Backing out/removing small brass wood screw

[Don Morris]

I was hand placing a #4 X 1/2" phillips head, brass wood screw, as I was taught to do, using wax on the threads. But it still broke off at the head. The screw was purchased from West Marine a well known Marine supply outfit, so the screw should have been decent quality. I guess I just put too much force on such a small item. Fortunately, I haven't had to back out or remove small brass wood screws before so I've not had any experience with that task. The buried screw is not surrounded by a lot of wood. One of the reasons to be using such a small size. Suggestions please.

[HANK METZ]

A few suggestions, but once you do get it resolved the better approach is to do the initial run- in with a steel screw, less chance of this type of problem.

Screw extractors are a hollow tube with serrated edges that when run in reverse cut a small plug around the broken screw, sometimes the force is enough to back it out.

A soldering iron’s tip placed on the stub may heat it enough to un- fuse it from the wood, thus allowing needle nosed pliers to rotate it out.

Overbore it if the application allows for it, brass is relatively soft and yields readily to HSS bits. Plug with a small dowel, try again.

[Lucas Barr]

I did the exact same thing when I was making a small jewelry box for my wife. The sides of the box were only 3/8ths thick and I broke off a small brass screw installing the hinges. I bought a small diamond drill bit from a rock shop that was just about the same size as the screw and used my dremel tool to grind the screw out. Left a small hole slightly larger than the screw threads, which I filled with epoxy and reset the screw (pre-drilled and cut with with a steel screw). Here is a picture of the drill bits, though they are more like a grinder than a drill bit. The place I bought mine from was called Dad's Rock Shop (online).

271022

Hope this helps.
Lucas

[glenn bradley]

You can make or buy one of these (http://www.woodcraft.com/category/2000983/screw-extractors.aspx). I used the 1/4" in 3/8" material with success (drill press recommended). I have hardly used it since I bought an array of small steel screws from Micro-Fasteners to pre-run into any position where a small brass screw will go.

[Don Morris]

Great ideas, Thanks, will have to think about which way to go. They all are possible. It's on the back of a wall clock placing the back sheet of 1/4" plywood onto the back. The shelf of wood the screw goes into is 3/8" wide. I made a mental and written note to next time redesign the plan to make the shelf a little wider.

[Howard Acheson]

A number of things to do in the future when using small, easily broken screws.

o First, pre-drill the screw holes.

o Get a few steel screws of the same size. Wax the threads with a paste wax like Johnson Wax. Screw in the steel screws.

o Back out the steel screws and then run in the brass screws

o If you feel any amount of resistance back out and re-drill using slightly larger bit.

o Finally, always use a hand screw driver to so you can immediately stop if you feel any resistance.

[Alan Lightstone]

Just did the steel screw bit on a box, but it made the holes a little too large. Do you screw in the steel screw all the way, or stop when it is slightly proud (which I wound up trying)?

[Greg Hines, MD]

I have a thing called a Grabbit, which is a set of combination drill bits and screw extractors. I have used them successfully on some screws, and unsuccessfully on others. The longer/thicker the screw, the less likely, in my opinion, that they work. But it has helped me in a couple of tight spots. You can get a set online for about $25 on Amazon.

Doc

[glenn bradley]

Just did the steel screw bit on a box, but it made the holes a little too large. Do you screw in the steel screw all the way, or stop when it is slightly proud (which I wound up trying)?

For brass screws I make the hole a bit deeper than the screw will penetrate and run the steel screw at least as far as the brass screw will go in. As you discovered, you want to use a screw of the same size, just made of tougher material. I want the brass screw to simply thread into the threaded hole already made. I use my finger tips on the shaft of the screwdriver. If all but the last "snug" takes more than that, I back out and re-prepare the hole. But, that's just me ;-)

[Fred Voorhees]

I have done the steel screw deal also and it is a big help. I did want to add that another very good solution is to get a set if gimlets. They are screw tipped items that you can pre-screw into wood....essentially doing the same thing as a steel screw, but the gimlets have handles on them and make them easier to screw into the fresh wood to make a screw hole for the brass to be inserted into. Gimlets are cheep and nice to have on hand and they come in a variety of sizes to match various screws.