How to unscrew door handle with damaged screw?

[Nic_N]

Hi guys, how best to remove the screws so I can replace with a lockable handle? They all appear damaged although it's a new build.

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Nic_N. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about removing a door handle.

That is disappointing and will make it difficult to remove the handle. I'd suggest you try a screw extractor to remove the screws with a stripped head. Personally, I'd just skip straight to drilling the screw out since you'll be replacing the handle anyway. You want to drill in the middle of the screw head and try to drill out right down the shank. I recommend using a cobalt drill bit as it's less likely to blunt during the process and will cut better.

Let me mention the knowledgeable @TedBear to see if he has any thoughts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[TedBear]

Hi @Nic_N 

it could be worth trying putting a thick rubber band into the screw slot and then pressing a screw driver head firmly into the rubber band whilst turning it.

If the the driver goes straight through the rubber band, try doubling it over to get extra thickness.

At worst you'll have sacrificed a rubber band, but sometimes it get enough grip to get the screw started.

If you can get the head undone to be clear of the body of the door handle, you can then use a pair of pliers on it to finish the job.