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Stripped a screw head on my old windows trying to swap latches
I was replacing the latches on my 1980s casement windows in the North Valley last weekend. One screw was so stuck I ended up stripping the head with my cheap drill bit. Took me two hours with a screw extractor kit to get it out, and I learned to always use a fresh bit on old hardware. Anyone else run into this with older windows here?
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eva_garcia561mo ago
Honestly, I gotta disagree a bit. I've done this a ton on my old place and a fresh bit helps but a good impact driver with a #2 square bit has saved me way more times than a screw extractor ever did. Tbh, once you strip it that bad, you're better off just drilling the head off from the start.
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grant.margaret1mo ago
Those square bits are lifesavers on old hardware. Read somewhere that a little heat from a soldering iron on the screw can loosen it up too. Never tried it myself but something to keep in mind for next time.
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