How to Get a Toggle Bolt out Without Dropping It

A toggle bolt is a heavy-duty wall anchor used to hang items weighing up to 50 pounds. To mount a toggle bolt, you first drill a pilot hole in the wall the same diameter as the bolt. The retractable wings fold in on themselves as you push the bolt through the hole then open to hold the bolt firmly in place. If you unscrew the bolt from the wings, the wings fall back behind your wall. This is not cause for concern unless you wish to reuse the toggle bolt. In that case, you need to remove all the parts without damaging them.

Ruler
Drywall saw
Drywall patch kit

Instructions

- 1
  Place a ruler next to the toggle bolt's head, horizontal on the wall. Center the head at the 1 1/2 inch mark. Place a mark on the wall at the top of the ruler and at the 3 inch mark. Turn the ruler to run parallel next to the toggle bolt's head. Center the head at the 1 1/2 inch mark and place a mark on the wall at the 0 inch mark and at the 3 inch mark.
- 2
  Draw a square around the toggle bolt's head using the marks you just made. The toggle bolt's head should be centered in the square.
- 3
  Push the tip of a drywall saw through one of the square's corners. Push and pull the saw in a sawing motion to cut through the drywall, following the lines you made. Cut the entire square out of the drywall. Hold onto the square while you cut along the last line so it does not fall behind the wall.
- 4
  Grasp the toggle bolt's wings with a pair of pliers and use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the bolt. Place a drywall patch on the square you cut out and follow the manufacturer's directions to repair the hole.

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