Picture Galleries > How to remove a rusty old screw
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One rusty No14 screw drilled down the centre
All the screws in the structure which are now 110 years old have to be replaced as they have usually rusted at the joint between the pieces of wood. Initially we tried cleaning the slot out and then using the largest screwdriver available that would be a tight fit in the slot. A brace and bit was a very effective way of starting the screw turning as it applies a very even torque. If this failed then the following technique had to be applied. The first step is to drill a pilot hole down the centre of the screw after cleaning out the slot and using a centre pop to make a depression for the drill.
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Success
After the pilot hole has been drilled to below the depth of the head a drill slightly larger than the shank is used to open the pilot hole out. If this is done correctly a ring of screw head runs up the drill. You have to be prepared to stop quickly or the drill will run off into the wood.
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The screws removed.
When the heads have been removed the piece of wood that they go into can be carefully separated and the shanks pull through the outer timber. There is usually enough shank so that a small hand vice can be attached to it and the remains of the screw removed.