The convenience of working with a screwdriver is difficult to overestimate. The tool belongs to the category of those indispensable things in the household that should always be at hand. Some friends even call him "shurik." It is really simple, safe and efficient to use. And, it would seem that it can be difficult to work with the tool, a little more complicated than a screwdriver. But to know some basic rules still does not hurt, because errors can lead to unplanned expenses, and sometimes considerable.

Screwdriver Mode Selection

Most screwdriver models have 2 modes of operation:

  • screwing mode;
  • drilling mode.

The main difference between the two is that when drilling, the speed of rotation of the chuck with the drill is much higher than when screwing. This is due to the use of a two-speed gearbox in the tool. In addition, in the drilling mode, the torque limiter, commonly referred to as the "ratchet" in the common people, does not function.

Sometimes when working with a frequent change of bits and drills, you may forget to switch the mode of the screwdriver. And if, having started drilling in the screwing mode, the error will be immediately detected without any consequences, then in the opposite case, everything is not so rosy.

In particular, having started working with bits in drilling mode, high speeds will lead to unexpectedly fast screw tightening and further application of excessive force. The negative consequences of this may be as follows:

  1. Screwing the hardware too deep.
  2. Thread breakage when working with soft material (fasteners will not hold).
  3. In solid material, a bat can “lick” the slots on the head of a self-tapping screw or on a bit.

Changing the position of the screwdriver at the time of drilling

A fairly common mistake among beginners is the “walking” of the tool during operation. This may be due to excessive pressure on the screwdriver or a weakened grip, for example, when working in uncomfortable conditions.

As a result, in the screwdriver mode, the bit creates different forces on the opposite parts of the self-tapping screw slot. This can lead to bending of the hardware, its screwing in the wrong direction in which it is necessary, weak adhesion of the fasteners to the material.

In case of a change in the position of the screwdriver in the drilling mode, the following negative consequences are likely:

  • kink or deformation of the drill;
  • increase in hole diameter;
  • increased load and wear of the tool mount (chuck).
As a result, the hole becomes unusable and you will have to drill a new one. In the worst case, you will have to stop work and look for a new drill, material, and sometimes the screwdriver himself.

Torque selection

When working in a screwdriver mode, one of the key issues is the correct choice of torque. The maximum value of this indicator is determined by the power of a particular “shurik” model and means the rotational force that the tool can create.

In practice, it is enough to understand that the torque sufficient to twist the screw into the pine will not be enough, for example, for birch. In this case, a stop will work on the screwdriver and the tool will begin to crack. To complete the work you need to turn the limiter, increasing the moment. Having passed from birch to pine, the force of the tool will be excessive and the hardware will “drown” in the tree.

To prevent this from happening, for each material you need the right selection of your torque. To do this, you can practice screwing a self-tapping screw into an unnecessary piece of material. You can also set the limiter indicator on the instrument to a deliberately lower value, gradually increasing the force to the required level.

Thus, adhering to these rules, you can not worry about the quality of work performed using a screwdriver. The risk of additional costs will be minimized.Well, we must not forget about the need to comply with elementary safety rules.