Expert: Jamie Yocono - 3/20/2007

Question
I had just about completed installing a new hinge on a kitchen cabinet door
when the head of the screw going into the cabinet frame (as opposed to the
ones in the cabinet door) broke off, leaving the remainder of the screw
burrowed into the cabinet frame. What do I do now? (And why did the screw
head break off?) My inclination is to try to turn and pry the rest of the screw
out but after a significant amount of pulliing, wiggling and turning with a pair
of needle nose pliers I don't think I've made much progress. Should I
continue? Or is there a simpler way? Or a better alternative? And if I'm able to
ply the rest of the screw out, where do I go from there? I doubt a new screw
will fare well in the aftermath. So what do you recommend??? Thanks for
whatever help you can offer!

Answer
Hi Evan,

I know exactly the dilemma that you're facing, I've been there a time or two or three myself. I have two suggestions, one is similar to what you're currently doing, with is try to twist that broken screw out of there. There is a set of pliers called screw pliers, made specifically for removing broken screws. They have a set of gripper teeth in the very front tip, which grabs onto broken screws perfectly. One of my students gave me a set of these pliers a few years ago, and at the time, I sort of doubted that they would work. Ha! They're great. Here's a link:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=48332&cat=1,43456,43400&ap=1

If that link doesn't work, go to www.leevalley.com and search for this item #25K17.02

My next tip is using a device that is very simple, and works great. It's basically a hollow tube, with cutters (like saw teeth) on the end. You put it into a power drill, and the teeth cut a tube of wood out of your project, taking the broken screw with it. These are sweet little tools, they come in a variety of sizes. So when you use the 1/4" cutter, you can fill the hole with a 1/4" dowel or wood plug. Here's a link:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3870

This last suggestion used to be my favorite one, but those pliers make it pretty simple to remove the screw, so it's a toss-up which method works better.

As far as what to do with the wood, so that it will hold a screw when you install a new one... here are a few suggestions. Obviously, if you use that tube extractor, gluing a dowel back into the wood will give you decent holding power. If you don't use that route, but instead manage to extract it with pliers, I usually whittle a small piece of hardwood to fit into the hole. Dip it in a little glue, and pound it into the hole. After the glue sets up, it's like going into fresh wood. Some people use toothpicks or matchsticks as fillers, but I prefer using something harder.

OK, good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this. And if this answer was helpful... please take a minute and rate my service. Thanks!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com