Little tip. Those diamond tipped hole saws are NOT directional. So if you set your drill to anti clockwise (undo) the hole saw will still function exactly the same, but often it will catch on the screw and the screw will actually unscrew itself before you've drilled deep enough to need a dowel.
You are right, I've using this technique to remove salt water corroded brass screws from hard wood. In most cases, most of the screw comes out with just a little drilling.
...and, well depending how rich u are... ..using diomond tipped tools for wood is usually a very bad idea... diominds r a carbon material, wood contains very much carbon, and wear down diomond tools quite fast, the higher speed the more wear... u hit litterally hit carbon with carbon,, a steel or carbide is much better for wood, it will not only be more effective, it will save some money too ...diomind r not very suitable for materials containing high ammounts of carbon ...it wears down quite fast, .. for stone its perfect and last almost forever... (unless ur unlycky...stone can have carbone also)
@Tekagi ...depending on drillbit, it may not matter alot ... what matter most is transporting grinded material fast enugh from the cutting surface.... wich this kind of drillbit does a poor job at for wood... edit: diomond cutting edges r of two types, natural diomond and artificial diomonds, natural diomonds r usually more expensive, and (most) manufactured diomonds have one lattice direction thay are stronger in, and one transverse direction thay fracture easily in, depending how the tool is made.. the angle a surface is worked can matter alot (always sheck how the tool was made and for what angle), natural diomonds dont have the same problem.ö ...and if its a boron-nitride-diomond it wont matter much... thay will curt anything like butter... at a cost ofc... tools can be alot more expensive than diomond...
I've had my mother's bentwood rocking chair awaiting this video for about ten years. one of the arms broke off leaving a stub from a hidden screw in the frame, which has defeated all previous attempts to remove it. I just know victory is in sight now!
This is exactly the video I needed. I snapped three screws from a vintage armoire cedar chest and stopped until I could figure out how to fix it. Now that I know, I can continue to restore it. Thanks so much for this and for all the comments below with more helpful hints.
Oh, and before all of the geniuses on this post start jumping on me, I was doing it by hand, not using a drill. I even tapped them lightly with a hammer to loosen them a bit before I took them out but they snapped any way. 70+ years old. Thanks to this video I now have a method to repair my armoire. So thank you, Ultimate Handyman. I'll be subscribing as you have solved my problem. And no, I won't be using cheap screws when I reassemble my armoire.
Great solution, I spun off 8 of the 12 screws used in the bed hardware installed on my bed rails and got all of them back out using your technique with the diamond rimmed hole saw. Brilliant - thank you for the help!!
to be fair i thought this video wasn't that good at fist i thought what a rubbish idea to remove a screw. but once you see the dowels go in it all makes sense.
Put a small grove in the side of the dowel. Put glue in the hole and on the side of the dowel then pound it in. The excess glue in the hole will flow out the grove giving you glue over all of the dowel even in the bottom of the hole where the dowel is rounded. Without the grove the glue in the hole will prevent the dowel from bottoming in the hole.
Must admit I've used dowels to repair door frames where the doors were falling off but never had to remove a snapped off screw (yet) that's an awesome solution 👌🏻
Which direction does the drill bit turn, forward or reverse? I would think that using the drill in the forward direction would only push the broken screw further down.
@@Itsme-vo4fx you're not thinking very clearly. Using that type of drill that's not spiraled going either direction does the exact same thing it doesn't push it in or force it out. It just spins. The reason a drill bit goes in when you're going forward and goes out when you're going in reverse is the spirals. This doesn't have that concept. They also have left-handed drill bits that go in when your drill is in reverse that would absolutely blow your mind.
Thought you might like this kudos... Just watched Roger Bisbeys' channel asking PlumberParts guy: "Who was the first to offer advice online?" And they both said you! .. and thank you for replying to my queries over the years x
For larger screws I use some stainless steel pipe from hydraulic appliances, used in shipbuilding for example. This pipe has an outer diameter of about 12 mm and I file some teeth to the end. Sharpening can be redone quite fast and is probably a lot cheaper than a diamond drill pipe. You may include that in an update video if you like.
Love it! Have obviously repaired holes with glued in wood before, but the use of the tile diamond drill to get a whole screw thread out was a new one on me. Subscribed.
It’s possible that the screw head snapped off during removal because the wood was oak or similar and not pre drilled. With power impact drills you can drive screws into almost anything. When doing this you may get the screw in or almost in with screw head maybe on an angle as it will follow the path of least resistance in the wood. Pre drilling insures that the goes in straight and will come out. The drill size used should allow the hole to capture the threads of the screw and not the screw shaft.
If you are building a large deck with screws with a 100+ boards, it is kind of rare to be willing to spend or waste an extra day pre-drilling screw holes. What customer would pay for that extra project time? Sometimes I have deck screw heads snap off during insertion, but simple pliers are usually enough to remove them and try again. Deck screws are deliberately made out of soft material with weak necks. The most common failure I see is when once straight boards begin to warp after a few seasons and the screw fails and the head pops off as the board bends. Previously, snipping off the bottom and redrilling alongside was the easiest fix beyond simply replacing the deck board.. I will look into this video's method.
Indeed. I watched a so-called tradesman/joiner doing this, trying to drive and snapping three screws in a row, whilst hanging a door into an Ironbark (Australian eucalypt - Eucalyptus sieberi) frame. I always pre-drill and use beeswax to lubricate.
Yes I agree I see DIYers using impact drivers for almost every job going but they are often too powerful and I think myself , only suitable for wood to wood applications.
This definitely saved me. Thanks. I was putting an eyebolt in the ceiling to hang a screen. I used a 1/4” screw diameter and pre drilled a 1/8” hole. That was not a big enough pilot hole so the eyebolt broke off. I was trying to figure out how to remove it. The end was too small for a screw extractor. Drilling it out was going to be hard to stay on the screw. So I used your idea. I used a 5/16” hole saw that removed the threads of the screw plus a little wood. After it was out the hole was still small enough I didn’t need to patch. I predrilled with a 3/16” drill bit. There was plenty of joist left so I didn’t need to plug the 5/16” hole. The eyebolt screwed in perfectly this time. Job done.
Brilliant tip. I had 2 screws broken on a hinge, I was not able to buy the JCB 7mm drill but did find some 7mm tile drills that I bought and used and have now removed both screws and plugged the holes with dowel. Thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you... you are a lifesaver. I snapped a screw off putting a hinge on for the life of me I could not figure out what I was going to do. I ran across your video and with a little patience I was a success.
If you don't want to tear out the wood when you're drilling for the dowel you can start the drill in reverse to minimise the amount of tearout and then flip it back to forward once you go down about a millimeter.
Diamond drills are not directional so having the drill in reverse would mak no difference. The method he used not only stops the drill wandering it also stops the tear out.
I enjoyed this video and this is a significnat problem in old wooden boats with hundereds of screws on planks , corrosion and swollen old wood. One solution that I have used with great success and you could try is a modified version of this using small hole saws or steel tube with teeth filed for reverse cut adna split in the tube. Use a tube slightly smaller diameter ant it cuts down the screw shank, splays and grabs the screw, then unscrews it once the grip overcomes the grab of the remaining screw. Home made cutters only do a few as teeth are not hardened and get more splayed, but works a treat. There was a place in the USA that made some bits for this, but I have lost their contact and they were very expensive to but from the UK, but they can be made with some ingenuity if you have lots to do.
Good demo! For a longer screws, I use a larger hole saw (or a plug cutter) and only go deep enough to access the screw. Then chisel material enough to attach a small vice grip plier to the screw. Not sure but lubricant may help if the wood is very stubborn. I had to do this in a white oak burl knot. Made the plug from similar material and it’s almost invisible.
This was where my head was going, but I couldn't find a hollow coring bit that small. "Use a diamond bit." Of course! And I happen to have a set stashed away somewhere. Thanks, man. You really saved my day.
After seeing this I bought a set of these hole saws because I had a broken screw in the heel of a guitar neck, it worked a treat. Many thanks for your help 👍
This has happened to me on a couple of occasions but lucky the other end of the shaft of the screw was sticking out so I just gripped with a pair of pliers and twisted it out but saying that now I know how to do it if it doesn't ! Thank you mate best wishes Alexander . 😁 😂 👍 👍
That a neat way of getting the screws out, normally I don't like to screw into end grain, as an apprentice church organ builder in the early seventies using traditional mild steel Nettlefold type wood screws, fixing those into endgrain was a total no no. But with modern screws with very thin sharp threads, they go in and hold pretty well so I suppose it's acceptable to do it although I might well use a screw that is at least 3/4-1" longer to get a hold in the parent wood. Especially if this was on a heavy door type of repair
Sorry I did not reply on Sunday, This video was uploaded last week and was scheduled. I was in hospital, having had another heart attack, so I could not easily reply. I’m home now, so can reply. I have had another stent fitted and I’m absolutely fine 👍 Nobody on TH-cam knows apart from you, unless they read this comment 😉
If diamond drills are not your thing, you can use a "Roll-Pin". These are hardened steel hollow tube pins used for engineering location dowells, hinges and the like. You'll need to cut a tooth shape into one end of the roll pin which you can easily do with a diamond cut'off wheel. As the writer below says, best to cut the tooth for anticlockwise cutting, as often times it will pick up the screw remnant and withdraw it for you.
The process is called trepanning. Used by engineers often with hardened studs that have been snapped. Great idea. Never used it in woodwork yet. thanks for reminding me!!
Trepanning was first developed by surgeons to cut a hole in a skull for brain surgery. The left over center piece is generally put back in the hole in the skull to heal over. That is why this process was invented. -Doozer
I have seen this done with spark erosion kit, when the item with the broken stud was very large and hugely expensive and possibly light alloy.. Takes a while to do, and is in itself a highly specialised and expensive process.
Great tip, thanks! filling those holes... on many occasions I have loosly filled the hole with wooden toothpicks and wood glue. Break the picks off flush and reinstall the hinge and drive your screw inside. The tooth picks and glue set over time and make the hole new again and customized to the screw. I like your super glue and plug idea too.
Another little tip is using bamboo when plugging holes in wood. Its perfect as the hole is already in the middle. I know most will not have access but I grow a lot and there is ALWAYS one the right size. Every household should grow this very versatile plant. There are varieties of all sizes, that clump and don't spread, being petite and gigantic, and can be used in a hundred ways around a garden and in the shed. Another example is when you make a mistake with a spade drill, simply grab a piece of suitable size, plug the hole with it and start drilling again it already has a much smaller starting hole, it works. Thanks again good info.
I just tried this, and it worked great! 1/4" bit to remove a #8 screw. The bit was just the right size to grind down the threads but leave the shaft intact. One problem was that the bit stopped cutting when I had about 3/8" left to go, I must have hit something tough. So I took a small regular bit and drilled around the screw in a few places. Then I was able to complete the job with the hole saw. On one of the screws I actually didn't have to drill all the way, I was able to reach in with needle nose pliers and unscrew the last quarter inch or so of the screw. Thanks for a very helpful video.
When putting new screws in, drilling a pilot hole first can help prevent shearing screws heads. I find this is especially needed when buying fitting that come screws (cheap ones where function comes 2nd to their shiny looks), screwing in long screws, and screwing into hard wood. Sometimes giving old screws a quick tap with a hammer using an old screw bit can also help reduce head shearing. Thanks for the tip on using a diamond bit, didn’t know they existed so I’ve always used a large drill, guide hole, patience and hope.
There are special self-centering, spring loaded drill bits that work with hinges to drill a perfectly sized bore. Originally from Vix, now every tool company makes them. He used one here.
I drilled out lots of broken screws usually in oak door jambs old ones. I just drilled around broke screw with small bit, then screwdriver to dig screw out. Then drilled hole for dowel, never saw those diamond hole saws. GREAT JOB
I actually started using my impact gun years back when installing door hardware, to avoid snapped screws. It sounds a bit crazy, I know. But if you are using a variable speed trigger impact gun, and have some good experience with it, you can drive and remove pretty much all screws safely and reliably every time. The problem I had using a regular drill, is the clutch would be inconsistent, and the torque is too steady. An impact uses small bursts of torque, and gives you a bit of a warning before you are about to snap the screw. A drill just doesn't do this and will shear it right off if it gets too much resistance. Nowadays my drill only gets used to make holes, and all screw fasters get installed with my impact gun. Been installing both commercial and residential hardware this way for maybe 12 years now.
That is a tip I have been waiting 50 years for. I didn't think there was an answer to that problem. I have ended up super gluing the head in place just to get paid sometimes.
Nice video and accessories ! One "tip" for you ... on re-installation of the new screws, drag the thread across a bar of soap ... great lubricant and won't ever "squeak".
Amazing. I have a small screw where the head broke flush. It's on a kitchen cabinet hinge. I'm not thrilled to drill it out but I guess we have no choice. Thank you for educating me on this one!
Thanks for the video. I have some broken screws in my lever on rose door handles where the fitter hadn’t used the bolt through fixings and instead just used the thin screws to hold, which subsequently snap over time.
Ideally, you want to use a TUNGSTEN CARBIDE tipped hole saw (PermaGrit). The diamond version will dull much quicker due to the fact that the friction heat will start to attack the diamond rather quickly... (800°C vs.2870°C)... there are also "Bhudda Beads" hole saws that are HSS & have teeth optimized for use in wood.
I guess it all comes down to how many you have to do right and what tools you have to hand. One or two screws just use what's there. The other option is to change the hinge plate to one that has screw holes in different locations.
Very cool, something I never considered. I’ve never broken one off in a fixed hole hinge like this, but have many times when screwing in bookcase shelves (hard red oak) and could only plug the holes and move over an inch or so. Great idea, I’ll have to find one of these small hole saws which I’ve never seen before. All my hole saws are much larger, at least 1”. Thanks again! 😳
This is exactly why I stopped using brass screws, especially in hardwoods. A lot less heartache when using stainless steel screws. If you must choose brass screws, then a generous pilot hole diameter is wise.
When I must use brass screws for decorative purposes, I run a steel screw of the same size into the pilot hole to "thread" the hole before installing the brass screw. It takes a bit longer but makes the brass screw far less likely to break or rag out the head.
Steel screws break too, from the hard torque in high speed or even from the single speed drill drivers. Soft torque is in speed one, and today even speed 1 can be pretty high - DCD 800 has 650 RPM in speed 1. Hard torque is in speed 2 from the hard stop in shock from inertia, momentum and kinetic energy in relation with the speed sqared, at the end of the screwing with a much lower torque as you expect from speed two, but DCD 800 has even so 11 Nm soft in speed 2 and 90 Nm hard torque also in speed 2, and 34 Nm soft in speed 1. Even the soft 11 Nm can break 3.5 x 30 mm steel screws, so I never use 2.5/3/3.5 longer then 25mm and even those only with torque limiter and manual finishing. Also steel 4 x 50 and 60 that are used pretty casual coz' of the smaller head that sink itself in chipboard are also prone to breaking, especially in MDF even if is predriled and countersinked - for MDF you can't sink w.o. countersink even for small heads like those. I prefer to use 4,5 x 50/60 with countersink even for chipboard, or 5x50/60 and even 6x60/80 predrilled, plus the usual euroscrews 7x50/60/70 with 3 step predrilling. I use tons of 4 x 30/35 and 3,5-4 x 18-20, and 2.5-3x25 but only with torque limiter.
Great vid and just what I need to do. Can you send me link to the bit you used? I can't find it. I need to drill out 4mm 50mm screw.. do you use different size hole saw for different size screws?
You need to get one that fits over the broken screw, you can get them on eBay- tinyurl.com/3wswu3s4 I can’t remember what diameter I used in the video, as I have a selection of the diamond hole saws (without watching it again).
I need to find some of those hole saws. I made some out of steel tubing by filing teeth into the end. If it's brass screws that are breaking, drive a similar steel screw in first to thread the hole and then drive in the brass screw gently. Use a plug cutter to make your self a bunch of plugs, they are side grain and hold screws better than end grain dowels.
Very well structured video. I was wondering what you were going to do with the holes! But where do you get screws that are a proper fit for the hinges so that they don’t stand proud? I bought a hinge set from B&Q and it had screws to fit but they were absolute rubbish screws, the head shredded screwing in so had to unscrew w a pair of pliers. Thanks.
I normally get my screws from places like screwfix. It’s important to not get self-countersinking screws for hinges, as they have ridges on the countersunk part, which prevents them from sitting flush, when using them with hinges! Thanks for the comment 👍
Never thought of using one of those diamond tile bits, will give it a go. In the past I have used a bit of metal tubing and filed some teeth into it. It works but it's not that fast as you have to keep clearing the chips and sharpening the teeth.
@@ultimatehandyman Be a good use for a worn out one, I suspect the body is of much harder steel than most bits of tubing you will come across so any teeth cut into it would hold their edge quite well I imagine.
I try to avoid using the cheap screws that are supplied with the products like hinges or other hardware items. They break easily while installing or removing. Question: I have broken bolt heads in concrete while installing poles for a gazebo. Couldn’t do anything and expect that the other remaining 2 or 3 bolts would hold the pole. Any suggestions?
No, sorry. The hole saws are sold on their outside diameter, but the hole saw needs selecting on the inside diameter (one which will go over the broken screw). I have a selection of different sizes, so can just chose one that fits 👍
Here are some suitable fixings for plasterboard walls, with a solid wall behind (Dot&dab wall) Rigifix- th-cam.com/video/xaYfs3lr1jI/w-d-xo.html&t Corefix- th-cam.com/video/7xLhIPoO5gQ/w-d-xo.html&t Here is a video of fixing a TV to a plasterboard hollow wall- i.ytimg.com/vi/awuqDum0ay8/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCOgCEMoBSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg World’s best plasterboard fixings post- www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/forum1/viewtopic.php?t=106943
I've always wondered if this type of dowel repair lasts well, is it good and strong compared to say moving the whole hinge along a bit and screwing into new wood?
On this side of the pond, the centering drill, we refer to as a VIX bit. A set of VIX bites can center any screw. It is the must have bit, to perfectly center hinge screws. I hung 4 new door blanks onto original frames, just in my old house. Matching the old hinge spacing to the old frame mortise's must be exact, or they will not exactly match the hinge insets on the old door frame. Hanging a pre-hung door is something Any rookie carpenter can do. I'm an electrician 😄
When drilling out a pre-existing hole with a slightly larger bit, I often reverse the drill rotation to prevent grabbing and gouging. This lets me apply my own precise pressure.
Nice method! As usual, I used to remove them by drilling the broken piece with 1mm drill bit around by circle and then removing it with small wire cutters. Of course, afterwards you need to fill the hole with some caulk or epoxy (and fit the color) to make that hole invisible if it is needed.
Little tip. Those diamond tipped hole saws are NOT directional. So if you set your drill to anti clockwise (undo) the hole saw will still function exactly the same, but often it will catch on the screw and the screw will actually unscrew itself before you've drilled deep enough to need a dowel.
Great tip. Thanks for sharing.
You are right, I've using this technique to remove salt water corroded brass screws from hard wood. In most cases, most of the screw comes out with just a little drilling.
Very good method. A rubber Puff ball with nozzle would help greatly with the sawdust & burning problem.
...and, well depending how rich u are...
..using diomond tipped tools for wood is usually a very bad idea...
diominds r a carbon material, wood contains very much carbon, and wear down diomond tools quite fast, the higher speed the more wear...
u hit litterally hit carbon with carbon,,
a steel or carbide is much better for wood, it will not only be more effective, it will save some money too
...diomind r not very suitable for materials containing high ammounts of carbon
...it wears down quite fast, .. for stone its perfect and last almost forever... (unless ur unlycky...stone can have carbone also)
@Tekagi ...depending on drillbit, it may not matter alot ... what matter most is transporting grinded material fast enugh from the cutting surface.... wich this kind of drillbit does a poor job at for wood...
edit:
diomond cutting edges r of two types, natural diomond and artificial diomonds, natural diomonds r usually more expensive, and (most) manufactured diomonds have one lattice direction thay are stronger in, and one transverse direction thay fracture easily in, depending how the tool is made.. the angle a surface is worked can matter alot (always sheck how the tool was made and for what angle), natural diomonds dont have the same problem.ö
...and if its a boron-nitride-diomond it wont matter much... thay will curt anything like butter... at a cost ofc... tools can be alot more expensive than diomond...
This "old dog" has just learned a new trick. Something new every day. Brilliant. Thanks for posting!
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
I've had my mother's bentwood rocking chair awaiting this video for about ten years. one of the arms broke off leaving a stub from a hidden screw in the frame, which has defeated all previous attempts to remove it. I just know victory is in sight now!
👍
This is exactly the video I needed. I snapped three screws from a vintage armoire cedar chest and stopped until I could figure out how to fix it. Now that I know, I can continue to restore it. Thanks so much for this and for all the comments below with more helpful hints.
Oh, and before all of the geniuses on this post start jumping on me, I was doing it by hand, not using a drill. I even tapped them lightly with a hammer to loosen them a bit before I took them out but they snapped any way. 70+ years old. Thanks to this video I now have a method to repair my armoire. So thank you, Ultimate Handyman. I'll be subscribing as you have solved my problem.
And no, I won't be using cheap screws when I reassemble my armoire.
Great solution, I spun off 8 of the 12 screws used in the bed hardware installed on my bed rails and got all of them back out using your technique with the diamond rimmed hole saw. Brilliant - thank you for the help!!
It'd never occurred to me to use a hole saw to help remove screws. What a simple yet brilliant solution 👍
Exactly what I was thinking too! 😂 Never occurred to me.
Thanks Matt 👍
Same here, this was one of the most useful videos I ever watched!
to be fair i thought this video wasn't that good at fist i thought what a rubbish idea to remove a screw. but once you see the dowels go in it all makes sense.
Short piece of brake line with a few small slits will work also
Put a small grove in the side of the dowel. Put glue in the hole and on the side of the dowel then pound it in. The excess glue in the hole will flow out the grove giving you glue over all of the dowel even in the bottom of the hole where the dowel is rounded. Without the grove the glue in the hole will prevent the dowel from bottoming in the hole.
If you look at the dowels they've already got grooves in them.
I've seen excess glue split the wood because it had no way to get out.Good tip.This is why commercially made dowels have grooves.
I believe he had fluted dowels.
Put like a small orange grove in the side of the dowel? If you could actually do that it would be groovy.
@@martincrabtree6704That's not enough, unfortunately.
Great video with a no nonsense delivery and approach to the job on hand.
Lancastrians - finest, no-nonsense people in the country!
Thanks Thomas 👍
Must admit I've used dowels to repair door frames where the doors were falling off but never had to remove a snapped off screw (yet) that's an awesome solution 👌🏻
Thanks for the comment 👍
Which direction does the drill bit turn, forward or reverse? I would think that using the drill in the forward direction would only push the broken screw further down.
@@Itsme-vo4fx you're not thinking very clearly. Using that type of drill that's not spiraled going either direction does the exact same thing it doesn't push it in or force it out. It just spins. The reason a drill bit goes in when you're going forward and goes out when you're going in reverse is the spirals. This doesn't have that concept. They also have left-handed drill bits that go in when your drill is in reverse that would absolutely blow your mind.
@@Itsme-vo4fxThe "drill" is actually a hole saw. Doesn't even touch the screw. 😊
Brilliant tip mate, the amount of times I’ve lost the plot on site when I’ve snapped a screw is unreal, I’m so happy now I know this, cheers mate
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
Thought you might like this kudos... Just watched Roger Bisbeys' channel asking PlumberParts guy: "Who was the first to offer advice online?" And they both said you! .. and thank you for replying to my queries over the years x
That’s great to hear. I don’t watch other DIY related videos, but I do know them both (not personally though) 👍
For larger screws I use some stainless steel pipe from hydraulic appliances, used in shipbuilding for example. This pipe has an outer diameter of about 12 mm and I file some teeth to the end. Sharpening can be redone quite fast and is probably a lot cheaper than a diamond drill pipe. You may include that in an update video if you like.
Or you can just get yourself a 7mm HSS holesaw lol
Love it! Have obviously repaired holes with glued in wood before, but the use of the tile diamond drill to get a whole screw thread out was a new one on me. Subscribed.
Thanks for the comment and sub 👍
It’s possible that the screw head snapped off during removal because the wood was oak or similar and not pre drilled. With power impact drills you can drive screws into almost anything. When doing this you may get the screw in or almost in with screw head maybe on an angle as it will follow the path of least resistance in the wood. Pre drilling insures that the goes in straight and will come out. The drill size used should allow the hole to capture the threads of the screw and not the screw shaft.
👍
If you are building a large deck with screws with a 100+ boards, it is kind of rare to be willing to spend or waste an extra day pre-drilling screw holes. What customer would pay for that extra project time? Sometimes I have deck screw heads snap off during insertion, but simple pliers are usually enough to remove them and try again. Deck screws are deliberately made out of soft material with weak necks. The most common failure I see is when once straight boards begin to warp after a few seasons and the screw fails and the head pops off as the board bends. Previously, snipping off the bottom and redrilling alongside was the easiest fix beyond simply replacing the deck board.. I will look into this video's method.
Here's an argument for using screw wax. It reduces the friction when you drive in a screw.
Indeed. I watched a so-called tradesman/joiner doing this, trying to drive and snapping three screws in a row, whilst hanging a door into an Ironbark (Australian eucalypt - Eucalyptus sieberi) frame. I always pre-drill and use beeswax to lubricate.
Yes I agree I see DIYers using impact drivers for almost every job going but they are often too powerful and I think myself , only suitable for wood to wood applications.
This definitely saved me. Thanks. I was putting an eyebolt in the ceiling to hang a screen. I used a 1/4” screw diameter and pre drilled a 1/8” hole. That was not a big enough pilot hole so the eyebolt broke off.
I was trying to figure out how to remove it. The end was too small for a screw extractor. Drilling it out was going to be hard to stay on the screw. So I used your idea. I used a 5/16” hole saw that removed the threads of the screw plus a little wood. After it was out the hole was still small enough I didn’t need to patch.
I predrilled with a 3/16” drill bit. There was plenty of joist left so I didn’t need to plug the 5/16” hole. The eyebolt screwed in perfectly this time. Job done.
👍
Brilliant tip. I had 2 screws broken on a hinge, I was not able to buy the JCB 7mm drill but did find some 7mm tile drills that I bought and used and have now removed both screws and plugged the holes with dowel. Thank you.
I'm glad the video helped
Thanks for the comment 👍
Thank you, thank you, thank you... you are a lifesaver. I snapped a screw off putting a hinge on for the life of me I could not figure out what I was going to do. I ran across your video and with a little patience I was a success.
If you don't want to tear out the wood when you're drilling for the dowel you can start the drill in reverse to minimise the amount of tearout and then flip it back to forward once you go down about a millimeter.
Thanks for that tip. 🙂
Diamond drills are not directional so having the drill in reverse would mak no difference. The method he used not only stops the drill wandering it also stops the tear out.
@@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 he’s talking about the twist bit.
I enjoyed this video and this is a significnat problem in old wooden boats with hundereds of screws on planks , corrosion and swollen old wood. One solution that I have used with great success and you could try is a modified version of this using small hole saws or steel tube with teeth filed for reverse cut adna split in the tube. Use a tube slightly smaller diameter ant it cuts down the screw shank, splays and grabs the screw, then unscrews it once the grip overcomes the grab of the remaining screw. Home made cutters only do a few as teeth are not hardened and get more splayed, but works a treat. There was a place in the USA that made some bits for this, but I have lost their contact and they were very expensive to but from the UK, but they can be made with some ingenuity if you have lots to do.
👍
Good demo! For a longer screws, I use a larger hole saw (or a plug cutter) and only go deep enough to access the screw. Then chisel material enough to attach a small vice grip plier to the screw. Not sure but lubricant may help if the wood is very stubborn. I had to do this in a white oak burl knot. Made the plug from similar material and it’s almost invisible.
This was where my head was going, but I couldn't find a hollow coring bit that small.
"Use a diamond bit." Of course! And I happen to have a set stashed away somewhere. Thanks, man. You really saved my day.
Great to hear!
Thanks for the comment 👍
Nice...I've never seen anyone do that in 20 years but it's a good move in the right situation.....definitely will remember this one. Thanks
After seeing this I bought a set of these hole saws because I had a broken screw in the heel of a guitar neck, it worked a treat. Many thanks for your help 👍
I'm glad the video helped
Thanks for the comment 👍
This has happened to me on a couple of occasions but lucky the other end of the shaft of the screw was sticking out so I just gripped with a pair of pliers and twisted it out but saying that now I know how to do it if it doesn't ! Thank you mate best wishes Alexander . 😁 😂 👍 👍
Thanks Alexander 👍
That a neat way of getting the screws out, normally I don't like to screw into end grain, as an apprentice church organ builder in the early seventies using traditional mild steel Nettlefold type wood screws, fixing those into endgrain was a total no no. But with modern screws with very thin sharp threads, they go in and hold pretty well so I suppose it's acceptable to do it although I might well use a screw that is at least 3/4-1" longer to get a hold in the parent wood. Especially if this was on a heavy door type of repair
Wooden window frames was murder for this year's ago. Good demo. Thanks for the video 👍. Have a nice Sunday (whilst some of us are working).
Sorry I did not reply on Sunday, This video was uploaded last week and was scheduled. I was in hospital, having had another heart attack, so I could not easily reply. I’m home now, so can reply. I have had another stent fitted and I’m absolutely fine 👍
Nobody on TH-cam knows apart from you, unless they read this comment 😉
@@ultimatehandyman hope you get well soon pal. You must be liking that hospital food by now😉
@@lazylad8544 I'm good thanks- just like last time!
Ironically the food used to be excellent in Blackburn Royal, but it was not as good this time 😉
If diamond drills are not your thing, you can use a "Roll-Pin". These are hardened steel hollow tube pins used for engineering location dowells, hinges and the like. You'll need to cut a tooth shape into one end of the roll pin which you can easily do with a diamond cut'off wheel. As the writer below says, best to cut the tooth for anticlockwise cutting, as often times it will pick up the screw remnant and withdraw it for you.
Roll pins are spring steel and they would make a decent wood cutter.
The process is called trepanning. Used by engineers often with hardened studs that have been snapped. Great idea. Never used it in woodwork yet. thanks for reminding me!!
Thanks for the comment 👍
Trepanning was first developed by surgeons to cut a hole in a skull for brain surgery. The left over center piece is generally put back in the hole in the skull to heal over. That is why this process was invented. -Doozer
I have seen this done with spark erosion kit, when the item with the broken stud was very large and hugely expensive and possibly light alloy.. Takes a while to do, and is in itself a highly specialised and expensive process.
My morning coffee is getting cold watching this well done my friend...great channel.
Thanks for the comment 👍
Great tip, thanks! filling those holes... on many occasions I have loosly filled the hole with wooden toothpicks and wood glue. Break the picks off flush and reinstall the hinge and drive your screw inside. The tooth picks and glue set over time and make the hole new again and customized to the screw. I like your super glue and plug idea too.
I keep toothpicks in my tool box, if I’m doing any type of joinery/door work- they are really useful. Thanks for the comment 👍
The perfect video to help me rescue victory from the jaws of defeat - thank you Sir
Another little tip is using bamboo when plugging holes in wood. Its perfect as the hole is already in the middle. I know most will not have access but I grow a lot and there is ALWAYS one the right size. Every household should grow this very versatile plant. There are varieties of all sizes, that clump and don't spread, being petite and gigantic, and can be used in a hundred ways around a garden and in the shed. Another example is when you make a mistake with a spade drill, simply grab a piece of suitable size, plug the hole with it and start drilling again it already has a much smaller starting hole, it works. Thanks again good info.
👍
Outstanding, no nonsense thorough professional job...
Thanks Brian 👍
Just used the method of gluing in the dowels and cutting it flush to refit my kitchen cupboard door, never thought of doing it this way cheers chez!
I'm glad the video helped
Thanks for the comment 👍
What a terrific job. Like others have already said, I've been waiting for this video for a very long time.
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
The first DIY/handyman tip that I found use full. Not some if "I had only know this"load of brain dead unless so call info. Well done Lad.
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
I’ve never heard of a hinge drill or a diamond hole saw so thanks for enlightening me........and for the useful video.
Best wishes.
Thanks for the comment 👍
Thanks
Thank you very much for the kind donation 🙏
I just tried this, and it worked great! 1/4" bit to remove a #8 screw. The bit was just the right size to grind down the threads but leave the shaft intact. One problem was that the bit stopped cutting when I had about 3/8" left to go, I must have hit something tough. So I took a small regular bit and drilled around the screw in a few places. Then I was able to complete the job with the hole saw. On one of the screws I actually didn't have to drill all the way, I was able to reach in with needle nose pliers and unscrew the last quarter inch or so of the screw. Thanks for a very helpful video.
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
When putting new screws in, drilling a pilot hole first can help prevent shearing screws heads. I find this is especially needed when buying fitting that come screws (cheap ones where function comes 2nd to their shiny looks), screwing in long screws, and screwing into hard wood.
Sometimes giving old screws a quick tap with a hammer using an old screw bit can also help reduce head shearing.
Thanks for the tip on using a diamond bit, didn’t know they existed so I’ve always used a large drill, guide hole, patience and hope.
There are special self-centering, spring loaded drill bits that work with hinges to drill a perfectly sized bore. Originally from Vix, now every tool company makes them. He used one here.
I drilled out lots of broken screws usually in oak door jambs old ones. I just drilled around broke screw with small bit, then screwdriver to dig screw out. Then drilled hole for dowel, never saw those diamond hole saws. GREAT JOB
Thanks for tanking the time to share your knowledge. I've been looking for this for a while...
I actually started using my impact gun years back when installing door hardware, to avoid snapped screws. It sounds a bit crazy, I know. But if you are using a variable speed trigger impact gun, and have some good experience with it, you can drive and remove pretty much all screws safely and reliably every time. The problem I had using a regular drill, is the clutch would be inconsistent, and the torque is too steady. An impact uses small bursts of torque, and gives you a bit of a warning before you are about to snap the screw. A drill just doesn't do this and will shear it right off if it gets too much resistance. Nowadays my drill only gets used to make holes, and all screw fasters get installed with my impact gun. Been installing both commercial and residential hardware this way for maybe 12 years now.
Very informative video for a new homeowner that just found out that my backdoor has 3 snapped screws in the doorframe!
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
What a coincidence!! I also use the same method. This method is useful for broken nails also. Good job 👍
Great idea! Ordering a mini hole saw as we speak. Thanks.
They are so useful 👍
Thanks for the comment 👍
That is a tip I have been waiting 50 years for. I didn't think there was an answer to that problem.
I have ended up super gluing the head in place just to get paid sometimes.
👍
Neat trick, *Thank You!* 👍👍 Now I have to get one of those hole saws.
Just checked out your channel, full of really good tips, it’s now my new bible, instant subscribed
Brilliant, I’m happy to hear that 👍
Very useful tip thank you as a plumber im always coming up against these sort of problems great way of getting broken head s out
Nice video and accessories ! One "tip" for you ... on re-installation of the new screws, drag the thread across a bar of soap ... great lubricant and won't ever "squeak".
Wow! Really a very smart idea! Never thought that could be fixed! Thanks for sharing!
That was interesting and I thank you for sharing. I’ve got a couple of clamps just like the ones you used 🌞
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
Amazing. I have a small screw where the head broke flush. It's on a kitchen cabinet hinge. I'm not thrilled to drill it out but I guess we have no choice. Thank you for educating me on this one!
👍
Thanks for the video. I have some broken screws in my lever on rose door handles where the fitter hadn’t used the bolt through fixings and instead just used the thin screws to hold, which subsequently snap over time.
👍
Really, really useful tip, thank you.
Wow, another brilliant video. Thanks
Thanks for the comment 👍
What a great idea, You have just created a need for small tungsten carbide hole saw, that has wood cutting tooth profile.
I have never seen a Clamp like that Sir. At first it looked like a Caulking gun , quite interesting really. Thank 's for the Video.
Ideally, you want to use a TUNGSTEN CARBIDE tipped hole saw (PermaGrit). The diamond version will dull much quicker due to the fact that the friction heat will start to attack the diamond rather quickly... (800°C vs.2870°C)... there are also "Bhudda Beads" hole saws that are HSS & have teeth optimized for use in wood.
Why not use something designed to go through wood instead.. is it a precaution in case you make contact with the screw?
Wasted my time looking for Bhudda Beads, and smaller than 1/2" tungsten carbide tipped hole saw. Thanks.
I guess it all comes down to how many you have to do right and what tools you have to hand. One or two screws just use what's there. The other option is to change the hinge plate to one that has screw holes in different locations.
If you have a broken screw, it's definitely time to pray to bhudda.
Brilliant solution... Thanks for sharing :)
You are welcome, Paul
Thanks for the comment 👍
Thank you for this video, please can you tell what the rather interesting yellow piece of kit in the background is ?
That’s a pipe vice. Sometimes called a chain vice 👍
Very cool, something I never considered. I’ve never broken one off in a fixed hole hinge like this, but have many times when screwing in bookcase shelves (hard red oak) and could only plug the holes and move over an inch or so. Great idea, I’ll have to find one of these small hole saws which I’ve never seen before. All my hole saws are much larger, at least 1”. Thanks again! 😳
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
Tile hole saw u get it in tile tool section.
Hi Gary here nice one great idea, I like it well done Keep up the good work with the videos and a big thank you from me
Hi Gary, Thanks for the comment 👍
thanks for the demo. Is there a reason not to use a holesaw that matched the size of the dowel, this care 8mm?
Yes, you could try that, although a diamond coated hole saw might make a slightly over sized hole 👍
I only just bought one of these hole saws for porcelain fixing and thought about using them for is, good job.
These kinds of bits are incredibly useful 👍
This is exactly why I stopped using brass screws, especially in hardwoods.
A lot less heartache when using stainless steel screws.
If you must choose brass screws, then a generous pilot hole diameter is wise.
When I must use brass screws for decorative purposes, I run a steel screw of the same size into the pilot hole to "thread" the hole before installing the brass screw. It takes a bit longer but makes the brass screw far less likely to break or rag out the head.
Steel screws break too, from the hard torque in high speed or even from the single speed drill drivers. Soft torque is in speed one, and today even speed 1 can be pretty high - DCD 800 has 650 RPM in speed 1. Hard torque is in speed 2 from the hard stop in shock from inertia, momentum and kinetic energy in relation with the speed sqared, at the end of the screwing with a much lower torque as you expect from speed two, but DCD 800 has even so 11 Nm soft in speed 2 and 90 Nm hard torque also in speed 2, and 34 Nm soft in speed 1. Even the soft 11 Nm can break 3.5 x 30 mm steel screws, so I never use 2.5/3/3.5 longer then 25mm and even those only with torque limiter and manual finishing. Also steel 4 x 50 and 60 that are used pretty casual coz' of the smaller head that sink itself in chipboard are also prone to breaking, especially in MDF even if is predriled and countersinked - for MDF you can't sink w.o. countersink even for small heads like those. I prefer to use 4,5 x 50/60 with countersink even for chipboard, or 5x50/60 and even 6x60/80 predrilled, plus the usual euroscrews 7x50/60/70 with 3 step predrilling. I use tons of 4 x 30/35 and 3,5-4 x 18-20, and 2.5-3x25 but only with torque limiter.
@@clarencegreen3071 that's the trick. Tap the hole with a steel screw then put in the brass screw.
@@loochan325 Great info!! Thanks a lot! 👏👏👏
The difficulty with stainless screws is that they’re soft & it’s really easy to strip the slots in the head when using power tools on them.
Very Informative. I will definitely add this to my collection of tricks. Thank you!!!
At the 3:37 mark, the first broken-screw removed is shown. Very satisfying to see.
😂
What a glorious opportunity to replace those wretched Phillips screws with Robertsons.
👍
Great vid and just what I need to do. Can you send me link to the bit you used? I can't find it. I need to drill out 4mm 50mm screw.. do you use different size hole saw for different size screws?
You need to get one that fits over the broken screw, you can get them on eBay- tinyurl.com/3wswu3s4
I can’t remember what diameter I used in the video, as I have a selection of the diamond hole saws (without watching it again).
Great tip. Worked like a champ. Thanks for sharing
Great to hear!
Great idea and a perfect solution. Cheers for that.
Thanks 👍
Man that was amazing and super simple to do. Thanks man!!
Glad it helped! 👍
I need to find some of those hole saws. I made some out of steel tubing by filing teeth into the end. If it's brass screws that are breaking, drive a similar steel screw in first to thread the hole and then drive in the brass screw gently. Use a plug cutter to make your self a bunch of plugs, they are side grain and hold screws better than end grain dowels.
👍
I'm jealous of that clamp -- it's a beauty.
Thanks for this tip, that’s what I need for my project!
Fair play, excellent technique and demonstration.
Many thanks!
That's a great idea a little tiny hole saw I didn't know they had such a thing good to know thank you
They are incredibly useful 👍
th-cam.com/video/7JCfEMrCjhc/w-d-xo.html&t
Very smart method ! Thank you for sharing it .
Very well structured video. I was wondering what you were going to do with the holes! But where do you get screws that are a proper fit for the hinges so that they don’t stand proud? I bought a hinge set from B&Q and it had screws to fit but they were absolute rubbish screws, the head shredded screwing in so had to unscrew w a pair of pliers. Thanks.
I normally get my screws from places like screwfix. It’s important to not get self-countersinking screws for hinges, as they have ridges on the countersunk part, which prevents them from sitting flush, when using them with hinges!
Thanks for the comment 👍
Nice trick and good info to know but, I have always just moved the whole hinge up or down 1/4 inch. Thanks for the tip.
👍
Yes, brilliant method! Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
Saving that one for a rainy day, excellent tip!
Thanks for the comment 👍
Super useful! Thank you!
THANKS. i have same problem, recommended searching i got is to fix loose hinge but not this one
Never thought of using one of those diamond tile bits, will give it a go. In the past I have used a bit of metal tubing and filed some teeth into it. It works but it's not that fast as you have to keep clearing the chips and sharpening the teeth.
I thought about grinding up an old diamond coated hole saw, but they work perfectly as they are. Thanks for the comment 👍
@@ultimatehandyman Be a good use for a worn out one, I suspect the body is of much harder steel than most bits of tubing you will come across so any teeth cut into it would hold their edge quite well I imagine.
I try to avoid using the cheap screws that are supplied with the products like hinges or other hardware items. They break easily while installing or removing.
Question: I have broken bolt heads in concrete while installing poles for a gazebo. Couldn’t do anything and expect that the other remaining 2 or 3 bolts would hold the pole.
Any suggestions?
You could remove the snapped bolt - th-cam.com/video/66lxSTWnuW8/w-d-xo.html&pp
Then use a resin fixing 👍
th-cam.com/video/oUJPjJsdl0c/w-d-xo.html&t
@@ultimatehandyman Thanks, extremely informative.
Not seen that sort of hole saw before, good to know, thanks
Can you give a recommendation on what size hole saw to use based on the size of the screw?
No, sorry.
The hole saws are sold on their outside diameter, but the hole saw needs selecting on the inside diameter (one which will go over the broken screw). I have a selection of different sizes, so can just chose one that fits 👍
Hi. May be i didn't search enough but is there a vid how to remove a snapped screw from metal body? Thanks.
These videos might help-
Stripped screw- th-cam.com/video/_mTFQbaT3Zc/w-d-xo.html&t
Broken bolt removal- th-cam.com/video/SMrDYJvY0Ts/w-d-xo.html&t
👍
@@ultimatehandyman Thanks a lot!
Please can you show us how to hang large tv on plasterboard wall? specifically the types of mountings / fixings, thanks
Here are some suitable fixings for plasterboard walls, with a solid wall behind (Dot&dab wall)
Rigifix- th-cam.com/video/xaYfs3lr1jI/w-d-xo.html&t
Corefix- th-cam.com/video/7xLhIPoO5gQ/w-d-xo.html&t
Here is a video of fixing a TV to a plasterboard hollow wall-
i.ytimg.com/vi/awuqDum0ay8/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCOgCEMoBSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg
World’s best plasterboard fixings post- www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/forum1/viewtopic.php?t=106943
I've always wondered if this type of dowel repair lasts well, is it good and strong compared to say moving the whole hinge along a bit and screwing into new wood?
On this side of the pond, the centering drill, we refer to as a VIX bit. A set of VIX bites can center any screw. It is the must have bit, to perfectly center hinge screws. I hung 4 new door blanks onto original frames, just in my old house. Matching the old hinge spacing to the old frame mortise's must be exact, or they will not exactly match the hinge insets on the old door frame. Hanging a pre-hung door is something Any rookie carpenter can do. I'm an electrician 😄
👍
Awesome video. Nice to know there is a solution. Thanks for sharing.
👍
Thank you for your videos. Really useful for a Mrs Bodge it like me. At the moment I have more enthusiasm than skill 😂👍
I'm glad the video helped
Thanks for the comment 👍
Are these like the ceramic tile hole cutters?
Yes, they will also drill really tough materials-
th-cam.com/video/GurSqlwPg9E/w-d-xo.html&t 👍
Very useful tips ..
Thanks so much
When drilling out a pre-existing hole with a slightly larger bit, I often reverse the drill rotation to prevent grabbing and gouging. This lets me apply my own precise pressure.
👍
Nice method! As usual, I used to remove them by drilling the broken piece with 1mm drill bit around by circle and then removing it with small wire cutters. Of course, afterwards you need to fill the hole with some caulk or epoxy (and fit the color) to make that hole invisible if it is needed.