Trim a Screw to Length Without Ruining the Threads, Using Your Wire Strippers

The Problem

Sometimes the fix for a stripped screw hole is a replacement screw with a similar thread — but it's too long for the spot. Cutting it to length with pliers or a diagonal cutter crushes the threads right at the cut end, so the screw won't thread back in cleanly.

The Technique

1. Check your wire strippers or crimping tool — most models have a small screw-cutting hole built into the jaws, often marked with a few different sizes.
2. Thread the screw into the hole that matches its diameter, up to the point where you want the cut.
3. Twist and snap it off there, the way the tool is designed to be used — this shears the screw cleanly instead of crushing the threads the way a diagonal cutter would.
4. The cut end threads in cleanly, since the threads right up to the cut point are undamaged.