V
20

I finally found a trick for getting stripped screws out of aluminum panels

After fighting with a stuck screw on a Cessna flap fairing for an hour, I tried tapping a torx bit into the head with a hammer and it grabbed tighter than any extractor I've used, has anyone else had luck with that method on softer metals?
2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
2 Comments
harpercampbell
Tapping a torx bit into a stripped screw is always my move too. Though nothing says "I'm a pro" like whacking a screw with a hammer and hoping for the best.
6
rodriguez.mia
rodriguez.mia10d agoTop Commenter
Five times I tried that exact method on an old boat trailer last summer, and four of them came out clean. But the fifth one, the torx bit just spun inside the screw head and made it worse. I ended up having to drill that one out completely.
6