I have stripped more screws than I want to admit. There is nothing worse than the final screw in a piece of furniture rounding out, leaving you staring at a driver that just spins.

Then a friend showed me the rubber band trick, and it has saved every stripped screw I have met since. The fix is a rubber band and thirty seconds.

The rubber band trick

Lay a wide rubber band flat over the stripped screw head. Push your screwdriver into the screw through the rubber band, and turn slowly. The rubber fills the gaps in the stripped head and gives the driver something to grip.

Why it works

A stripped head is just a head that lost its grip. The rubber band adds friction between the driver and the metal, so the screw turns instead of the driver spinning free. It works on Phillips and flat head screws.

Press hard and go slow

The secret is pressure. Push the driver in firmly while you turn, and keep the speed slow. Fast twisting makes the rubber slip. Slow and steady gets the screw out.

Use the right size driver

A driver that is too small is why screws strip in the first place. Use the largest bit that fits the head snugly. If the screw is already stripped, try a size up before reaching for the rubber band.

Other rescue tricks

If the rubber band is not enough, try a drop of super glue on the driver tip, or a screw extractor bit from a hardware store. Heat from a soldering iron on the screw head can also loosen a seized screw. And for a stubborn one, pliers on the screw head edges work when it sticks out.

Prevent stripping next time

Use the right driver, press straight in, and do not use power tools at full speed on small screws. Hand drive the first few turns, then switch to the drill.

My furniture projects go smoothly now because I keep a rubber band in the toolbox. The last stripped screw came out in twenty seconds, and I did not even swear.