Screwdrivers – Buying and Using Quality Equipment
You should have at least two screwdrivers in the toolbox: a standard and a Phillips. You may have other junk screwdrivers that you use for chisels or putty knives when no one is looking, but be sure to have two good ones. While I was working in heavy construction, I got in the habit of carrying a very large standard screwdriver in my apron.
It wasn’t always practical to carry a crowbar, chisel, or putty knife around, so instead I used my “magic screwdriver.” That’s what I still call it. It tickles me to hear someone I’m working with ask to borrow my “magic screwdriver.” It is a good all-purpose tool, but a lousy screwdriver. Using a screwdriver as a chisel to gouge out wood or as a small crowbar to increase your leverage tends to round the tip, so that it will slip out of screw slots.
The tip on the standard screwdriver should be flat on top with nice square edges. This helps the tip stay in the slot of the screw. The best Phillips screwdriver to have is a #2, a middle size. A #1 Phillips is for small screws, like those that fasten a door bottom or carpet-hold-down strip. A #3 is for large screws like door-hinge screws. The number notation is written either on the handle or on the shank.
Most screws except little skinny ones (number 6 screws) need pilot holes drilled for them. However, preparing these holes can be avoided by using drywall screws. These are self-tapping screws and have specially designed threads with a point like a drill bit, thereby drawing the screws into the wood without pilot holes. It is best to drive these screws with an electric variable-speed drill equipped with a screwdriver bit. Drywall screws can be used on just about any project that requires screws.
