Stripped Screw Heads

Have you ever snapped off or stripped the head of a screw while trying to force it into hardwood?

Before screwing into hardwood you should always pre-drill a "pilot hole".

A pilot hole should generally be about ½ the diameter of the screw in hard woods and ¼ in softer woods.

Sometimes even with a good pilot hole, a stubborn screw will refuse to go any further.

To solve this simply rub a little moist bar soap or paraffin wax on the threads to act as a lubricant. A little lubricant will make the job a lot easier.

This is especially useful with soft metal screws such as brass and aluminum.

There are not as many slot type screws used these days, they are the ones that were more likley to be stripped. If you used a slot screwdriver which had slightly rounded edges or if you not square to your work, you would end up with a stripped screw head.

Note: Do not use oil or grease as these products may leach out into and stain the wood.