I built the partial wall for the bar today (sans drywall), and we got the new appliances in place, though the plumbing will have to wait for the sink to be installed, which in turn has to await installation of the counterstop, which will be a luxurious pattern of granite that we haven't selected yet, so no cold water or ice from the new fridge. It's definitely starting to look like a new kitchen, though, and we have cooking functionality back and a fridge, though dishwashing remains problematic, and will continue in that mode until I get back from CA in two weeks.

It occurs to me that you know that you're in the middle of a major remodel when, in addition to keeping a grocery list, you keep a continuous Home Depot list. In building the new wall and attaching studs to each other, I discovered a miraculous thing--screws that the heads won't strip out of under the tender ministrations of an 18-volt drill. The down side is that they eat phillips bits for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Still, its easier to change a bit, and they're cheap these days, than to try to remove a half-driven screw with a hole where the cross used to be...

Anyway, I'm packing now, flying out to LA in the morning, and I'll be at the International Space Development Conference on Thursday and Friday, at least part of both days. Hope to see many of you there.

Whenever I'm doing a project using drive screws I keep my smallest Vice-Grips handy.

I used square head screws for a deck project a couple years ago and became an instant convert. Far less slipping and fewer mangled screws, leading to less need for vice-grips and colorful language.

Between drilling pilot holes and finishing with a hand brace, you shouldn't have such problems.

But, yeah, I'm lazy too.

Well, if you are driving the screw downward, there should never be a problem, if you are using large screws (in studs?) then you pilot the hole. I drove . . . .more than 30 concret screws into pilots with the same phillips bit.

Though I have to agree with DCL, Square head rock, unless the screw slips and you have to drive the hole all over again, in which case you have to lever the drill head out of the screw, and that sucks (if you are on concrete that is) no reason to have any problems with wood.

Yes, when I'm driving into concrete, I pilot the hole (MOTHER). But driving coarse narrow screws into pine studs? Yes, I was lazy, which gets back to the point (that I should write a TCS Daily piece about) that tools have gotten so cheap that bits have become expendable, in the interest of time. As long as you remember to stock up on them...

I remain impressed that the screws seem to be impervious, and that merely changing the bit will withdraw them (most of my problem had to do with angles and inability of a big hammer drill to get a straight shot at them).

well, also, you were using the wrong bit in all likeliehood. Different sized screws, have different size bit faces.

A broad bit for a broad screw, etc. I admit, I stripped narrow bits, while trying to drill broad screws. Like all things, even Bits and screws have sizes, not as exact as nuts and bolts, but you need a propper bit, for the proper screw. you can strip a broad bit, if you think it will drive a narrow bit.

Also I overlooked the fact that you were using a cordless. 18V is fine, as long as it is near max charge, I stripped my concrete bit when I ignored my powersupply. I was better off with the 19.2 drill, but really, that only bought me a touch more force, and a lot less power than I expected.

Like I said, wood is easy, if you F up on wood, it isn't the bit, it isn't the power supply, it is you. You chose the wrong bit, and you chose a weak power supply, or you didn't apply the right force.

OH! and rand? did you use the RIGHT bit, for the right screw?

They really aren't expendable, also, was your drill fully charged? You are a science guy, think of the things YOU might have done before blaming the tool.

Like I mentioned above, not all screwdrivers fit all screws, and an underpowered (thought 18V should be pleanty power) drill with a weakend power supply is your fault, not the bit, not the screw.

It's yours. I had to bor a hole for a cat5 my brother wanted, and I couldn't get through 2 2x4's, and I thought it was impossible. I decided to rest, and while resting, cuz I was sweating like a pig, I charged the batteries for the drill. With a full power drill? I broke the same 2x4's times 2, in less than 2 minutes, when I was fighting it for about 30 minutes the first time.

A well charged drill, and a well fit bit make all the difference.

You might be too scientific thinking "all phillips bits" are the same, but they aren't. in fact, I bet if you look at your collection of phillips bits you will see 3 different shapes, and 3 different sizes.

"the right tool for the right job" applies to something as simple as a screw. For instance, I once "cut" an overlength screw with the common hand clippers? It was a hardened screw, I destroyed my tool. That was my fault, not the screws :)

Yes, I know there are different size bits. Yes, I know that having a full charge makes a big difference. But if you can't get a clean angle on the screw, it's going to bounce, and once it does, it's going to chew up something. I don't need any more lectures on this subject (I didn't even need that one). I'm simply glad it chewed the bits instead of the heads.

yeah, I was a bit, and by bit, I mean a lot of a jerky.

Sorry bout dat.