Tools · Skill 02 of 06
Use a Screwdriver Correctly
A screwdriver seems too simple to teach. It isn't. Using the wrong size or angle is how screws strip, hinges loosen and knobs never sit right again.
Companion
Most stripped screws are a size problem, not a strength problem.
- Screwdrivers in a few sizes
- Standard
- A six-piece set with three flat and three Phillips.
- Low cost
- A single 4-in-1 driver with reversible bits.
- Already have
- The small driver that came with flat-pack furniture.
- Something to practise on
- Standard
- A scrap board with a few screws started in it.
- Low cost
- An old cabinet door or drawer front.
- Already have
- The switch plate covers already on your wall (power stays on — you're only loosening a cover screw).
Safety
Never work on a screw in an outlet, switch or appliance panel while power is on. Turning off the light is not the same as turning off the circuit — that's electrician territory.
- 01Match the tip to the screwThe tip should sit fully in the head with no wobble. If it rocks side to side, it's too small — swap it before you turn, not after.
- 02Line up straightHold the driver in line with the screw, not tilted. An angled driver puts all the force on one edge of the slot, which is exactly how heads get chewed out.
- 03Push in, then turnPress firmly toward the screw while you turn. Roughly seventy percent push, thirty percent twist. The push is what keeps the tip seated.
- 04Righty tighty, lefty looseyClockwise tightens, counter-clockwise loosens. Say it out loud the first few times — it saves a lot of wasted effort.
- 05Stop when it's snugTighten until the screw is firm and the part doesn't move. Going past that strips wood, cracks plastic and makes the next repair harder.
- 06If it's already strippedPress a wide rubber band into the head and turn slowly, or step up one driver size. If the head is destroyed, stop and note it rather than drilling into something you don't understand.
Worth Knowing
- A magnetised tip holds the screw for you. Rub the tip on a fridge magnet a few times.
- Start every screw by hand for the first two turns so it doesn't go in crooked.