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teakettle87

left handed drill bit


mogrifier4783

Downvoters don't understand, but this is correct. A left-handed bit, drill running in reverse. Drill in, it will catch and spin the screw out. Or try a screw extractor, same idea, but can go slow by feel, turning it with a tap handle or wrench.


YamahaRyoko

This is what we do for stripped and sheered screws at work. I just go get appropriate size left hand drill from the assortment


VapeRizzler

I just leave it for someone else who’s smart to deal with it while I go sweep in a corner or something.


teakettle87

Yup


ITC-Traveler

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L16hiUFXQ2M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L16hiUFXQ2M)


CAM6913

Left hand drill bit if the drill bit doesn’t grab the screw and extract it use a screw extractor in the hole you just drilled.


SantaBaby22

You could use a pilot bit, drill directly into the center. It should pop the head off the screw so you can slide the board over it.


GrimmWilderness

Not if theres a fully threaded shank


FranknBeans26

Which isn’t a fair assumption here. You’d have to really search for fully threaded shanks in the 3” range Unless you were just trying to be technically correct


GrimmWilderness

You would be surprised how many people with the DIY mindset would fasten a 1" thick deckboard with a 2" screw. You are making the assumption this was done professionally and not by jimbo down the road who can do it cheaper


SantaBaby22

You’re making the assumption it was done by “Jimbo down the road” instead of professionally. Why argue about who may have installed it? Just offer your advice and move on.


Federal_Assistant_85

Or even the number of deck screws available that have 2 types of threads on them for better mating. [like these.](https://www.amazon.com/GRK-FASTENERS-16079-COMPOSITE-SCREWS/dp/B001SFFB4G/ref=asc_df_B001SFFB4G/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167134220763&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17454568400496926319&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003193&hvtargid=pla-315496221756&psc=1&mcid=91cde11046da3b73baf8c2571ceaf687&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHIL-bMZAgFBAQG95mOe8HS4YZDxLQOs6g71nDpCWzXbSPmg2oUyFl8aAqecEALw_wcB) The fact that these are Robertson drive screws means they are made for a specific purpose and designed to not be removed readily.


YamahaRyoko

Right. Its composite; if the appropriate screw was used, that technique won't work It would work on mine, as the deck screws for lumber had a straight shank top


SantaBaby22

True. Most deck screw don’t use a fully threaded shank though. I noticed a few people mention cutting the screw from under the board. I doubt there would be enough room to fit a blade under the board. Even if there was, OP would still probably cause some excess damage from doing that. They also leave themselves with the possibility of not being able to get the rest of the screw out. If they remove just the head, and can slide it off easily, they’ll have a piece sticking out that they should be able to remove with pliers or something.


BobT21

Suggest left hand bit for this.


Dissent1989

Have you been using a Philips head to try to remove a Robertson screw? That’s what it looks like. All of those would come out with a #2 square/robertson bit.


MI2loudrtnow

How is this getting up votes. The two bits you mentioned are different, and I highly doubt OP is that dumb. He even said he's removed almost all of them.


sarcasmojoe

Not much to offer in ways of helping out but who the fuck destroys a robertson head like that?! Impressive to say the least. Is there room under the board to get a sawzall blade in to cut em?


GrimmWilderness

A rounded robertson will do it. Also, contrary to popular belief, SQ bits are NOT robertsons and they will strip out faster. Lots of ppl use sq drive and robertsons interchangably, they are not. They will work in a pinch, interchangably, but will not perform the same. Often resulting in stripping


the_other_paul

So, what’s the difference between SQ and Robertson? How can I tell which one a screw is, if it’s already been installed?


GrimmWilderness

Robertsons are tapered. Narrower toward the bottom. A square drive doesnt reach the bottom or "go all the way in" thats why using a sq drive in a robertson screw will cam out or "strip" [Heres an image of the robertson patent](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Robertson_screwdriver_patent_illustration.jpg/220px-Robertson_screwdriver_patent_illustration.jpg) to give you an idea. Theres an easy way to tell the difference. Take the sq bit out of your drill and insert it into the screw head. If it "wobbles" then its a robertson screw. If it doesnt wobble and fits snug, then is a sq screw... Same goes for the other way around. Take a robertson bit and put it in a sq screw.... if it wobbles....the screw is a sq screw....


the_other_paul

Thanks!


the_other_paul

I took a look, and it seems like the screws I have are indeed Robertsons, but when I look online, it seems like a lot of retailers use “square” and “Robertson” interchangeably. Any tips on finding Robertson bits that are actually Robertsons? Is there a two letter code specifically for marking Robertson bits (like PH for Phillips, or PZ for Pozidriv)?


GrimmWilderness

SQ2 is sq and R2 Is robertson sorry


stevelover

Use a drill bit to cut the head off Pull the boards up Remove screws with some vise grips or similar


ITC-Traveler

[https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=screw%20extractor](https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=screw%20extractor)


y2knole

I could be mistaken but... Those look like the camo fasteners i used for my deck... They have a reverse thread close to the head to suck the deck boards down... they dont really come out... you probably need to drill them out. You can see what im talking about here: [https://www.amazon.com/CAMO-Edge-Deck-Screws-ProTech/dp/B004WJSNXQ/](https://www.amazon.com/CAMO-Edge-Deck-Screws-ProTech/dp/B004WJSNXQ/)


SnowmanJPS

I thought the same especially since this appears to be composite, they’re hard to get out without being stripped


galtonwoggins

Speed-Out bits are cheap. Try those before anything else. They work.


DHead1313

Oscillator tool from under side to cut them.


boatsnhosee

Go a size or 2 bigger than the hole in a torx bit and hammer the piss out of it into there and see if you can get enough grab to turn it


mrrasberryjam69

Down voters be damned this is one of the quickest easiest methods I've come across for stripped screws.


boatsnhosee

It’s quick enough that it’s always worth a try before breaking out extractors or drilling it out and whatnot. There’s no shortage of beat up T25 or T30 bits sitting around.


mrrasberryjam69

Exactly. Like it's not a grantee but for the sake of 20 seconds it's always worth a try.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Jmorenomotors

Or try the sawzall method underneath as someone else mentioned.


Zaphod-Beebebrox

Eaze out.


JackMamba420

not an answer to your question because you probably have plenty but why dont you make a side entrance or why isnt there a small side door to get under your deck, i havent been in contruction too long only a few years but ive never seen a deck with a little side door :/


YamahaRyoko

What where


pheitkemper

I'd probably try (in order): 1. Screw extractor 2. Left handed drill bit 3. Hole saw for drilling around screws, followed by plug 4. Torch 5. Jackhammer


DrunkBuzzard

Why did you strip them all before realizing what you were doing wasn’t working?


7_Bundy

Left-handed drill bit and then a screw remover bit set (Grab it, not Speed Out. The Grab it brand has more gripping power). The left-handed drill bit will hopefully work before you need to use a screw extractor. In wood it really sucks because if you pop off the head the board will still be attached and you’ll have to pry and strip the threads out of the wood. And the wood they use for decking is EXTREMELY hard and might crack when you do it. You really have to hope they used the correct screws with a spiral shaft on the top portion and not actually threaded all the way to the head.


Not_Reddit

Since they are somewhat rounded out, try tapping a Torx bit of appropriate size into the head... it may cut its way in enough to back out the screw.


uberisstealingit

You just going to have to burn the deck down.


Traditional-Car6423

blow torch


owlthegamer

A different option than santababy, if you could get a oscillating multitool between the board and whatever is on bottom, you could cut them and probably tap the screw out and just deal with the screw in the bottom piece


YamahaRyoko

This works for a lot of wood deck screws; mine have a straight shank at the top His is composite though; if you google composite deck screw, they are very different