How do I remove molly-bolts from sheetrock?
Andrew Siegel
only way I can envision it is to unscrew the screw most of the way,
and then hammer it back into the wall, hopefully straightening out
the "leaves" of the bolt. I'm just afraid that in doing this I will
either strip the threads or break off the bottom of the bolt entirely.
Is there an easier way?
--
Andrew Siegel D. E. Shaw & Co., New York, NY
bond!a...@cmcl2.nyu.edu (212)478-0231
Charles Young
want to re-use your molly bolts.
Bob Haar
|>How do I go about pulling expanded molly-bolts from sheetrock? The
|>only way I can envision it is to unscrew the screw most of the way,
|>and then hammer it back into the wall, hopefully straightening out
|>the "leaves" of the bolt. I'm just afraid that in doing this I will
|>either strip the threads or break off the bottom of the bolt entirely.
|>Is there an easier way?
|>
Some of the plastic variety will collapse and pull out if you
remove the screw. The kind with spring loaded metal "wings" are
impossible to remove - just take out the screw and let the wings
fall down inside the wall. The kind that have a metal sleeve with
sides that fold out when you tighten the screw are a lost cause.
The only thing I have every been able to do with them is to pound
them below the wall surface (use a punch or nail set and hit
carefully with a hammer) and then patch the hole.
---
Robert Haar InterNet : rh...@gmr.com
Computer Science Dept., G.M. Research Laboratories
DISCLAIMER: Unless indicated otherwise, everything in this note is
personal opinion, not an official statement of General Motors Corp.
Thomas P. Chmara
|> Some of the plastic variety will collapse and pull out if you
|> remove the screw. The kind with spring loaded metal "wings" are
|> impossible to remove - just take out the screw and let the wings
|> fall down inside the wall. The kind that have a metal sleeve with
|> sides that fold out when you tighten the screw are a lost cause.
|> The only thing I have every been able to do with them is to pound
|> them below the wall surface (use a punch or nail set and hit
|> carefully with a hammer) and then patch the hole.
Actually, the last type are the ones I use for heavy loads, and have had great
success just putting the screw back in again and tapping it with a hammer (okay,
so sometimes it takes some pretty aggressive tapping). The "wings" *do*
straighten out pretty well, enough to be pulled out from the wall leaving a
hole about 50% bigger than you originally drilled to put it in (i.e. pretty
reasonable).
---tpc---
--
I am sole owner of the above opinions. These opinions are furnished without
warranty or liability expressed or implied. Your mileage may vary.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Chmara, P.Eng.| INTERNET: t...@bnr.ca | Fone: (613)765-2925
BNR Ltd. | | FAX: (613)763-2626
Robert L Zalusky
>In article <84...@rphroy.ph.gmr.com>, rh...@albert.cs.gmr.com (Bob Haar) writes:
>|> Some of the plastic variety will collapse and pull out if you
>|> remove the screw. The kind with spring loaded metal "wings" are
>|> impossible to remove - just take out the screw and let the wings
>|> fall down inside the wall. The kind that have a metal sleeve with
>|> sides that fold out when you tighten the screw are a lost cause.
>|> The only thing I have every been able to do with them is to pound
>|> them below the wall surface (use a punch or nail set and hit
>|> carefully with a hammer) and then patch the hole.
I usually just drill out the moly. Pounding creates a good possibility
for the dreaded *oops* disease.
--
The opinions expressed are my own. Control Data corporation is
not responsible or knowledgable about them.
Bob Zalusky
Internet: r...@svl.cdc.com
Phone: (408) 496-4374
gilbert.m.stewart
> Keep on unscrewing until the wings fall off into your wall. Unless you
> want to re-use your molly bolts.
I think the term "molly bolts" was originally referring to the type
that expand behind the wall and anchor themselves. The type that
have wings that are spring-loaded will fall down, but the type
I'm talking about are generally removed by simply tapping them with
a hammer and drift (or nail or screwdriver or whatever) through the
wall and patching the ~3/8" resultant hole. Just about everyone
I've seen remove these "mollys" uses this method. The hole makes
little difference, since you will have the original hole made for
the molly's installation in the first place. Whatever you do, DON'T
do what I've seen some people do, and that's attempt to pull or
screw the molly out. That will cause you to dislike yourself and
be berated by bystanders.
GMS
werner.baumgartner
>Keep on unscrewing until the wings fall off into your wall. Unless you
>want to re-use your molly bolts.
You are confusing molly-bolts with toggle-bolts. The former grip the wall
from both sides and are non-removable. It is best to just dimple them into
the wall with a hammer and spackle the dent. The latter have the spring-wings
and leave just a hole when unscrewed completely.
Werner B.
Peter Brooks
three step process.
1) Unscrew the bolt section, all the way.
2) Take a drill and drill off the head of the
molly fastener. I've used 3/8" for most stuff.
Be careful and slow. You just want to separate
the head from the body. The objective is to
avoid screwing up the plaster.
3) Insert a pin (the old bolt will do) and
*gently* tap the remains of the body. It should
fall into the wall or at least be out of the
way.
4) I lied. Fill the hole with spackle and paint.
Hope this helps!
Pete Brooks
Dick Lucas
screw, and then drill out the center with a 1/4 inch drill. This cuts off
the top flange and then you can push the rest of the anchor through and it
will drop down into the wall. (no big deal) Now you can patch the hole with
patching plaster and refinish the wall. If you attempt to force the
anchor back through the wall, or try to straighten out the expanded leaves
of the anchor by backing out the screw and then pounding on it, you will
just tear a 1 inch patch of sheetrock out.
If you do end up with a large hole, the simplest way to patch it is to
put a string through a piece of cardboard which is much longer than the hole is
wide, but is narrow enough to fit through the hole. Insert this cardboard
through the hole, and hold it inplace by keeping the string taut. Now you can
push filler into the hole and it won't fall through. For this type of job,
use patching plaster, not joint compound, as it hardens quickly. After the
plaster hardens, cut off the string and finish the surface.
Jim McMaster
you should NOT poll out molly bolts. They leave a big, hard-to-patch
hole no matter how you do it.
He said to use a hammer and punch to drive them slightly below the
surface of the drywall. Then use drywall mud or spackle to patch the
shallow depression. Much easier...I tried it later, and he was right.
Jim McMaster
Jim McMaster
YO...@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Charles Young) writes:
>want to re-use your molly bolts.
entirely.
Jim McMaster
Geoffrey Hazel
>want to re-use your molly bolts.
There is a difference between Molly screws and toggle bolts. Toggle bolts are
two parts, a bolt and a butterfly nut. The butterfly is folded, pushed through
a hole in the sheetrock, and then springs open inside. This is removed by
simply unscrewing the bolt. Re-use is ususally impossible, as the butterfly drops down; and
and besides, how would you fold it up and fish it out through that little hole?
Spend the .39 and buy another one.
Now, a Molly screw is also two parts, but the "nut" half has a flange that
stays on the outside of the sheetrock, and the bolt draws the back of the
"nut" half toward that flange, expanding the sides, which clamp down on
the inside of the sheetrock. The bolt is then removed, put through a hole
in whatever is being hung, and then re-screwed into the fixed anchor in
the wall.
Now, removing these is not a trivial task. No matter what you do, it's going
to leave a mark or hole on the wall. My suggestion is to take a tool
and hammer the anchor into the rock about 1/4", then fill the dent with
spackle or FixAll or whatever. This way, you have something to back up the
hole with. If it goes all the way in and leaves a huge 5/8" hole, then just
plug it up with same filler as above. Recommend two fills so it holds tight
and dries flat.
I don't know of a good way to dis-assemble a Molly anchor already in the wall.
--
Geoff Hazel | Haven't you got some real work to get
gah...@bcsaic.boeing.com | done now?
Andrew Siegel
probably saved me hours of frustration in trying to remove old molly-bolts.
Eric Jacobson
>only way I can envision it is to unscrew the screw most of the way,
>and then hammer it back into the wall, hopefully straightening out
>the "leaves" of the bolt. I'm just afraid that in doing this I will
>either strip the threads or break off the bottom of the bolt entirely.
>Is there an easier way?
>
them though. So who cares if it breaks off and falls into the wall (which
has happened to me...) You're going to need to patch, and the idea is to
get rid of the flange of the expanding bolt.
Good luck...
--
Eric Jacobson - jaco...@rrdtc.donnelley.com - Lisle, Illinois | Taste, chew,
I express my own (not my employer's) opinions. | _and_ enjoy!
Jim Tanner
I use a suitably sized drill bit (or better yet, a countersink bit) in an
electric drill. I use the bit to drill away the metal shoulder where the
metal tube that enters the wall joins the flange that sits on the wall
surface. Then you simply push the metal tube into the wall, leaving just
the original hole through which the Molly bolt was installed. A similar
technique works well for removing tubular rivets. The problem that some-
times arises is that the Molly bolt (or rivet) will turn along with the
bit instead of staying put. Then you either find a way to hold it still
(with a pair of pliers, say, grabbing the flange), or try a high-speed
grindstone bit that can grind away the shoulder (the high speed of a Dremel-
like tool, under light pressure, lets the inertia of the Molly bolt hold
it still).
| |
<-- surface | wall | inside -->
| |
flange --> || | /\
\--------/ \
drill here --> | <-- expanded Molly bolt
shoulder --> /--------\ /
|| | \/
| |
| |
Michael Browner
On the cheap aluminum (sp?) mollies, you remove the screw, and then pop off the
heade or plate with a screwdriver, it was designed for this. Then push the
remaining part into the wall. It easier then trying to save the molly. Also
you only have to patch a small hole.
--
Michael Browner bro...@sun1.interlan.com or
(305) 846-6848 bro...@rd1.interlan.com
Racal-Milgo, MS E-142,
P.O.Box 407044, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33340