Basic Skills!: Stripped Screws

This is part 1 of a series of videos aimed at teaching beginners the basics of repair!
If you are just starting out with repair or just need a refresher, our Basic Skills guides are for you. With Basic Skills you will learn the tips and techniques to level up your repair skills. Today, Gwendolyn explains stripped screws-how they happen, how to avoid them, and what to do when you encounter one.

[@KRPTV]

When your laptop isn't working so you look at a KZbin video on how to repair it, but then when you do try and unscrew the back to mend it and you have a stripped screw and so then you end up watching a KZbin video on how to remove stripped screws from laptops you lose the will to live!

[@thereviewer4173]

Well done video. To the point and without wasting any time. This is how videos are supposed to be.

[@Competitive_Antagonist]

But she didn't tell us the fascinating story of how she got into screws.

[@timking2997]

446 thumbs up and not one thumb down. Awesome

[@B-rad1]

Duct tape work's better on smaller screws compared to a rubber band. Just a heads-up. It's saved me a few times.

[@vincentlacasse8437]

if this doesn't work, does it mean I'm screwed?

[@TELEVISIBLE]

I am screwed I tried all the above method no luck , I do not have a tool to cut my screw :(

[@Mao.Loves.Zedong]

you can do it with a old chisel.

[@basilelsharif1808]

Dunno if this was a pun or not but I applaud you.

[@mohitrahaman]

strip it then screw it!

[@LostInDaSauce28]

Cry on the screw head till it melts into rust 😂

[@tommypayn3]

Video request: Removing super glued screws from a screwdriver

[@thombaz]

heat or acetone

[@vshazam]

Not everyone knows this, but part of a fire departments services is to come out and help take care of this. Similar to a cat stuck in a tree. You just have to use the secret pase-phrase "help, help, my house is on fire" when you call.

[@MatthiasLee]

Just a tip, when using a rotary tool to cut a slot, make sure you clean up around where you made the cut, the metal dust and chips you generated may cause a short. I usually cover the area around the screw with tape to prevent the dust from settling on the board itself.

[@williamsanborn9195]

Matthias Lee That is unless the screw is on the outside of the device. I tried to tear down my Nintendo Switch, but the Phillips head screws on the outside became stripped. I used the Phillips head and JIS screwdriver bits from their 64 bit kit numbers 0, 00, and 000. They all stripped the couple of screws I tried to unfasten.

[@goodun6081]

@@williamsanborn9195 , perhaps those weren't Japanese Standard Philips screws, or perhaps they weren't true Phillips screws at all. They might have been Pozi- Drive screws.

[@PooHPC]

youtube has the answer to pretty much everything ever

[@swallowedinthesea11]

+WodOffPooH What if there was no KZbin? Scary.

[@tamathamcmillan7420]

qarajr

[@whoamarcelus]

PooH & PC so it has the answer to cure cancer

[@isaiahcamacho8017]

Majestic furry he said pretty much

[@PredatorKingdom]

KZbin has showed me how to do stuff that I would've never been able to accomplish in my life without it.

[@akaKrypt]

this is why all screws should just be flathead...

[@ausintune9014]

+Aytek Krypt i know!!! i fucking hate philps head and star flathead never strips

[@ragingcow]

ya, im dealing with a triangle

[@Competitive_Antagonist]

I've stripped a flathead before.

[@Killrmonky-qh3ik]

@@Competitive_Antagonist just how lmao

[@emufasar1789]

Tri wings are the FUCKING WORST for being stripped

[@mythblaze]

I coax it out with sweet whispers and calling it my precious and voila the screw comes out all by itself.

[@youtubecopyrights]

It runs

[@pedrocalebe6407]

I've seen a dude in reddit soldering the screw and putting another screw on top of it, then rotating the solded screw.

[@_IHateHandles_]

Another good way to remove stripped screws is to use a can of compressed air. Turn it upside down and gently press the nozzle down until liquid starts to come out, then let this liquid drop onto the screw for about 10-15 seconds. The supercool liquid will shrink the screw down enough to be easily removed. :-)

[@williamwazere]

Andy Jones Man that's brilliant, good tip.

[@_IHateHandles_]

zero_sum Ha ha, cheers. :-)

[@chevycamaro-rp6tr]

HOLY CRAP! that;s brilliant! did you come up with that yourself?? i mean wow. however i hope that doesnt just work in theory

[@_IHateHandles_]

1971chevycamaro Sure did. Well, the theory wasn't original, but the application was at least. Basically I was fixing a friend's laptop and the screw securing his wireless card had been completely stripped of any usable head, and while thinking up a solution I spotted my can of compressed air. After calling upon my knowledge of how cold things shrink, and vice versa (It should be noted that my work involves the use of liquid nitrogen in order to cool parts down for shrink fitting), I decided an experient was in order. Hey presto, it actually works!

[@vcoveth]

easily removed how ): tried this and i still can't remove it

[@rosiemoto3052]

The rubberband method worked great for removing my stuck/rusted/stripped phillips head screw on my bike's battery! Thank you! Now I'm going to keep a couple wide rubberbands in my emergency toolkit.

[@hjjordan2]

While trying to replace a battery on a mid 2009 MacBook Pro I stripped one of the screws. I followed your instructions to the letter using a Dremel and was able to remove the screw with a flathead. I now have a new battery to go along with the new SSD hard drive I installed. My 2009 MacBookPro is like new again! I saved thousands! Thank you sooooooo much!

[@thenahidul]

Can you please tell me which dremel you used and what's the rpm setting while cutting the screw head??

[@hornylink]

today we talk about stripped screws, also know as FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[@sega310982]

I keep trying to use the rubber band method but everytime I try my screwdriver keeps piercing through.

[@martintreier9933]

sega310982 Use stronger rubber.Somehow you should get your screw out.

[@alisherman9448]

I used a thicker rubber band that helps avoid the piercing situation, I think. Worked really well. Good luck

[@XxMobileWizXx]

+sega310982 Detective Conan :D

[@EmmMacken]

+sega310982 rubber johnnys might do the trick too aka condoms

[@NicholasLeader0]

nitrile / latex gloves also apparently work as a friction device

[@DUNDUA2]

Just to note, if you're going to use the super glue method, don't use your good set of tools.

[@OMGitzBadCompany]

Or clean it off when your done

[@sydnius]

Acetone will solvate cyanoacrylate.

[@nightwolf137]

sydnius there are simpler ways to say this

[@MegaBobday]

Make sure it's only on the head of the screw too. You don't want to glue your screw in place.

[@FloorEncer]

chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/69374/are-there-types-of-glue-that-are-designed-to-be-dissolved-easily The softening of cyanoacrylate (super glue) with acetone is a more traditional dissolving mechanic, as no chemical changes are being made. Additionally, anything that can be taken out by acetone will be solvated in MEK (methyl ethyl ketone). Klean-Strip® 100% pure Methyl Ethyl Ketone.

[@goodun6081]

Note that the metallic debris thrown out by the Dremel cutting wheel is electrically conductive, and quite possibly magnetic, and therefore you should probably put masking tape or better yet blue or green painter's tape over the surrounding circuitry, hard drive etc so that the metallic debris doesn't stick to components in circuit board and cause short circuits. In some cases you can use a magnet to catch the debris thrown off by the spark field of the cutting wheel, but you probably don't want to put a magnet anywhere near the hard drive which has magnets and magnetic storage media inside of it. If the hard drive isn't completely covered up with tape, those super powerful magnets in the hard drive will invariably draw some of that metallic dust inside and cause problems.

[@lunarwinds2000]

A HUGE THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! I've been asking around for how to do this for months. Never even thought of a rubber band. Now I'm looking forward to trying it out.

[@theloffikilli4794]

The motherboard was sweating the entire time

[@johndavies2785]

What an excellent presentation. The young lady is one of the best I've heard.

[@robertpanush2619]

You, your videographer and director are top notch!

[@blueandbanana]

Spent weeks trying to remove screws attached to stainless steel. I tried EZ Outs/Speed Outs, screw extractors, rubber bands, super glue, drill bits, gloves, and the only thing that worked was using a rotary tool with cutter (Harbor Freight $10) to cut a line/slit(Phillips flathead) in the center of the screw so an Impact Driver can hold onto the screw. My screw was too short and the material was very soft. Put painters tape on the screw before using an Impact Driver(Amazon $12). This was the only thing that worked for me. Hope this helps someone out there.

[@zacharygames6180]

Best video I have seen on stripped screws, fantastic!

[@TimLewallen]

I had a countersunk screw that was stripped out. We drilled out the head, removed the bottom of the laptop and used the extractor pliers to remove the threaded portion. Worked great!

[@ronzeisloft4722]

I just used the rubber band method and the dremel method. This video saved the day at my job. Such a simple solution, but I would have never thought of this myself. Thank you!!!

[@spacenodus7959]

What kind of rubber band is that , I'm trying to buy it since I have no elastic

[@szettner]

Great video. You asked for suggestions in the comments.The only thing I would add in terms of not stripping them is that I have found that you can buy slotted and phillips bit sockets that fit into socket wrenches. In my opinion, they give you infinitely more mechanical advantage for turning the screws than normal screwdrivers. Since I am a weakling, that has helped me not strip the screws. I think maybe it also helps that with the socket wrench that you also are able to bear down on the screw closer than with a long screw driver. And as you said in your video, applying pressure while turning helps avoid stripping the screw. So I really enjoy using the socket wrench for removing and inserting screws. That is assuming you don't have a powerful hand drill. A friend of mine told me that the reason my hand drill won't remove or insert screws right is that it's a wimpy one current wise. So perhaps my tip is more for those on a tight budget who can't afford a grunty drill. But 5 mm, 6 mm slotted bit and phillips #1 and #2 sockets were only $1.97 each, so it an economical solution that works well for me anyway. :)

[@mallenwho]

may be a brute force method but i often just drill out the screw entirely using a battery drill.

[@TommyStanton]

Thanks, Gwendolyn! The super glue method was what finally worked for me.

[@TheCJFrench]

Wow by far the best stripped screw tutorial I've ever seen, fantastic video.

[@TheAsimMohammed]

I learned the hard way. Ended up having to drill a new hole into the stripped screw, but got there in the end.

[@tellmestraight]

Bigger screw driver worked for me. Thanks! I also tapped on the other end of the screw.

[@voxor314]

another way that worked for me was to solder a bent paperclip to it.

[@MathewZ788]

Thank you Ifixit the rubber band method worked! your tutorial was the only tutorial that made sense by that I mean you went into a step by step guide of how to do it.

[@alisherman9448]

I used the rubber band trick and it worked so well, I am amazed. Thank you so much

[@brndn206]

HELP!! I have pretty stripped screw, but its in a "hole" if you know what I mean. Its too hard to get out

[@jesusvelez1577]

Same issue, help!

[@alanblas1279]

I melt it with a soldering tool, I first melt it then I ad my screw driver in and it melts and creates a new shape when it's cold

[@dknight211]

If you’re dremeling a slot on the screw head, be sure to cover the surrounding area and parts with painters tape or similar so you don’t spray metal particles everywhere on sensitive electronics.

[@luchvk]

A tip that works for me regarding selecting the right size screwdriver is to use the largest screwdriver that will properly fit. I normally start with a size that I know is too small then I incrementally try larger sizes.

[@RobertAmine]

That dremel should be like the ultra last thing you should do on a motherboard... and if you do.. be sure to blow all metallic dust after with a compressor so you dont have small metal bits shorting the board!!!!

[@ceciliogomez975]

NOTHING WOULD GET IT OUT! So finally, I got it out using my .38 super .. Worked like a charm

[@denisemarie6997]

The rubber band trick worked at getting a set screw out of a shower handle. Thanks

[@vaughanroberts6667]

interesting and clear. I have removed a door hinge screw by placing a screwdriver in the screw and tapping the head of the screwdriver with a hammer sufficient to loosen the screw. The screw head can also be drilled away and the remaining removed with a pliers

[@h.j.mcclure7112]

Genius! The rubber band worked! Great, to the point video.

[@AbhishekAgarwalabhiagarwal1227]

The idea of using a rubber band was great. I never thought of it but yeah it works just fine.. Thank you. And yeah you can also use socket wrench for removing the screw it works sometimes. Your channel is great and i love your videos very much.

[@aceleone215]

..Great Video. The RubberBand Trick Worked For Me and Helped Me Save My Favorite Old Pair of Hair Trimmers.! #THANKSALOT 👍👍

[@CBKFahim]

I was bored so i tried it with my old i phone and the screw was stripped and i used the rubber band method and it worked! thanks lol finally found a working way video on youtube

[@bv6704]

good video, to the point ! if all of the above does not work, and if the screw is fixed in a metal nut, one could try to heat up the screw with a soldering iron, after cooling down it should have loosened itself due to minor differences in expansion rates.

[@neponsetriver]

The best way to remove any screw is to have the best possible contact between the driver and the screw recess. For screws that tend to 'cam out' like slotted and Phillips (the latter was specifically engineered to cam out), you need to maximize the friction between the fastener and the bit so that they turn as one. One good technique is to apply a drop of a special product like EZ Grip: ezgrip(dot)net. Permatex is another popular brand. These lapping or grinding compounds contain fine abrasive particles suspended in a thick fluid or paste, and they work well. They are widely available in your local auto supply store in small tubes or squeeze bottles and are not expensive. One will probably last a lifetime for most of us.

[@shamrock1961]

FYI if you use a Dremel tool to cut a flat head slot MAKE SURE you give that area you were working on a major blast of air to remove the metal particles. It's good practice and it may save you some extra work later.

[@ssswan3]

IT WORKED!!! RUBBER BANDS ARE AMAZING!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!

[@WolvenSpectre]

Instead of using superglue I have seen it done with liberal use of sicone adhesive and hot gun silicone glue. make sure to put more on the driver than the screw head. If you do use superglue have keytone on hand to clean it off the driver, which sometimes isnt very friendly to plastic handels so clean it similarly to a paintbrush and don't submerge. also I have seen Electrical Tape in several layers on larger screw heads work.

[@MEEIKO]

Thank you! One more idea I used electrical tape on a stripped screw and it worked great

[@BigAdam2050]

I've used long handled Needle Holder (used in surgery. the jaws tend to be about an inch long, but the handle is 10odd inches) to grab the screw and turn it out. Tended to crush the screw head and out it came.

[@exavierf3437]

Stripped the screw on a torx screw on my Xbox ,3mins later I stripped all the torx screws on my Xbox.True story

[@tha1son891]

happening to me rn

[@maifushiguro6036]

My Iphone's pentalobe screws were tripped, what.should I do?? I was about to replace my battery on my own, but I cant open the phone because of that screw. Can someone suggest anything

[@lightningxsparks]

Definitely going to try the super glue method out. I tightened in a hex screw too tightly and now I can't take it out. It's driving me nuts and I don't know what to do anymore...

[@bsmy84]

I stripped the screw that holds my SSD in place in my 11 inch MacBook Air. (I wish I'd watched this video before this happened, but this was over a year ago.) I took my MBA to a few 3rd party computer places, but they couldn't (or more likely wouldn't) get the screw out. Finally, out of desperation, I used a wire cutting tool (similar to pliers) which had a pointed tip and was able to grab the outside of the screw head, then gently turned it and out it came. Yes! The problem I had after I'd installed the new, larger capacity SSD was that I had no new screw to replace it with, and Apple wasn't about to give me one. So, I ended up using the old stripped screw and wire cutters to put it back plus a little superglue to secure it. This did the trick, and it works great, but my installation job looks awful! Had I paid attention to how to remove the screw as shown in this video I wouldn't have gotten into this mess, to begin with. Luckily I'll probably never have to fiddle with the SSD again (knock on wood), but it IS getting to that point where I'm going to have to replace the battery. Hopefully, I've learned my lesson.

[@philschn5990]

Thanks iFixit Crew! The Trick with the worked perfect! You saved my day!

[@paulmais]

Rubber band technique worked a charm, thanks!

[@appledjerry]

For stripped hex head (allen) screw, use a sacrificial torx head drive bit, and vice-versa; hex bit into a shot torx screw. Choose one that is a tight fit , tap it in and unscrew. I should add that this probably works better for larger screws, rather than micro screws.

[@MS-gt6zh]

I did this on my Macbook. The rubber band doesn't work, it gets cut through. The glue doesn't work either, no matter what they say they're not strong enough. Eventually I ended up cutting it (which I wanted to avoid) with a milling bit (for a better precision) and it worked like a charm.

[@lord.Cavendish.H]

Thankssssssss....I always have a problem with screws ...

[@maryschwab6635]

Thanks for the idea using the rotary tool and flat head screw driver! I'm going to try it!

[@statwizard]

Super glue worked like a charm! Thank you very much for the tips, well worth the roughly 3 minutes to watch the video, not to mention the $$$ saved by not having to buy screw removal kit. Keep up the good work!

[@amin7907]

I had to give a like because this video is just so simple not like the other video talking 12 minutes

[@daveb6332]

A bit of valve grinding compound, available at the auto parts store, on the tip of the screwdriver will give it more bite. Works great if the screw is not completely stripped.

[@tommydimmel1914]

Excellent production! Thank you and BRAVO!

[@guineverepeterson1654]

These methods down work for anything smaller than 1/4". The driver will go through the rubber band, super glue will make it so nothing will get the screw out and a dremel will destroy everything but the screw. For anyone trying to fix your switch. Like me, you're screwed.

[@rajanne2947]

Thanks for the lovely presentation !

[@jayesdee]

When i run into the problem of a stripped screw I use a magnetic tip and apply light pressure. This has gotten me out of jams with iPhone repairs.

[@ronnieduran4326]

Mighty handy:0)

[@awesomises]

rubber band works for me, thanks.

[@kapilmanandhar8559]

worked with rubber band. made the screw hot with pressure. then changing the driver. stripped screw is out. many thanks.

[@checostin]

This video just came as a miracle!!! Thanks for making it :D

[@dexm2010]

These are actually really helpful. Thanks for these.

[@dogloverkar]

Great advice! Thanks! I'm going to try the rubber band method. Sounds easy.

[@stevesibaja3123]

She's a Great Instructor

[@DethMetlZomb]

I wish there was literally anything from ifixit addressing small broken screws. No screw head on my m2 1-2mm sized screw. Am not certain if size. Will have to ask the manufacturer.

[@SirM2X]

Another method that worked for me was to heat the screw (using a hair dryer for instance) for about a minute and then try again when it is cooling down.

[@danijoseph9188]

Thank you! It worked for me 🎉🎉🎉

[@maciejgauszka828]

I got my T5 battery screw stripped :( does anyone have any idea how i could deal with it?

[@stihlworking191]

Came up with a better solution for the first or second try. Personally, I would do this first. The Story: Had a Canon G16 with a stripped screw head. Severely rounded phillips, appeared that wrong size driver was used. I noticed after a bit of inspection that my good screw driver was bottoming out, preventing any contact with any remaining slot. There wasn't much remaining slot at all. I filled off the point of my screw driver just a small amount but that let me "find" the remaining phillips head slots and with some strong pressure was able to turn the screw out. Worked great.

[@dustindurkee]

i like the last one!

[@kimdahyun2893]

Thanks out of all the useless videos out there this the only one that worked for my laptop

[@einsteinwasright1044]

After using the rotary tool to cut a slot into the screw head, use a vacuum cleaner to clean up any metallic dust that you just scattered on the electronics.

[@user-xt2tp4dz3f]

Thanks for tips! had to resort to the Dremel tool, which saved my butt

[@masreyalap]

Please please can you please tell me the full specifications and size of the cutting disk bit you are using because I want to buy it exactly the same ?

[@sumitbhujel1972]

to everyone who say rubber band trick didn't work: it didn't work for me the first time. my screw was extremely stripped. much worse than what was shown in the video. and I was gonna try the super glue. but I decided to try rubber band one more time. and finally the rubber band trick worked. use the right kind of screw driver and apply a good amount of force. believe me it works

[@terencetan5773]

Thank you very much for sharing, Managed to get a stripped screw out from my watch using the rubber band method =D Cheers

[@wizkid3795]

i used the tips of a wire cutter to turn the screw and it works perfectly

[@bandicootcollector]

I have a tiny screw in some antique glasses, the flat headed screw head is stripped and I cannot get it out.

[@ConcertKing]

I used a long nose plier and it came off right away. The rubber band doesn't do anything because the screwdriver goes through the band which doesn't give any grip. The key to this is what technique is the best in gripping the head of the screw while turning it. The super glue trick can work but most screwdriver heads don't bond easily with the glue.

[@RichardStrong86]

+ConcertKing1 The rubber band trick worked for me.

[@eumesmo6595]

I've never thought of it. thanks a lot for the tips!

[@doyomart]

Does this work with a tiny screw with the head broken off? I have a tiny screw shaft in the hole, with no head, in a delicate electronic device.

[@donsaul]

what for smaller screws in a recessed tunnel

[@SDKLarrabee]

finally found the solution for my laptop cpu stripped screw thanks iFixit!

[@jetmechB727]

A little dab of valve grinding compound works also. We use it oo aircraft to assist in removing the screws with stripped heads.

[@bignp1]

If you do the final method on electronics DO NOT START without masking off your board that is how you add shorted chips to the list of things that need a fixin As for the super glue method shock breaks the bond in most cases so just whac the screw on a hard surface like a concrete floor

[@davidhirsch1614]

I have tried everything but the pliers and the blade knife nothing helped so I was thinking a of creative things make the screw move I have the Ifixit tool box looked for anything that might help me there is a screw with two teeth i used it like pliers it opened it like a charm hope this helps you

[@joecomputers2740]

thanks! for singapore screw extracting pliers i see in tokyu hands in jewel changi airport but they are expensive

[@TheYesyouare]

For screws where the head is recessed in a part (eg MacBook back cover screws): The last method in the video doesn't work. Use a small enough burr (spherical or cylindrical head) with the rotary tool to separate the screwhead from the tail. The screw will be rendered useless but you opened your MacBook ;)