By Micah Summers
Sometimes the coolest tools come in small packages. And sometimes the most valuable tools are not those that help create, but those that help undo. This week’s tool is both of these things: the screw extractor.

Anyone who has spent a decent amount of time taking things apart or rebuilding them has come across that one stubborn fastener that just won’t come out. Whether it's a poor quality screw or a worn out screwdriver bit, it can be all too easy to strip a screw head and render your tool useless in removing the now rather permanent fastener. Of course, the best way to deal with stripped screws is to avoid them altogether, which is great if you can manage it. Learning to recognize when a fastener or screw is about to strip, though, is actually a subtle skill that only comes with practice and a little bit of luck. When your luck run outs, these screw extractor bits come to the rescue.

The extractor bit comes in various sizes to fit all the fasteners you might like to remove and looks essentially like a coarsely threaded screw but with the threads themselves hardened and reversed in direction. This design enables them to more easily bite into metal and remain in place.

The first step in the process is typically to drill a small hole, slightly smaller than the corresponding extractor bit, through the head of the fastener. The extractor bit is then inserted into the drilled hole and slowly turned counter-clockwise with a tap holder, vise-grips, or normal pliers. This causes the reversed threads to bore down into the fastener, get a good grip, and easily pull that stubborn nuisance on out to safety. The whole process is usually quick and simple but anyone that's ever used a screw extractor can tell you just how much frustration these modest little bits can prevent.

Among its thousands of other tools of all types and sizes, The West Seattle Tool Library has a couple sets of extractor bits that should be able to remove almost all common screws. So, if stripped screws are giving you a hard time, drop in to the Tool Library and check these bits out. They should save you a good bit of time and a whole lot of sanity.

The Tool Library is located at The South Seattle Community College Garden Center and open on Saturdays from 9am-2pm and Sundays from 1-5pm. For more information, visit sustainablewestseattle.org/tool-library.

And, if you still need a last-minute gift-idea, pay-what-you-can Tool Library Gift Memberships are now available online! http://www.sustainablewestseattle.org/tool-library/holiday-gift-members…

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