how to unscrew a very tight very tiny screw thats damaged

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just got a new casing for my mobile, very happy as the phone looks much better in black rather then the silver and plum before, anyway to get the fron casing off i have to unscrew 4 very very tiny screws. The black casing came with a very tiny screwdriver which fits perfectly, but the troulbe is the screws are done up so tight the screwdriver is just spinning in the screws damaging them.

now i really want to replace the front silver part with the black and its taking me ages to just do the back so im determined to finish but really have no clue as to how i'd take these tiny tight screws out. I have looked in the house for another small screwdriver but can't find any that small, and even if i could i doubt it would work.

so is there anyway to get these screws unscrewed? only thing i could think of was to use like superglue to the screwdriver and then attach to the screw and leave for while but worried that may not work and just eave super glue on my phone.

thanks
 
With tiny screws its gonna be difficult. The superglue idea wont work. Can you grip them with very small electronics pliers? Or are they recessed? They may be threadlocked in, in which case you havent got a hope in hells chance of getting them out.
 
PhillyDee said:
With tiny screws its gonna be difficult. The superglue idea wont work. Can you grip them with very small electronics pliers? Or are they recessed? They may be threadlocked in, in which case you havent got a hope in hells chance of getting them out.

they are recessed so can't use the pliers.

i guess im completely screwed? ;)
 
If the heads are busted, get a slightly bigger screwdriver, but on with a flat head , find a way where it will fit and push it tighgtly , then try unscrewing it.

I would suggest the "heat it up" trick to defeat the threadlock, but i dont think its appropriate with a phone.
 
Mammalian said:
just got a new casing for my mobile, very happy as the phone looks much better in black rather then the silver and plum before, anyway to get the fron casing off i have to unscrew 4 very very tiny screws. The black casing came with a very tiny screwdriver which fits perfectly, but the troulbe is the screws are done up so tight the screwdriver is just spinning in the screws damaging them.

now i really want to replace the front silver part with the black and its taking me ages to just do the back so im determined to finish but really have no clue as to how i'd take these tiny tight screws out. I have looked in the house for another small screwdriver but can't find any that small, and even if i could i doubt it would work.

so is there anyway to get these screws unscrewed? only thing i could think of was to use like superglue to the screwdriver and then attach to the screw and leave for while but worried that may not work and just eave super glue on my phone.

thanks


Sounds like the n95??, i just replaced my original cover..front and back as it was pretry scuffed up. I found the 4 screws easy to take off...i think i used the Torx5 screwdriver or 6 one...have a set of torx screwdrivers lying around and just happened to have the right one.

If your talking about another phone then i apologise.
 
Hand drill from a model shop and drill it out...

Or if you can get another device under the head of the screw so when you turn it, left the head up and this works.

or - try turning it to tighten the screw, then unscrew - sounds daft but was a good tip from my dad.

other than that - unsure? magnet screw head?
 
Drill the heads out with a tiny drill - pull whatever it is your takin off over the now headless screw. Grip stump of screw with small mole grips and unscrew it.

(New screws from the popular but competitor electronics shop)

Threadlock? Cocktail stick with coke vineger or lemon juice will do the business.


Are the screws flat head or phillips? if niether and are a kind of Torx fitting, get back to that popular electronics retailer for some Torx electronic screwdrivers.


EDIT: As stated above - trying to tighten the screws can help as it will break the bond between plastic and screw (1/8th of a turn will be enough).

And when putting screws back in, wind them back a little bit to feel them drop into the threads - you'll be able to take them in and out more times in total as your preserving the original threads
 
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like others said very fine drill bit drill them out (unless you got a magnetic screwdriver like tom cruise in mission impossible :D )
 
You could try cutting into the head of the screw a slot for a flat headed screwdriver. Try lightly tapping the screw heads first though, it may just be enough.
 
Does the screw go into the other side of the plastic casing? The part you are going to be replacing?

If so, just cut away the plastic casing from the other end of the thread ie hack up the piece of case you are changing.
 
thanks for all the rep[lies guys.

well i have managed to get one screw out :), i used the origianl screwdriver to make the gap big enough for a slightly bigger one to fit, then i pushed like a bugger a it managed to unscrew it, leaving me with the other 3 now.

the phone is a n95, how did you know?

SB118 said:
Does the screw go into the other side of the plastic casing? The part you are going to be replacing?

If so, just cut away the plastic casing from the other end of the thread ie hack up the piece of case you are changing.

this was one of my thoughts, just worried that if it might void the warrent changing the casing and if it does if the phone goes wrong i could just put the old casing back
 
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Get a dremel and cut a "slot" in the head.

This should allow you to get a flatblade screwdriver on it and it should come out fine :)

Edit: beaten to it..
 
Mammalian said:
the phone is a n95, how did you know?



this was one of my thoughts, just worried that if it might void the warrent changing the casing and if it does if the phone goes wrong i could just put the old casing back


Well the fact that it has 4 screws kinda gave it away:p.

Tbh i dont think changing your fascia voids the warranty...dont think it would as there isnt any seals that were broken when i did mine.

Would have been easier just to get a set of torx screwdrivers and take them out that way...the screws are torx as it is and using anything other than a torx screwdriver will leave you with a whole lotta pain...
 
Spawn said:
Well the fact that it has 4 screws kinda gave it away:p.

Tbh i dont think changing your fascia voids the warranty...dont think it would as there isnt any seals that were broken when i did mine.

Would have been easier just to get a set of torx screwdrivers and take them out that way...the screws are torx as it is and using anything other than a torx screwdriver will leave you with a whole lotta pain...
i did use a torx screwdriver, i had torx 4 and 6, i think it was the 4 that was the right size, but the gap became quickly big enough for the 6, and then a flat, and now basically anything very large can fit in there.

i have amanged all but one screw and its driving me crazy. I snapped all the casing that i will be replacing up until the top bit with the speaker and front camera remaing as its the top right screw that still is in.

im having to use a screw driver too large so that it rubs it away enough that it will just comne out which it taking forever and is hurting my hand as i really got to push it against the skin.
 
My first thought was "impact screwdriver".

Then I realised it was a phone and it's probably not the best thing to do >_< :eek:
 
Place screwdriver on screw, Heat Screwdriver to transfer heat to screw & break bond.
Use above methods to unscrew & a last resort is to use a tiny piece of Solder to bind screwdriver to screw.
 
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