Stripped deck screw removal

While replacing some popped bungs, I've found some screws that have the slots 'bunged' up. Can't screw them in or out. I know there is a tool, like a small hole saw, that can cut a hole around the screw but I don't know what it's called.


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try left handed drill bits first if trying to retain the same hole.

The screws are way too small try to back out.


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Sometimes a flat head screwdriver shoved under the head helps me out.

different tools with different results....


what exactly are you looking to do?

If you have enough of the head exposed try to chuck the screw in the drill. Then slowly reverse it out.

I use this type of screw extractor. One end is a left drill and the other end fits the hole. Square drive often will work with just the extractor.
Available at Sears, Amazon and Ebay. Probably others.

I've used 'Un-Screw-Ums" Basically the same as the screw extractors mentioned above. They're simply roll pins that have been sharpened on the end with teeth that cut in reverse. They'll gnaw down the screw shank, if there is one remaining, until they grab the remains and wind it out. They don't work if there's any head left; you'll have drilled/ground/cut it off. It's devilishly hard to get the remains of the screw out of the extractor! You'll have to unchuck the extractor and drive the remains out with a suitable pin.

That blathered, I have only dealt with bronze screws, from about #6 x 1" to #10 x 2 1/2". Some were mostly copper dust, some were still metal, most were head-impaired (and thus tougher to drill the head off), and a minor percentage were complete and removable with a screwdriver.

I fear the removing of 100s of itty-bitty stainless screws would be a different project.

Pic is a 1950's Flying Dutchman. I removed all screws and replaced 'em with Mahogany dowels epoxied in. (I had previously stripped the longitudinal veneer.) There were oodles of screws, of various sizes, and of various ages due to the PO's repairs, along the centerline. There were bronze boat nails along the stem which defied removal.

These SS screws set in my teak deck. The bungs are 3/8. I don't want to make the holes any bigger


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The screws should be a #8 ×1". I've replaced more than a few. Short of punching the screw into the plywood subdeck, which I do not recommend. One of extractors mentioned should work.

If you bugger the old plug 3/8" hole, don't hesitate to over drill and use a 1/2" plug. Once the plug ages, you won't see the difference.

meridian said:

These SS screws set in my teak deck. The bungs are 3/8. I don't want to make the holes any bigger


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Click to expand...

Post #7

Aren't those exactly what you are looking for?

Don't remove it just glue in a new bung using an epoxy glue.

If you can develop the skill and patience to remove a damaged head, you should be well able to stay within the 3/8" bung dia. The problem will be in having the drill/grind method you choose staying on center of the shank of the screw...not damaging the surrounding Teak...hundreds of times.

The Teak on our boats is bonded to the fiberglass with tenacious old sealant/glue. I think you could eliminate all screws, drill/countersink, epoxy the holes in the 'glass, and rebung with an epoxied bung or even Teak-dust-thickened epoxy and be done with the problems until the Teak wears through to the sealant/glue.

Using straight epoxy as filler resulted (on our boat) with the filler standing proud of the Teak (PO's repairs).

I've saved sanding dust of several different wood species. I use the dust and mix it into epoxy for filler. Wet out the holes and use as stiff a mix of dust and epoxy as you can manage.

I filled the thousands of staple holes in the reveneered Flying Dutchman by troweling in a Mahogany dust - epoxy mix. Worked wonderfully well.

I've even filled nail holes in removed Oak strip flooring with such a mix and nailed it back down right through the filled nail holes. The wood dust crushes enough to make room for the nail and it holds fine.

needle nose vise grip pliers.

The few I have had to fix, I have done as HDeckrotte suggests, with good results.

"needle nose vise grip pliers."

YES,,,,, with a bit of love at the grinding wheel these can be slimmed down to a very modest size, and still unscrew a wood screw..

Deck Pugs may need removal in the future .

The easy way is with a steel screw driven down the center

Varnish will seal the plug and do far less damage than epoxy when its removed. .

Plus...if you ever go to remove the deck...all those bungs epoxied in will take so much longer to get out.


It is because now each one has to be removed by hand versus a drill.


Sure there are a mix of either or...but when I pulled my deck, I swore constantly at the PO for epoxying all those bungs that he did over the years.

psneeld said:

Plus...if you ever go to remove the deck...all those bungs epoxied in will take so much longer to get out.


It is because now each one has to be removed by hand versus a drill.


Sure there are a mix of either or...but when I pulled my deck, I swore constantly at the PO for epoxying all those bungs that he did over the years.

Click to expand...

If there is even a next time you have to do that, just use a flat faced Forstner bit to drill the plugs out. Doesn't damage the screw head and makes fast work of the plug no matter how what it's been set in.

"just use a flat faced Forstner bit to drill the plugs out"

What does hitting the screw do to the center cutting portion of the Forstner drill bit?

meridian said:

While replacing some popped bungs, I've found some screws that have the slots 'bunged' up. Can't screw them in or out.


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Click to expand...

What exactly do you mean by that? If the slots are full of whatever, you can use a small pick ( I used an eyeglass screwdriver ) to clear them out. PIA, but doable. For spinners, I cleared out the slots and used a drop of superglue to glue a bit into the slots. Then I could apply slight upward force while backing off the screw. If the slots are totally shot, use, drill off the head and use a hollow extractor for the shank. And yeah, I agree with the drill out the screw hole, drill your bung hole deeper with a countersink or Forstner bit, fill with thickened epoxy and then the bung. Of course if I owned a Hinckley, it would be different. But a 30 year old Taiwan trawler with 8,000 hrs.........

FF said:

"just use a flat faced Forstner bit to drill the plugs out"

What does hitting the screw do to the center cutting portion of the Forstner drill bit?

Click to expand...

After a while it dulls it. But I've sharpened it with a file.

One trick to keeping the bit sharp is as soon as you feel it hit the screw stop drilling.

It's not necessarily the best method for removing a hundred screws. But it does work well and leaves a clean hole. It also works well to drill out an existing plug and make an oversize hole if need be by using a larger size bit.

Well, that about covers it. I just did my own veranda deck and had to use nearly every method mentioned above to remove about a hundred screws with missing bungs. About a dozen wouldn't back out but the reverse drill extractors allowed a small degree of up- force to remove. If I could get the screw head just above the hole, I grabbed it with channel locks. There were a few that left gouges in the teak which I filled with epoxy, thickened with wood dust other than teak (teak is too dark). Only twice did I need a larger bung...no issue really, and like was mentioned above, age will hide. My deck is not perfect, the bungs are all shades of wood, and I think it looks better and more natural that way.

I use an electricians screw driver. The flat blade is split so the blade will becomes wider and grasps the screw. We can buy at most electrical strores commrrcial stores. North coast electronic in Puget sound area. Does not damage the deck.