Remove rusty screws

Video: How to Remove Damaged and Rusted Screws FAST

Content

To step
Method 1 of 3: Using a hammer and screwdriver
Method 2 of 3: Loosen screws using heat
Method 3 of 3: Cutting grooves in damaged screws
Tips
Warnings
Necessities
Use a hammer and screwdriver
Loosening screws using heat
Cut grooves in damaged screws

All screws will rust over time, so you'll no doubt encounter stubborn screws that require a little more effort to get them out of old furniture or vehicles. The red layer ensures that the screws remain tight and you have to break it to get the screws loose. If you can't get the screws off easily with a rust remover, you may need to use heat. You may also need to cut grooves in lost and damaged screws to remove them. It can be difficult to remove rusty screws, but always treating the screws with rust remover and using a screwdriver will help loosen most screws.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Using a hammer and screwdriver

Wear thick leather gloves and goggles to protect yourself. Keep the gloves on throughout the process in case the tool slips and you get it on your hands. The thick gloves at least partly absorb the blow. Rusted metal can also break into pieces and shatter, so it's a good idea to wear polycarbonate glasses or goggles.
Hit the screw several times with a metal hammer. Hold the hammer exactly over the head of the screw. Hit the head a few times quickly to break the rust layer that holds the screw. If possible, hit the screw firmly, but make sure it stays intact and that you don't hit the screw next to it.
- Keep your other hand away from the screw in case you hit the hammer next to the head of the screw.
Let the screw soak in rust remover for 15 minutes. Rust dissolvers are often sold in aerosol cans, so all you have to do is point the nozzle at the screw and push the button. Spray a lot of rust remover around the head of the screw. This will lubricate the head and allow the rust remover to drip into the shaft of the screw.
- You can buy a rust remover at most hardware stores.
- If you don't have a rust remover, you can make your own rust remover by mixing equal amounts of acetone and gear oil.
- Regular WD-40 can also help, but is less effective than specialty rust dissolvers.
Hit the screw a few times and tap the hammer around the head. Hit the screw a few more times with the hammer to loosen the rust even better. Then gently hit the side of the screw head. Do this around the entire head to make it easier to remove the screw later on.
- Hitting the screw with an impact driver and hammer can also help loosen the remaining rust.
Remove the screw with a screwdriver. Use the correct type of screwdriver for this, such as a Phillips screwdriver for Phillips screws. Turn the screw counterclockwise to loosen it, but stop if you notice the screwdriver damaging the screw. If you keep trying, it may end up being more difficult to get the screw loose.
- Stop loosening the screw if you notice that the screwdriver does not sit properly in the screw head. The screwdriver can even slip out, which happens when the screwdriver damages the slot in the screw head.
Make a paste of water and cleaner to get a better grip on stuck screws. This paste will keep the screwdriver in place without damaging the screw. Place one teaspoon (5 grams) of powdered cleaner in a mixing bowl. Add about three drops of room temperature water and stir until you get a paste.Smear the paste on the screw head with a cloth.
- You can use a regular kitchen or bathroom cleaner. You may already have such a remedy at home.
- If you prefer not to make your own paste, you can also apply valve grinding paste for cars to the screw head.
Try to loosen the screw again with a screwdriver. Push the screwdriver through the paste into the screw head. Turn the screw counterclockwise while continuing to apply pressure. The force you exert can eventually break the rust layer, causing the screw to come loose.
- If this doesn't work, you can generate more power by turning the screw with a ring spanner. Hold the screw in place with the screwdriver.

Method 2 of 3: Loosen screws using heat

Wipe the screw with a water-based degreaser. It is important to clean the screw, especially after trying to remove it in other ways. Heat can ignite rust dissolvers and other chemicals. To prevent this, put a degreaser on a cloth and use it to remove as much of the screw as possible.
- You can buy a degreaser at the hardware store, or you can make your own degreaser with vinegar and baking soda.
- Make sure you dispose of greasy cloths properly. First, let them dry on a fireproof surface away from direct sunlight. When they have hardened, throw them in the trash can.
Wear leather gloves and keep a fire extinguisher handy. Take all possible safety precautions to reduce the risk of heat accidents. Good gloves can prevent burns, and with a fire extinguisher you can prevent sudden fires from turning into disaster.
- Only put on the gloves after you have cleaned the screw. This way you don't get a dangerous degreaser on a good pair of gloves.
- Always keep a fire extinguisher on hand, even if you've wiped away any highly flammable chemicals.
Heat the propeller with a gas burner until it smokes. It may also work with a cigarette lighter, but with a gas burner you have more control. You can safely use a butane or propane burner for this job. Light the burner and then heat the screw head with the tip of the flame. Wait for steam and smoke to come out of the propeller.
- To prevent the screw from overheating, do not hold the burner too close, so that only the tip of the flame comes into contact with the screw.
- If the screw starts to turn bright red, remove the burner. The screw should never get that hot.
Immediately wet the propeller with cold water. If you have a garden hose handy, you can spray water on the propeller until it is cold again. Otherwise, wet the screw by pouring water on it with a bucket or wiping it with a wet cloth. Wait until you no longer feel heat coming from the propeller.
- By heating the screw it expands and by cooling it contracts. Doing this in quick succession increases the chance that the rust layer will break.
Heat and cool the screw two or three times in a row. You can try to remove the screw immediately, but to loosen stubborn screws you usually have to heat them a few times. Heat the screw head with the burner and then immediately cool it with cold water.
- If you later find that you cannot remove the screw, you can always heat and cool it again.
Remove the screw with a screwdriver. Use the correct screwdriver for the type of screw in question. If you do this after cutting a slot in the screw, you will need to use a flat-head screwdriver. Turn the screw counterclockwise to loosen it.
- Make sure the screw is cold to the touch. You can test this by holding your hand over the screw. If you feel heat coming from the propeller, cool it with cold water.
Apply rust remover if the screw is still tight. Pour a generous amount of rust remover onto the screw head. As the agent drips down from the ash, turn the screw back and forth to help disperse the degreaser. After this you should be able to loosen the screw with the screwdriver.
- You may have to apply rust remover a few times before the screw loosens. Keep turning the screw back and forth so that the rust remover also ends up on the shaft of the screw.

Method 3 of 3: Cutting grooves in damaged screws

Wear thick leather gloves and safety goggles. Keep the gloves on all the time to protect your hands. They protect your hands when your tools slip. Also put on polycarbonate goggles to protect your eyes from flying metal particles.
Attach a saw blade to a rotating multi-tool. A rotating multi-tool has a detachable head. You can replace the head with a lot of different accessories. To cut screws, use a flat saw blade designed to cut through metal. Attach the saw blade to the multi-tool according to the instructions in the owner's manual.
- Test the saw blade by turning on the multi-tool. The saw blade should spin freely at a consistent speed.
Cut a groove the size of your largest screwdriver in the screw head. Have your largest flathead screwdriver handy to serve as an example. Tilt the multi-tool so that the edge of the saw blade is above the screw head. Lower the multi-tool to cut the screw. Proceed slowly and carefully to make the groove as wide as needed.
- The ideal groove is just wide enough for the screwdriver so that you can loosen the screw with maximum force.
Use the screwdriver to remove the screw. Push the head of the screwdriver into the groove you made. Continue to apply pressure to the screw as you turn it counterclockwise. If you have made the groove right, the screw will loosen and it will fall out of the hole.
- If the groove is too small, you can make it wider with the multi-tool. If the groove is too big, you may not be able to remove the screw this way unless you can find a larger screwdriver.
- Some screws will get stuck with rust even if you cut a perfect groove in the head. Use heat to remove these screws.

Tips

Cola can also be a good rust remover because it contains acid.
Turn the screw back and forth as far as it will go. This is how the rust remover also ends up on the shaft of the screw.
Do not try to remove the screw with all the force you have if it appears to be stuck. If the screwdriver does not stay in the screw head, you can damage the slot in the head when you try to turn the screw. This makes the screw even more difficult to remove.

Warnings

Always wear leather gloves and safety glasses when trying to remove rusty screws.
You can get burns or fire when you heat screws. Take safety precautions and make sure you have wiped off any rust remover residue from the screw.
Greasy cloths can catch fire, so be sure to let them dry out of direct sunlight before throwing them away.