Ok men(and any wise women/ladies)!! How the f**k do I get a screw out that just won't budge??

[tortoisesdonotwearshoes]

Its in the wooden gate post.Im trying to put a new bolt on the gate because the old one has broken!
Ive managed through sheer determination to remove 1 screw but the other 3 won't budge.
Ive tried a battery drill/screwdriver and a normal screwdriver.Im just destroying the screwdriver bits!

So is there another way I can try??

tbh, the screws with the new bolt are probably cack. Are they black (ie. probably painted) or a funny grey (potentially galvanised, semi OK). Best are stainless IMHO. They will be shiny and the packet will specifically state this as they tend to be pricier / rarer (though still cheaper than hours of aggro trying to deal with corrosion LOL).

You can also use a sh1t chisel to cut the groove. You will damage the blade / blunt it somewhat but it'll be sharp and subsequently (hopefully) allow you to get good purchase with your screwdriver.

The screws are black!
Will probably use them for now(if I ever get the old one off!)
So I need to buy a chisel now too?

Would a ratchet screw driver be any good?
< Skips off back to the garden club and to find a drinking thread, her one area of real expertise, before someone raises their eyes skyward and says pah!>

Would it be easier to move house?

You could use the screws but they are probably fairly soft. If you're screwing into softwood they should tighten OK. Into hardwood maybe not so great.

tbh, I'd chuck em and get something that won't RUST IN 4 MONTHS AND SPOIL YOUR PAINT JOB, but that is up to you.

You're welcome to CAT your address and I'll get a few in the post ith.

If you use them, smear the head with vaseline after you've finished, or paint them straight away.

How do i know if the woods soft or hard?
Its only the fence post so no paint job to ruin!!
Thanks for the offer of a few screws! Im sure my shop will have some.
Had to LOL @ smear the head with vaseline after you've finished!

If your fence cost you A LOT of money, and the posts are all beautiful and it's all VERY SPECIAL, it'll be oak. Otherwise it's probably just pressure treated softwood (pine).

btw - softwood or hardwood apparently doesn't really refer to whether it is soft or hard but is based on the characteristic of the grain, or whether the tree is deciduous or not (can't remember exactly, my chippy tried to explain this to me, I was as clueless as you).

Didn't realise the stuck bit was on the fence post. One nice method, if you're VERY CLEVER (like my chippy, not like me) is to cut out a section of the wood (with the stuck screws on) and then screw in a new bit IYSWIM so you screw into that.

I hope you were suitably delighted by my offer regarding the screw(s). and hope you manage to smear the head with vaseline in a controlled manner.

Good luck.

I don't think im that clever!And its a cheap fence!!

Best offer ive had in months!
I will of course keep everyone informed!

I had a similar problem recently but was able to get a pair of pliers around the screwhead and turn it manually. you have to grip really tightly an it does knacker the screw head but with a bit of sweat it worked. alternitively you could try drilling a hole right at the side of the existing nut so that it take the wood away and therefore loosens the nuts and will allow you to remove it. it the hold is right up against the side of the screww and bigger than the thread of the screw the the screw will come out. you then have a small hole which you could wood fill.

Well at last this morning i removed the bit from the gate post!!
Ended up using plier things(possibly wire cutters?) to grip the metal bit and twist,wriggle and bend it until it cut through by each screw and i could take it off.Then i could pull the screws out!One came out whole 2 snapped off but I now have a new bolt on the gate.
And i did it all myself(well except for all your help)!
Thanks all.

Oh well done, tortoise!

(I will miss this thread )

Nice one. I hope you had two cups of tea before and after the job, LOL.

haha how many mumsnetter does it take to get out an old screw!

blimey that sounded rude!

every time i read this thread title I think of the 'motionless sex' thread

ooh sounds interesting

lol!!

Forgot to say also got hammer replaced! I got asked what i was hitting with it as its normally a strong hammer!!

Hope you said 'my dh' LOL.

More like XP!

Sorry, didn't know your situation. I presume we will chat again in about a year when your black screws have rusted through and your gate bolt has been broken ? LOL.

Don't know if anyone has suggested this, but are they long enough to get a pair of pliars around the head, this usually works for me, if you have a hard enough grip that is!

My screws will not rust!! And my bolt is solid(no one is getting in!!)
Well maybe i will move and leave that problem to the next tenents!

Thanks iamapieceofcheesecake But its all done now.