I hope that got your attention! I need to take out a few boards on my deck that are rotten. They were put in with Philips head screws. The homeowner in all his/her wisdom then painted the deck (Yes painted) and filled in all the screw heads. I can’t get them out. Any ideas out there? Pamilyn
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Replies
I might try buying a few "disposable" screwdrivers and hammer them into the screw head. It might be difficult to tell exactly where the screw is, but hopefully the self-centering feature of Phillips bits will work to your advantage. Slotted screws would be even more difficult.
If that doesn't work, I would probably resort to cutting the deck boards just to one side of the screw and prying the boards off. That should leave the reluctant screw projecting by itself. At that point, a vise grip should work. If they happen to be hardened (not likely), you can just break them off flush.
-Don
There are always dozens of ways to 'skin a cat', and circumstances can greatly affect which you choose. In this case, you've strongly implied that all the boards you will be removing are trashed and will be replaced. Therefore, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that all the screws are in those expendible boards. Right ?
If we're still on the same page, then this is just like removing rotten boards where the screw-heads have been plugged. One method is to use a small hole-saw (bi-metal, a little bigger ID than the screw-head; take the pilot drill out; drill down around the screws and pull the boards off leaving the screws c/w their little columns of wood; use visegrips to back the screws out.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
If there aren't too many screws, or if you have infinite patience,, you can clean the slots in the screw heads with a utility knife. That will allow the screwdriver to grip.
Not many screws but not much patience either :) I think I will just have to cut the board up. Why didn't I think of that? Thanks all. Pamilyn
You can also take an old or cheap screwdriver and heat the tip til it glows and place it in position on the screw, don't turn it, the paint will bubble out.
I do a bunch at a time, then go back and unscrew them.
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.- Fyodor Dostoyevski
Great Idea!!! I have a heat gun. Pamilyn
>> ... clean the slots in the screw heads with a utility knife.
I'd try a scratch awl first.
View Image
off subject here..
I need a TAP...5/16 x 36 TPI..you have a link to MSC?
It might be q 7.62 by ( one) pitch MM...
I remain flummoxed
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" Do not add to the world's confusion, by speaking in unclear terms"
http://www.mscdirect.comAccording to Machinery's Handbook, 5/16 x 36 TPI is a UNS thread. Unified National Special, which I read as "standard, but not very standard."7.62 x 1 mm isn't even close, 0.015" too small diameter and 25.4 TPI.What are you trying to fix?
Thank ya...I found it,
A shell casing for a .308 needs a OAL of X
(target rounds, sierra and Norma brass)
X= OAL and chamber to lands, a 700 bull barell and chamberd @! .308 needs a "finder" in this case a Dummy round, to determine the OAL of said load.
James has kit for that, but the dummy is not able to be chambered, as it is,
We need to resize for Norma brass or retap a primer pocket for the gauge that he bought.
Sierra 170;s are not spec. to .001 tolerances..so the laoding can be off by a bunch.
I just reloaded my .45/70 shells,,,where is the Buffolo?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" Do not add to the world's confusion, by speaking in unclear terms"
On one of my outdoor channels was a gun show testing big handguns. Desert Eagles and kin. I think the top rated one was a S&W. Maybe a 500? When your 6-shooter only holds 5 rounds, you know the bullets are getting big.
http://firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293531&item=1207228&sw_activeTab=1
For those times when you feel you need a hand cannon. :)
Personally I like having my wrist attached to my arm, so I'll stick with smaller ones.jt8
Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. -- John R. Wooden
try wholesale tool.. megga cheaper..
http://www.wstool.com
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Dude, thanks.I just got 2 sent to him from MSC
I shot 3 bug holes @ 200 yds...I needa shoulder pad.
.308 with 75g nnntf powder, sierra noslers,,,,170 g HP
BUG HOLES!!!! my MOA was .05 in a 7 shot group
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" Do not add to the world's confusion, by speaking in unclear terms"
Can you get up underneath it and get a Sawzall blade between the board and joist?
I suppose a metal detector might tell you where to dig for the nails from the top, but that might be hit and miss.
Depending on what the ho filled the screw holes with, you might be able to belt sand and find the filled (won't work if its a filler designed to match the wood) spots, but that wouldn't be much fun. Top solution would probably be my first choice.
And if that isn't an option, how about Sawzall'ing the bad planks up. that should tell you in a hurry where the buried screws are located.
jt8
Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. -- John R. Wooden
Impact driver....not the electric kind but the kind you hit with a hammer....Sears'd have um....
I don't know what an impact driver is and if I did I would not buy one for for 20 frigging screws. I HATE this. I only need to replace 2 boards on this deck. It is my one and only rental property that I bought last year. I thought I was handy! You folks may be hearing from me alot.!! Pamilyn. I am going to saw zaw the boards and try to get the screws out. Does this sound feasible? Pamilyn
sure it does..
or split the boards from around the screws and grab the friggin' screws with a pair of vise grips...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
jack hammerThe secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
I agree with imerc.try the jack hammer.then just bend over the old screws into the top of the dry rotted joist.they'll flush out.send photos and an update on joist conditions.
"Right on" just pull the damn mushy rotten boards out of there.next
OPTION 1 -
Can you get to the under side of the deck? Using a sawzall to cut the decking screws away from the joists from underneath would be less hazardous to the neighboring decking. OPTION 2 -
Use a sawzall to cut away a chunk of the deck board between two joists.
Turn the sawzall on its side and cut the screws connecting the board to one of the joists. Pry up the deck board and use sawzall to cut the next set of screws on the next joist. Continue to pry up the decking board as you cut screws to allow you access to the next joist in line.OPTION 3 -
Most home improvement stores sell sets of screw extractors that attach to your drill and bite into the head of stubborn screws to get a grip. That might be an option for you. You'll want to put your weight behind the screwgun when applying pressure on the screws.Good luck!MacView Image
"I don't know what an impact driver is and if I did I would not buy one for for 20 frigging screws."
Most of us would look at tis as an EXCUSE to buy a new tool.
Ya just gotta understand the mentality here. (-:
Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption [John Stuart Mill]
There may be a gender issue here. I'm guessing pamilyn is a woman. We (men) are shameless in using any pretext to convince our wives that we need to buy a new tool. Pamilyn is probably more realistic.
I hadn't looked at the name, and thought about gender. I guess this will be another women for everyone to drool over and ask for pictures.......
You can always spot a well informed man - his views are the same as yours [Ilka Chase]
I hadn't looked at the name, and thought about gender.
I guess this will be another women for everyone to drool over and ask for pictures.......
Women with power tools excite most of these guys. Although... saw a woman (chick) driving a big-#### dually a couple days ago. Thought, "man, that's cool!"
:)jt8
Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. -- John R. Wooden
"Women with power tools excite most of these guys. ".
That's kinda what I was getting at.
I'm surprised that any women hang around here, the way some of them have been treated in the past.
One mosquito to another: "Sure, I believe in reincarnation -- in my previous life I was an IRS agent!" [Bob Thaves] (Frank & Ernest)
the way some of them have been treated in the past.
ahh ... don't be so hard on yerself.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Oh, Oink oink
Hey, I am usually in cooks talk. You should hear the talk about buying kitchen equipment. Shameless!! Pamilyn
A pretty simple, painless solution could be to put some paint remover on the screw head to at least soften but probably disolve the paint then use a drill and back the screws out. If you cannot get the bit to grap the screw head, try using an extractor bit. They are designed to take out damaged screws, and are available for fairly cheap money at sears, lowes, hd and good local lumber yards and tool houses.
Hey, I am usually in cooks talk. You should hear the talk about buying kitchen equipment. Shameless!! Pamilyn
I was in a showroom a couple weeks back. Saw a neat looking fridge. Almost passed out when I saw the $10k price tag. GAWD! And those commercial-looking stoves can be just as bad.
I can buy a lot of tools for $10k!jt8
Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. -- John R. Wooden
Why, all you need is a whoppin big knife and a frying pan!
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
A 10 inch chefs knife and my cast iron skillet ought to do it. See, who needs sears...Pamilyn...Thanks everyone, lots of great ideas. I think I will go with the hole saw idea. Sounds the simplest...
The first and easiest thing to try is the scratch awl idea. A dental pick? Get the paint out and your done.
If you have to resort to the hole saw idea [+ is stripped], the smallest hole saw will be 9/16". The pilot bit will get in the way. Take it out. The hole saw will go all over the place. So first, before you remove the pilot] drill a hole in a scrap of plywood. Then center that hole over the balky screw and secure it. This will hold your hole saw in position while it gets started.
I don't know what all the gun talk is all about, but why not just use a .50 caliber machine gun. [If you have one.] Works real well.
~Peter
Just get a bigger hole saw (about 1") and set the pilot just off-center so it doesn't hit the screw.Of course, few hole saws will really do 1.5" depth, so you still have to chisel out the area, remove the screw, and then remove the board. Might as well just use the chisel.
drill off head using drill slightly bigger than head , pound up or pry up board after which you either drive screws sideways with hammer to break off ,or cut off with sawsall and metal blade or turn out with vise grips.
just one screw should be enough reason..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
It's a guy thing
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
An impact driver is cheap -- maybe 20-30 bucks -- and a good thing to have, but if you're willing to sacrifice the boards, just chisel out around the screws (use an old/cheap chisel, since you'll likely hit a screw a few times) and then grab them with Vice Grips.If that doesn't work, then split the boards through the screw holes with the chisel.
"I am going to saw zaw the boards and try to get the screws out. Does this sound feasible?"
Pamilyn - Don't waste your time with chef knives, hole saws, vice grips or saw zaws.<!----><!---->
You could easily punch those nasty screws out with 75g nnntf in a .05 MOA 700 bulled .308. Don’t bother with the paint, the 170g HP Noslers will take care of it for you.<!---->
DONT OVER THINK IT.YOUR SWAPING THE OLD BOARDS OUT .DO WHAT U GOT TO DO ON THE FIRST BOARD .THEN THE OTHERS WILL COME OUT EASY.
First dab paint remover on the screws to soften the paint. After an appropriate wait for the remover to work, use the impact driver described above to cut through the paint and loosen the screws.
I second the awl. Tap it a couple times and the filler will pop out. Tap it a few more times in the slots to clean out. To remove the screws with a drill you have to lean on it hard to keep the bit from stripping the head.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
What you could do is take an angle grinder and dig the edge in until the screw head is ground off. Then remove boards, and twist the remains of the screws out with vise grips.
Or, for the impatient, just take a big chisel and big hammer, and shred the boards into shards. Better yet, if you can get below, you can pound upwards with a big hammer to pop them away.
holesaw around the screws, lift the board off then crack off the peice with a chisel.
View Image Screw extractor Found at Woodcraft or Rockler
I dont know how good you are with power tools. If you know your way around around a skill saw......
Since it is only a couple of boards....
I would locate the screws. Take a skill saw and score the the boards length wise about 3/4 debth of the boards inna couple of places for about 12 " or so. Becareful not to hit the screws. If you hit the screws it wont be pretty....blades dont like screws......Then try to split the boards with a chisel or wedge and the boards should just split and take some vise grips and unscrew the screws....Buck Construction View Image
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA