It's always a puzzle

[Greg Guarino]

I suppose, but there were 40 of them. Does anyone screw in pocket screws by hand?

[Leon]

Ok talk like that is going to get you shunned from this group. LOL

[Leon]

Only when that is the only way. I have actually used a 1/4" socket and

1/4" ratchet to turn the driver bit.

[Markem]

In MDF yes I do!

[HeyBub]

NiCads and, I think, Lithiums don't like to be over-charged. In fact, HF says not to leave the battery in their (bare-bones) charger more than seven hours.

The fix for this is to obtain a time-limited switch. I got mine from Amazon for ten bucks.

set it for six hours.

Plug the charger into this gizmo, insert the battery, and push the button. So far, my HF batteries have lasted WAY longer than previously.

[HeyBub]

Here's a right-angle attachement for a 3/8" drill ($20)

a right-angle drill ($18 less battery)

[Greg Guarino]

>>>>> Sonny

Not much, true, but you do have to keep the bit in the screw head. I think that's easier to do by pushing on the "butt" end of the adapter, rather than gripping the narrow cylinder of the flex shaft. Easier to keep it lined up properly too.

[Pat Barber]

You will learn that pocket hole screws bottom out very quickly and can spin quite easily. Depending on the wood, finishing with a ratchet driver is a better choice.

Plywood doesn't always grab the screws like you would expect.

The driver just spins them a little too hard at times.

[-MIKE-]

I always try to use a driver with a torque release. I get the proper setting on some test holes or the first couple holes of the project, then I hand tighten because I'm anal. :-)

One of the reasons I love Kreg pocket hole screws (and most generics) is because they design the threads so well for the material you are fastening. They even have a new thread designed for particle board.

I have found that it's pretty difficult to over tighten one of their fasteners, unless you're using a big-ass drill. I think those little

12volt compact drivers are the best tool for pocket screws.

[Larry Jaques]

>>>>>>> Sonny

With either powerdrive (phillips) or square (robertson) screws, I hardly have to press to keep the bit in the screw. If you do, you are buying the wrong bits, the wrong screws, or both. The 1-2# weight of the impact (or screw-) driver is enough to keep it in the socket.

-- Energy and persistence alter all things. --Benjamin Franklin

[-MIKE-]

For the 15% percent of the time you are driving a screw straight down. :-p

[Greg Guarino]

>>>>>>>>> Sonny

Variable trajectory gravity hasn't come to my neighborhood yet. :)

[Greg Guarino]

I'll keep that in mind, thanks. Despite my relative inexperience with real woodworking, I have developed a pretty good touch for driving screws with a drill. I didn't encounter any trouble with either the 40 pocket holes or the 20 or so screws I used to attach the decorative molding I used for the front panel.

I should add that, as recommended here, I tried the Kreg pocket screws out for a non-pocket application. They really do grab nicely. In this case it was the coarse variety.

[Jack]

issues...

> `Casper

I stupidly bought a Bosch angle drill,

would have rather had the Milwaukee attachment you guys are using. The Bosch is big and heavy, and I didn't need another big and heavy drill, I simply needed a nice, compact attachment like you have. Now I have yet another drill with yet more batteries. Not trashing the Bosch, it's a fine, but unneeded tool in my case. Also, from the pic, it looks like yours will fit in a tighter space than the Bosch angle drill. When I was buying, I saw a Milwaukee attachment but it was bigger and heavier than yours, or I would have went with that one.

PS, your "beehive" pic looks more like a hornets nest to me.

PS2, You don't have hardly any screwdrivers showing, I have close to a million, they proliferate like rabbits. I don't recall ever buying a screwdriver, yet...

PS3, Flex shafts suck, the ones I've used twist into a knot, usually wrapped around a finger or hand as soon as they face moderate resistance.

[Jack]

I like Philips over square heads, but I like torx over Philips. Only problem with torx is, like the square drive, it must match the driver. Philips gives you some slack. Still, if I were the screw god, I would change all screw heads on earth to torx.

[Greg Guarino]

issues...

>>>>> `Casper

That's one of the reasons I chose the attachment. Through various accidents of history I have seven drills already.

Now I have yet

Perhaps, but it is a two-handed operation. There are always trade-offs.

When I

I may revise the title. It won't be the first time someone has "corrected" me on Flickr.

Strangely, you're the second person to mention that the 25 or so visible screwdrivers on that board seems an insufficient number. I probably have at least another 25 in my three portable toolkits, not counting mini sizes. And in fact, I hardly use any of them. Oh, the multi-driver in my electrical kit sees some use, and I do have the odd paint can to open, but otherwise, driving screws with a drill is quite convenient.

I actually got mine to remove the nuts that held on my toilet tank. The space was tight and the bolts were long and a little corroded. Even after loosening them the first turn, it was hard to turn them off by hand. And ratcheting them off 30 degrees at a time for the fifty or so turns that would be necessary was an unattractive proposition. The flex shaft (which is also in the photo) and a deep socket made short work of it. I never even bent down to look at the bottom of the tank, it was easy enough to do by feel. I've also used the shaft for other purposes.

[Leon]

I worked with Torx back in the spring and wish all of my square drive were Torx. You can keep the Philips head. ;~)

[Larry Jaques]

Except for the fact that you said you need to hold lots and lots of pressure on them while driving? ;)

This is good.

Don't Kregs have a type-17 tip, with the milled self-start? That's the ticket for quick starts and never a split board.

and persistence alter all things. --Benjamin Franklin

[krw]

I'm with you, except when I have to fork over for Torx screws. ;-)

[Puckdropper]

" [e-mail]" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

We had some Torx-head composite decking screws that were useless. They were cheaply made (but I'm sure not cheaply priced), and made it extremely easy to spin out the head. At least Phillips gives you a fighting chance to remove the screw if the head gets buggered up.

Puckdropper