Removing rusted wood screws

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ovenpaa

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Lincolnshire Wolds
I spotted an old 'Salmen Master Grade' cabinet the other day, delivered for £20.00 which seemed like a good idea at the time. My plan was to restore it and hang it on the wall for my everyday tools and today I started to break it down to sand, varnish etc.

A few things have become apparent, it will need a new back, not an issue as it is 5/16" ply so easily replaced. It has been partly painted which will means it may have soaked in, but the biggest issue is the construction is with steel screws and they have rusted... So does anyone have tips for removing rusted wood screws from plywood please?
 

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Hi from just round the corner I presume – Caistor, I imagine they are slot head but it doesn’t really make any difference, the trick I have always found is obviously have the right size screwdriver and put it into the screw and then hit the top of the screwdriver with a hammer this helps to break the bond/rust to wood. Some say then tighten the screw slightly prior to undoing it. Try it it won’t hurt. Best of luck with that Ian
 
Cabinetman - Binbrook so not that far. A careful clout with a good fitting screwdriver is reasonably successful however I have snapped a couple off. They are the ones that hold terry spring clips in place so I can always move the clip over by a few mm. It is flat packed now, the carcass is hard wood, the back panel ply and the doors ply with hardwood top and bottom so it should come up reasonably OK. The dark patch is a dab of stock oil so will easily lift with acetone. I will probably finish it with boiled linseed oil as it is the preferred finish for a lot of the older things I work with.
 

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Clean the slot. Good fitting screwdriver. Hit screwdriver with hammer and turn anti clockwise at same time - a primitive impact driver - but effective.
 
Ps.
Cabinetman - Binbrook so not that far. A careful clout with a good fitting screwdriver is reasonably successful however I have snapped a couple off. They are the ones that hold terry spring clips in place so I can always move the clip over by a few mm. It is flat packed now, the carcass is hard wood, the back panel ply and the doors ply with hardwood top and bottom so it should come up reasonably OK. The dark patch is a dab of stock oil so will easily lift with acetone. I will probably finish it with boiled linseed oil as it is the preferred finish for a lot of the older things I work with.
Crikey they must have been quite rusty to snap, but it sounds like you’ll get round it. No not far, I like Binbook, one of my pieces is a massive slice of oak tree as a memorial bench up at the old airfield, quite a sad story to it, it was commissioned by an old lady who's Australian boyfriend just didn’t come back from a Lancaster bomber raid and she didn’t know why for quite a long time.
Her husband died and she got to thinking about the old days and commissioned the bench. It was very touching as it was unveiled. Ian
 
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