I just need to put up some blinds from Ikea.
I live in Boston and the moldings (mouldings?) in this apartment are old hardwood. The walls are plaster. I have a hard time hanging anything.
I just spent forty-five minutes trying to get six screws into the window moldings. Three of the screws broke. One was stripped. The others went in, but took forever.
I am using an inexpensive cordless drill from Black and Decker. I tried changing the bit (both a larger and a smaller one): no luck.
What is going on?? Is my drill too cheap? Is the wood too hard? I asked the man at the hardware store today, and he said that as long as it wasn’t metal (it’s definitiely wood), the screw “should go right in.” I haven’t used power tools since I used to build sets in high school, but I don’t remember having this much trouble with such a basic project.
Help!!
ARNULFO
Comments
If you are using an electric drill then there should be torque settings on the shank. Adjust it down so the screws aren’t over torqued.
Drill a small pilot hole first, then screw the screw into that. Be sure to adjust the clutch to prevent head stripping.
I just love these easy simple do-it-yerself projects, too.
I suggest you drill a pilot hole with a fresh drill bit that is around 2/3 the diameter of your screw, then drill in the screw.
I’ve got some wood around here that’s so petrified it’s literally burned up the cheaper Black and Deckers.
I now use a Milwaukee Hole-Shooter for the tough stuff. Ask Santa for one. It will drill all day and never get hot.
Good luck with the project. You have my sympathy and moral support…
My ex husband was having the same trouble you were going through, hanging a shelving unit in our apartment. The wall in that case was masonry brick.
Were you using the right kind of drill bit? If you’re absolutely sure of this, you may try checking to see if you had it drilling IN, instead of drilling OUT. This was my ex’s problem. All that time of grunting over the thing, and it turned out he had it screwing in the wrong direction.
It’s just a matter of flipping a little switch.
First, make a small hole to fit the tip of the screw.
Then, with the smallest amount of force, drill it in.
Patience.
As others have suggested a pilot hole will make the project go better and faster. The tip should fit the screw as well. A loosely fit tip will cause problems too. Don’t force the screw into the wood but let it go in at it’s own speed and just keep up pressure so the driver tip does not jump out of the screw head.
my house was built in 1932 and has the same old wood trim. plus holes from other window treatments that are usually stripped. here’s what i do; get a can of paste wax like used to wax a wood floor, coat tip of screw with the wax, drill a pilot hole for the screw, and it will go in like a hot knife through butter. also, if you have the old wooden windows, get a cheap foam paint brush about 1 1/2″ wide. i use the wax to lube the window tracks. they don’t stick anymore after that. good luck, hope this helps.
