How to remove a snapped screw from wood

Screws can often snap or shear when tightening or undoing them in wood, this video shows how to removed the snapped screw and re-plug the holes using dowels to create a quick and permanent repair. Some screws are more prone to shearing or snapping than others, decking screws for example often shear as soon as you attempt to undo them.
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[KenFullman]

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.

[Matt-klpg]

It'd never occurred to me to use a hole saw to help remove screws. What a simple yet brilliant solution 👍

[RogerM]

This "old dog" has just learned a new trick. Something new every day. Brilliant. Thanks for posting!

[mlaiuppa]

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.

[kenwalker]

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!

[thejoneseys]

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 👌🏻

[Hotzenplotz]

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.

[phonotd]

Great video with a no nonsense delivery and approach to the job on hand.

[larryscott]

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.

[ecospider]

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.

[thinkfirst]

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.

[acer]

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

[villabis]

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.

[ehRalph]

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.

[ASelman]

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.

[samrodian]

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

[westonsunset]

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

[robertlittle]

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.

[obi-wankenobi]

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 . 😁 😂 👍 👍

[lesblack]

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!!