Inspection pannel removal- painted over screws

[Dan]

The problem im faced with is obvoiusly one that all you mechanics out there face everyday just like me, but I'm curious if any of you have a good method of avoiding it. This problem deals with inspection plate screws that have been painted over or are just plain stuck. Painted-over fasteners are one of the most time consuming problems I'm faced with, from digging the paint out so the screwdriver will fit, to using an easy-out, I'm fed up with this. Is there some wounderful, life-saving remedy I dont know about for this ? I've tried several lubricants. I realize that it unrealistic to avoid painting over all these fasteners when giving the aircraft a new coat of paint, and painting over them probably helps seal them from the elements also, but what a pain!
Any advice is appreciated. Thank you, Dan

[appraiser]

On the transports we have to "knock out" almost every screw. That's a rivet gun powered screwknocker. Alway's use fresh apex bit's of the proper size, and of corse eye protection. You might get lucky with an impact wrench, but they tend to round out the screw head. Either way you need air tools, and an air compressor. As far as prevention and lubricants, remember that the screws sole pupose in life is to hold the panel on, about all that you can do is throw the old ones out and always reinstall with new hadware.
Also replace any damaged, loose or rusted out nutplates. The extra time it takes to change out the nutplate will be worth it one day in the heat or cold when you'll be able to pull the panel off without and stuck screws.

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[Austin]

You can buy cutters at most aviation tooling supply companies with different sized bits for the common structural and non-structural screw sizes. The cutter makes a nice clean cut in the paint around the screw head and allows you to remove the screw. If you don't cut a freshly painted-over screw first, when you remove the screw you are probably going to chip and remove paint around the screw head.... not a nice thing to do to someone who's just paid top dollar for a professional paint job!