• buttfarts@lemy.lolOP
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    16
    ·
    2 months ago

    Like a hammer is better than a spoon for driving a screw but neither of them are the tool for the job

    • prime_number_314159@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      2 months ago

      I’ve heard this comparison so many times I ran some experiments. A number 8 1.5" coated decking screw inserted into two one by pine boards through the grain by a hammer holds about half as well as one inserted using a screwdriver. One hit to drive the screw is better than several, but a two hit approach (one to set the angle of the screw tip, the second to send it home) was most reliable. Drilling a pilot hole before hammering improves things pretty significantly, up towards 3/4 of the holding power of a driver driven screw.

      On the other hand, even very slight misalignment between the hammer swing and the screw can result in failure, and the board was always more damaged by a hammer inserted screw.

      • Revan343@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        2 months ago

        A spoon is not a screwdriver though. It will function as one for a flathead, but if it’s a phillips or robbie you’re shit out of luck, a hammer will still drive those (poorly)

    • Revan343@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      2 months ago

      Depends on the drive of the screw; if it’s a flathead, the spoon is probably better