Smoother Screw Driving

Holding Power - Before you drive a screw you should dip the screwdriver blade tip into a small mound worth of scouring powder, or perhaps dig it into a carpenter's chalk cone. The coating of the cleanser or the chalk is going to make it easier for you to keep the tool in the screw slot, increasing holding power for more efficient and smoother driving.

Magnetic Tip - In order to start screws in places that are tight, you should make use of a magnetized type of screwdriver. You can buy a screwdriver that has been factory magnetized for you, or you can magnetize a screwdriver your own self by dragging the blade of the screwdriver across a magnetic in the same direction several times. To prevent this new charge from draining out of your magnetized screwdriver, you should keep it away from all other metal objects. The screwdriver that you magnetize at home should be able to hold its charge for around a week. In order to remove the magnetization from the tool, simply drag it over the same magnet but in the opposite direction instead.

Lube Job - You will have a much easier time driving your screw if you lube it up by pulling its threads across beeswax, a bar of soap, paste wax or some lip balm. Dipping a screw completely in linseed oil will not only ease the job when you drive it, but it will also help to prevent rust on the screw in the future.

Get a Grip - Another way that you can get a screw started in a difficult place is to push the screw through a piece of adhesive tape's sticky side, then insert the screw driver into your slot and wrap the tape up and around the screw driver's blade. Another option is simply to dab a little bit of rubber cement right on the head of the screw.

Hammer Time - Although it has been said that you should not ever hit a screw using a hammer, if you lightly tap a screw with a hammer when it is almost in place, it will cause the fibers of the wood to slant downward and compress against the threads of the screw. When the screw receives its final tightening, the bite that it achieves will be better.

Using Brass Screws - Brass screws may be attractive fasteners but they are fragile because their metal is so soft. In order to avoid this particular problem, you should drill a pilot hole, then use a screw that is steel but is the same size as the brass one, driving it into the hole instead. Now remove the steel screw from the wall, use soap to lubricate the end of the brass one, and drive it home.

Shellac Use - Finally, to keep a screw from becoming loosened as a result of vibrations, dab a little bit of shellac underneath the head of the screw. If you have to remove the screw later you can simply break the shellac by pressing firmly on your screwdriver while removing your screw.

Photo Credits: baboon™

Originally posted 2009-09-03 03:54:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Fixing a Leaky Faucet At best, a leaking faucet is more than capable of being annoying. At worst, a leaking faucet is capable of being extremely wasteful. The sound of water as it continuously drips into a sink can be completely maddening over time. Luckily, the fix required for repairing a leaky faucet is......
• Repairing Damaged Drywall Sheets of drywall are generally quite strong, but they are only made out of gypsum plaster that has been pressed between two sheets of thick paper. The thing that ensures rigidity is the kiln drying process. The basic construction of the drywall allows for it to be inexpensive as well......
• Screws and Screwdrivers 101 Handling your Tools with Care Treat Your Tools Right - When you are using a screwdriver for a purpose that it was not meant for, you are risking causing damage to the tool as well as to yourself. You should try not to use the screwdriver as if it were......
• Tools for the Carpenter The well versed carpenter has many tools in his possession to help with his or her trade. Without these proper tools, the carpenter can not do his task or complete their project. Those new to the hobby will want to find and buy all at once the tools that are......
• Screws and Screwdrivers 104 Reusing and Adapting Screws Renew a Screw - When you remove and reseat a Phillips head or slotted screw, the result is often a slot that has become damaged, especially when the screwdriver blade did not fit into the slot properly in the first place. If you do not have......

Related Websites

• Benefits of Hybrid Diesel Cars Now that gasoline prices are soaring, many more people are beginning to opt for hybrid diesel cars and ordinary diesel powered cars as well. If you are one of the types of drivers that has appreciation for a diesel engine in place of a regular, ordinary gasoline engine, then one......
• The Trombone - a Jazz Instrument that Slides A member of the brass family, the trombone is a wind instrument that is played much in the same way as other brass instruments. The lips are pursed and the musician blows into the mouthpiece in order to create sound. The trombone is unique in that it features a slide......
• Hunting Outdoors There is no shortage of specialized equipment that is available to hunters when it comes to hunting their chosen prey throughout the year. There are a number of different variables that determine what equipment a hunter is going to require including the animal that is being hunted, the setting where......
• Anatomy of an Acoustic Guitar The Bridge The bridge of a guitar is found between the middle and the end of the body, though generally very near the end of the body. Depending on your guitar, your strings may originate at the bridge, or they may just be supported by it. Most guitar bridges are......
• Better by Saturday: Driving By Greg Midland The Better by Saturday series of golf books is incredibly popular and thousands of golfers treat them like their bibles. While you may not actually be able to improve your game by next Saturday, you should be able to get quite a few tips that can help you become a......

Online Stores

• Home Pubs & Bars Bar Tools & Accessories Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store
• Mixed Sets & Lots Kitchen Tools & Gadgets Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store
• Sanders Air Tools Tools Home Improvement
• Pans Stainless Steel Cookware Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store
• Screwdrivers Power Tools Tools Home Improvement

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Handy Man, Tools

Tags:

adhesive tape, beeswax, blade tip, carpenter, chalk, fibers, hammer time, lip balm, magnet, magnetic tip, magnetization, paste wax, rubber cement, rust, scouring powder, screw driver, screw slot, screwdriver blade, screws, sticky side