Screw so stripped it could be in a porno

[aisle9]

The time has finally come to face my greatest opponent: the badly stripped screw on my X250. I picked up a screw extractor kit from Amazon and it steadfastly refuses to grip the screw even after drilling. I guess the only thing left to say is help: I really need to put a bigger SSD in place, and I'm to the point of considering selling off my X250 entirely and buying a replacement something-or-other. Pictures of the screw and the extractor kit I'm using are below. If the kit is crap, I'm open to hearing that. If I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm open to hearing that too. I've never had a screw so stripped that some combination of rubber bands and crazy glue couldn't pull it.

 

 

 

[Sorenson]

I've had trouble in the past with screw extractor kits. My advice is carefully read the directions, make sure your drill is going the correct direction, and use a large size bit than you think you need. 

[mariushm]

One solution ... dremel tool and a very fine drill bit, drill in the center of the screw

 

ANother solution ... loctite threadlock or some other such solution ... a drop in the center and stick something in the center. A needle or something sitting vertically... hold it vertically until solution hardens... that's at least 10 minutes, recommended 30 minutes. It fully settles in 8 hours.

Threadlock solutions are very weak at pulling or pushing but strong at tortion, if you rotate, that's why they're thread locking solutions. So once the solution is hardened you could get some pliers or something and grab that vertical metal bit (needle or something) and twist it gently and the solution should hold.

example : https://www.amazon.com/Zenith-Industries-ZN502652-45-degree-Needle/dp/B06XXQ8YCW/

You can combine this with making a hole in the screw ... drill hole , pour a drop on a needle or something and insert needle in the screw and wait to harden.

You could probably also get this done with superglue, but some threadlock solutions are better than superglue.

 

Another option... get some needle nose pliers , sand them down or sharpen the tips further, grab the screw and twist ... example https://www.amazon.com/Zenith-Industries-ZN502652-45-degree-Needle/dp/B06XXQ8YCW/

 

Solder iron may work ... a bit of flux on the screw, heat up the screw, add a drop of solder and add some metal bit... you solder the metal bit to the screw.  Then twist the metal bit.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Did you run the drill in reverse when using the extractors?

[Windows7ge]

With how deep you've gone in you could probably remove the head of the screw by just continuing to drill in. Once the plate is off it should expose enough of the body of the screw to remove it with pliers. Wouldn't be the first time I've used this method. It's similar to removing rivets.

[aisle9]

I don't know exactly how it happened, but while drilling the screw just came up on its own. Not even going to pretend to understand, it just did, and I'm installing the bigger SSD tonight. Thanks to all for helping out.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

10 hours ago, aisle9 said:

I don't know exactly how it happened, but while drilling the screw just came up on its own. Not even going to pretend to understand, it just did, and I'm installing the bigger SSD tonight. Thanks to all for helping out.

I've had that happen many times. Screw extractor bits are deigned to be run in reverse. Often, the cutting edges of the drill bit end used to drill out the head for the extractor end will grab the screw and, since it is running in reverse, it will back it out if the screw isn't too tight.