Recalcitrant Screws

[rupert the dog]

What's the best way to get stuck screws out? I need to take a door off between dining room and hall, but the hinge screws (2 hinges, 3 screws each) have been painted over so many times that they are, well, solid. I've tried to clean off as much paint as I can, and I've tried penetrating oil, but still they won't move (well, one screw has out of 6!) Any hints please? Thanks

[Mr GrimNasty]

Clean the slot out with an old chisel/craft knife (carefully!). Get a screwdriver blade that's a tight fit, tap home with a hammer. TIGHTEN the screw slightly to break the paint around the head. Undo. If you have a manual impact driver try that.

If that fails, punch the centre of each screw, and carefully drill the head off. Unscrew the remnants with pliers, mole grips etc. once the door is removed.

Edited by Mr GrimNasty on Wednesday 16th March 12:38

[Mr Gearchange]

Thought the thread title referred to what I get from my wife on my birthday

[s1962a]

As a last resort

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/21391/Drill-Bits/Spe...

Worked for me on rounded screwheads

[FamilyGuy]

As Mr GN said. Only to use the remnants I find a cordless drill/driver chuck tightly closed over them supplies more torque than hand tools and is less likely to scrape surrounding paintwork.

[Wings]

I tend to use an old blunt wood chisel, tapping into the slot head of the screw, then forcing the screw head in the direction of undoing the screw, by tapping/hitting chisel.

[LooneyTunes]

s1962a said:

As a last resort

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/21391/Drill-Bits/Spe...

Worked for me on rounded screwheads

Similar to the above, I've used these to good effect: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Power+Tool+Accesso...

Slightly easier than drilling them out, but that works too.

[Shaolin]

Impact driver, not cheap but an excuse to buy a tool that you can't imagine how you did without.

[OldSkoolRS]

Shaolin said:

Impact driver, not cheap but an excuse to buy a tool that you can't imagine how you did without.

Comes in handy for loads of jobs (especially if working on an older car).

Mr Gearchange said:

Thought the thread title referred to what I get from my wife on my birthday

[Skyedriver]

Shaolin said:

Impact driver, not cheap but an excuse to buy a tool that you can't imagine how you did without.

Agree