This is incredible. I ran across this today and loved it.
If you have ever screwed something into wood or metal before and then stripped the threads youll know how neat this idea is. I loved it and just had to share it. How could I have gone through life and had all these stripped screws Ive wrestled with for years and not thought of this. Its amazing. Love it. Read the blog post below, and for more ideas, click on the link.
The head of the screw you stripped while you were hanging that shelf may not have seemed like a big deal at the time—until you needed to unscrew it, that is. Next time you're having trouble, try a rubber band.
Home hacks and design blog Apartment Therapy offers a a few simple, smart tips for removing a stripped screw without any special equipment like an extractor—like using a rubber band:
A rubber band may aid in providing enough grip to remove, or at least loosen, the screw. Place a wide band rubber band [in between] the screw driver (we recommend bumping one size up from the screw head which caused the strip) and the screw, then apply hard, but slow force as you turn. If you're fortunate, the rubber band will fill in the gaps caused by the strip and allow extraction.
They also suggest more obvious solutions like changing the size of your screwdriver, using pliers when possible, or just pounding the screwdriver into the screw head with a hammer, hoping you can create your own traction. If you've ever tried the rubber band trick—or have your own favorite method—let's hear how it worked in the comments. If your screw's just fine but your screw hole is stripped, a golf tee may be all you need.
rubber bands are amazing, I once opened someone locked car door while their engine was running with unhappy pet birds inside. I put a rubber band on the end of an opened wire hanger, got it around the "stem" and twisted the hanger until the rubber band tightened and the button popped up.
Posted by: Gabi | February 03, 2010 at 08:14 PM