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A stripped screw is a screw in which the head has become worn or damaged to the point where the tip of a screwdriver or the driver bit of a drill has difficulty gripping the screw in order to turn it.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve talked before about how to address the problem and remove stripped screws<\/a>.<\/p>\n But as the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.<\/p>\n What can you do to prevent stripped screws in the first place?<\/p>\n Below we provide some tips\/useful reminders on preventing screws from stripping.<\/p>\n A screw can become stripped in several ways.<\/p>\n The \u201cdrive\u201d of a screw \u2014 its recessed socket \u2014 can be damaged from the screw being repeatedly screwed in and out or from the screw being overtightened.<\/p>\n Screws also frequently strip due to \u201ccam-out.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s cam-out, you ask?<\/p>\n Cam-out is when a drill bit slips out of the screw\u2019s drive\/socket while you\u2019re drilling.<\/p>\n When a drill\u2019s driver bit cams out of the fastener\u2019s head, it usually keeps spinning hundreds of times before you let go of the trigger. As the bit continues to spin while not securely locked into the screw\u2019s socket, it strips out pieces of its metal. Do that enough times, and you\u2019ve got yourself a stripped screw that\u2019s harder for your screwdriver\/drill to grip, and thus turn and extract.<\/p>\n So to prevent stripped screws, you want to prevent cam-out; here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n Use the Correct Bit Size for Your Screw.<\/strong> You\u2019d think this would be a no-brainer, but a lot of cam-out happens because someone uses a driver bit that\u2019s either too big or too small for the screw\u2019s socket. To ensure you get a proper lock between bit and screw, use the correct size bit!<\/p>\n If the box says the screw is a #2 screw, use a #2 screw bit.<\/p>\n It should indeed be a no-brainer.<\/p>\n Get Rid of Beat-Up Driver Bits.<\/strong> Related to using the correct bit size for your screw, is discarding old, beat-up driver bits. When a bit wears out, it loses its ability to get a secure lock in the screw, and cam-out results.<\/p>\n If you notice that you\u2019re getting a lot of cam-out while driving in a screw, try swapping in a new bit. It might be just the thing you need.<\/p>\n Apply Adequate and Constant Pressure.<\/strong> When driving a screw with a power drill, you don\u2019t want to put the drill on its fastest speed, but you do need to apply plenty of pressure. This will help prevent the driver from skipping out of the screw\u2019s head, thus preventing cam-out and screw stripping.<\/p>\n Create a Pilot Hole.<\/strong> Construction screws will usually go into wood smooth as butter. But there are times when you\u2019re driving a screw into wood that the screw gets stuck, leading to cam-out. To prevent that, drill a pilot hole for your screw. Get a drill bit that\u2019s slightly smaller than the screw and drill a hole. Place screw tip in hole and drive.<\/p>\n Besides reducing cam-out (and thus screw stripping), drilling pilot holes can help prevent the wood from splitting while you\u2019re driving the screw in.<\/p>\nHow to Prevent Stripped Screws<\/h2>\n
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