathead screwdriver into the new slot and twist it out. Cut only as deep as you need to, and keep the disc off the material around the screw.
6. The Hammer Tap Method
Corrosion acts like glue, binding the threads in place. A sharp physical shock can break that bond.
- Seat your screwdriver into the stripped head.
- Tap the back of the handle firmly with a hammer.
- Keep downward pressure on and try to turn.
Top Tip
7. Use a Screw Extractor Kit
If the hacks fail, use a tool built for the job. A screw extractor, often sold as an “easy-out,” is a two-step bit.
- Bore: Use the drill end of the bit to sink a small pilot hole into the center of the screw head.
- Extract: Flip the bit to the threaded end. These threads run in reverse (counter-clockwise), so as you drill backward the bit digs into the metal and winds the fastener out.
8. Left-Handed Drill Bits
Like extractors, left-handed drill bits are made to turn counter-clockwise. As you drill into the head, the torque of the drill is already pulling the screw in the loosening direction.
Very often the heat and grip of the drilling catch the screw and spin it right out before you finish boring through the head.
9. The Epoxy and Nut Method
If the screw is flush with the surface and you cannot get a grip, try bonding a nut to it.
- Pick a nut whose opening roughly matches the diameter of the screw head.
- Apply a strong epoxy or JB Weld to the bottom of the nut, and keep it off the wood or surface around the screw.
- Press the nut down onto the screw head and let it cure fully.
- Turn the nut with a wrench, which turns the screw with it.
Essential Tips Before You Start
A few minutes of prep can be the difference between backing the screw out cleanly and turning a stripped head into a snapped shaft.
Apply Penetrating Oil
Cooking oil is not enough here. Use a dedicated penetrating oil such as WD-40 Specialist, PB Blaster, or Liquid Wrench. These thin fluids wick down the threads and dissolve rust. Per the directions on cans like PB Blaster and Liquid Wrench, give it at least 15 minutes to soak (longer on a badly rusted fastener) before you try to turn the screw.
Go Manual First
Power drills cause a lot of stripped screws, because they pile on too much torque too fast. The moment a screw starts to strip, stop. Switch to a manual screwdriver so you can feel exactly when the bit is about to cam out, then add pressure or back off before you do more damage.
Heat the Screw
On metal (never wood or plastic), heat can work wonders. Warm the screw head with a heat gun or propane torch. The metal expands and cracks the rust seal, and once it cools a little the screw often turns freely. Never use this method near flammable materials.
FAQs
Don’t let a Stripped Screw Ruin Your Day
A stripped screw is annoying, but it is rarely a permanent problem. With friction, leverage, or a purpose-built extractor, you can back that fastener out and get your project moving again.
Take your time, keep steady downward pressure on the bit, and always start with the correct driver size so the next screw does not strip on you at all.
