Removing a rounded screw from laptop

FeFiDoh · 24 May 2014 at 13:26

Anyone have any ideas how I can do this? Have tried the rubber band thing and that hasn't worked.

randal · 24 May 2014 at 13:27

Drill it out? Slow spinning drill bit with a vacuum cleaner held over the drill area to catch any swarf.

Eddie · 24 May 2014 at 13:43

I had a similar problem not long back and the only thing I could do was drill it out very slowly and carefully. Definitely bad for the nerves though!

FeFiDoh · 24 May 2014 at 13:47

Yeah I think drilling is needed now

Never drilled a screw out before, how easy/hard is it to do?

Eddie · 24 May 2014 at 13:53

Just take your time and don't put too much pressure on it. Keep taking the drill out and having a look to see what's going on.

A long shot but what about super-gluing another screw head to it, that might work. Depends how tight the screw is, I suppose.

FeFiDoh · 24 May 2014 at 13:54

By drilling it out you are then using a hex bit to unscrew it, correct?

Narj · 24 May 2014 at 13:56

I've got to do something similar with a hex nut - I was thinking of putting a little JB Weld on the end of an allen key and letting it set... anyone else done that?

Eddie · 24 May 2014 at 14:05

FeFiDoh said:
By drilling it out you are then using a hex bit to unscrew it, correct?

Well, on mine I just kept going until the head of the screw had gone and then the rear casing could come away.

Unicorn · 24 May 2014 at 14:37

Epoxy resin on the head of a screw and a small hex headed screwdriver.. glue them together and hold for 10 mins. wait few hours till fully cured and give it a shot.

Failing that drill it but id hate to do that.

Iv done the above to remove multiple panel screws at work

FeFiDoh · 24 May 2014 at 15:05

Well I got it done in the end and using a hex bit! Yey result. Got the ssd in now and install OS. Good luck those of you who come across it can be a real pain in the butt.

RedvGreen · 24 May 2014 at 16:02

Ignoring the fact that you've sorted it... you can usually either gently hammer in a flat-head over the rounded screw for a new delve in the (assuming) soft screw head. Or you can buy tools specifically designed to sort this such as stud extractors.

Hitman_Leon · 24 May 2014 at 16:02

Narj said:
I've got to do something similar with a hex nut - I was thinking of putting a little JB Weld on the end of an allen key and letting it set... anyone else done that?

That would work a treat, I've used that on cracked trials engine casings.

neodude · 24 May 2014 at 16:17

For future reference cutting a slot in the screw head with a Dremel has always worked for me.

BuToNz · 24 May 2014 at 16:43

neodude said:
For future reference cutting a slot in the screw head with a Dremel has always worked for me.

Won't really work for most laptops as the screw is ressessed.

Terrier_Jimlad · 24 May 2014 at 17:48

Use a small torx head driver, you'll be surprised how good they are at gripping rounded off screws, used that trick many times

Street · 24 May 2014 at 18:24

I rounded the screws in the bottom of a Macbook Air once and attacked them with a drill! I ended up slipping with the drill and going right through the entire laptop and out the other side.. Whoops!

Rizo-UK · 24 May 2014 at 20:14

Street said:
I rounded the screws in the bottom of a Macbook Air once and attacked them with a drill! I ended up slipping with the drill and going right through the entire laptop and out the other side.. Whoops!

Only if you kept the pressure on and kept drilling :rolleyes:

randal · 24 May 2014 at 22:53

Homer Simpson saying "I'm going to need a bigger drill" springs to mind.