Deck/drywall screw problems

Deck/drywall screws are great...but ocasionally, for whatever reason you may have a problem with a screw head stripping out before it goes in all the way and what's worse it won't come out either. So you are stuck with a screw that is halfway in and halfway out.

Here's a couple of tips that may help you.

• Purchase square drive screws if you can. Square drive seems to have less problems with the head stripping out.
• Use a little beeswax or bar soap on screw threads for problem driving areas
• Use a good driver bit and throw worn drivers away so it doesn't find it's way back in your toolbox.
• Use a slower speed driver drill motor
• Eventually, if you drive enough screws, there will be a screw that won't go in and won't come out and you are left with a partally driven screw.
  If a screw begins to bog down and strip the head...stop before it becomes a real problem and slowly try to back the screw out. If that fails..here's and old timer's trick that works most of the time. Dab a little car polishng compound or better--engine valve lapping compound--on the screw head. The fine abrasive will help the driver bit bite into the screw head metal and nine times out of ten the screw will come out. Remember to throw the screw away...so it won't come back and get you.
  
  I carry a small can of old time engine valve lapping compound in my tool box just for this purpose. You can buy valve lapping compound at an a full service auto/truck parts store. In a pinch I've even used mud to get a screw out.
• If worse comes to worse...you can usually break a screw off with pliers below the surface of the wood.