Removing metal rawlplugs

[Newman]

What is the best method of removing metal rawlplugs with minimal damage to a plasterboard wall. They look to be a very old design with possibly collapsed wings behind the plasterboard.

Regards

[Harry Bloomfield]

Newman formulated on Monday :

I doubt you can, without making the hole much bigger, they normally have collapsing wings, to brace behind the board. Best to just punch them inside.

[Huge]

IME, there isn't any way to remove them without damage. In the past I've pushed them all the way through so they've fallen down behind the p'board.

[rmlaws54]

they used to be called 'molly screws' IIRC. they splay out behind the plas terboard.

one thing to try is to screw in the screw, but only a little s oas tpo leav e an inch or so of thread projecting into the room. then push or tap the sc rew so as to unsplay the wings inside. Then pull it out by prizing out and then grabbing the front flange, don't pull the screw.

Robert

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Carefully drill down the middle with a drill a couple of mm bigger than the screw hole. To remove the flange with minimal damage to the plaster board. Then punch the remains into the wall, once the flange has come off. If it has collapsing wings, likely quite soft steel.

Same sort of idea as removing a pop rivet.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes indeed, many partition walls are probably full of debris of old fixings at floor or baton level! Brian

[newshound]

That will make a biggish hole, or worse. Personally, I would try to drill them out with a drill about the same size as the original hole would have been. Using a cordless drill, gently at first, and a sharp bit.

[newshound]

+1, better description than mine!

[Rob Morley]

Would it not be easier (less likely to snag and tear the PB) to grind the flange off?

[newshound]

Some of them are aluminium, which drills better than it grinds. But I agree this is an option. I'd probably use a Dremel rather than a normal

115 mm grinder though.

[Newman]

Thanks to all for the hints.

I ended up tapping the screw to expand the wings sufficiently to pull the fixing out to a position where I was able to snap the flange off with pliers. I then pushed the rest back into the plasterboard. This left a very small hole to fill.

Regards

[newshound]

Good result. Multitool is also a good way to remove something inconvenient like a flange or screw head once you have clearance behind it (as long as you have a multitool!)