How to Drive Screws into Wood

We present a guide on how to drive screws into wood. Screwing into the wood is not very complicated and will also be useful for construction work, installation of parquet, installation of paneling or even assembly of furniture or a wooden door.

During the operation, it is necessary to take some precautions in order not to split the material and to obtain a quality result. Here are some tips:

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how to drive screws into wood

Table of Contents show

How to Drive Screws into Wood

1. Choose the right screwing material

Which screw is the most suitable?

  1. Among the wood screws, the countersunk screw is the most used because of its flush head. The round head screw can also seduce by its convex effect.
  2. Choose a strong material such as steel to avoid breaking the screw if it is overtightened. If you are working on outdoor installations, prefer wood screws made of brass or stainless steel.
  3. And finally, the thickness to be screwed will determine the length of the screw.

To note: there are different forms allowing good contact between the screwdriver and the screw (cruciform, Torx …).

Which screwdriver to use?

Three characteristics must be taken into account:

  • the voltage (not less than 14.4 V)
  • intensity (below 2.6 Ah, you take risks)
  • the weight (if the screwdriver is too heavy, your arm will suffer and your work too)

It’s up to you to find the best balance!

Note: the screwdriver must match the screw head chosen.

2. Screwing into the hardwood: the procedure

Pre-drilling

Make a path for your screw by drilling the first hole with a wood wick. The latter must have a smaller diameter than the screw (half in general). Also anticipate the depth of drilling (about 2/3 of the final hole). Without pre-drilling, you risk splitting the wood.

Very important: pierce without forcing, with maximum fluidity.

Screwing

Before screwing, apply paraffin or candle to the thread of the screw to facilitate penetration.

Tighten gradually: adjust the tightening speed as you go.

Watch this tutorial to screw like a pro 🙂

More tips on how to drive screws into the wood:

Instructions :

To achieve strong and aesthetic screw connections, do the following:

1. Use a wood drill with a centering point. For normal small or medium diameter holes, you can use a helical drill. For deep holes from an 8-10 mm diameter, it is recommended to use a single spiral drill. For flat holes up to 30 mm in diameter, there is a special wick, called wick to shape. The hole saw is ideal for drilling through holes with a diameter greater than or equal to 30 mm.
2. Always use wood screws. They have a large thread pitch and a sharp point. The stem is cylindrical or conical.
3. The ideal is to screw with a screwdriver (cordless) or a drill-driver (cordless). Occasionally, it is also possible to use a drill but drills are less efficient for this type of application.
4. It is important to choose the screwdriver that goes exactly with the screw. The tip may otherwise skid when screwing and damage the print. Torx screws offer the best support and adhesion, Phillips screws (Pozidriv or Philips) are more suitable than slotted screws.
5. The best results are obtained by drilling in the direction of the wood fibers. Set the correct speed of rotation. If it is chosen too small, the edge of the hole will not be sharp. If it is too high, the room may overheat locally and burns may occur. Apply the wick well perpendicular to the surface.
6. Tighten the workpiece with clamps to prevent it from slipping when drilling. To avoid damaging your worktop, insert a panel residue that you no longer need. This also avoids the bursting of the fibers at the lower end when drilling through holes.
7. To assemble two pieces of wood with screws, drill in the first piece that will pass through the drill a pilot hole 0.5 to 1 mm larger than the diameter of the screw. In the other room, drill a pilot hole 1 mm shorter than the diameter of the screw. In this way, the screw can adhere well.
8. If countersunk screws are used, drill a pilot hole deep enough for the screw head to completely disappear.

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