General DrivingScrews Instructions
Safety
glasses
must be worn during driving
operations.
Always
be alert
and brace yourself against the twisting
action of the drill. A firm hold should
always be administered when driving
screws. Failure to do so may result in
bodily injury.
• Drill a pilot hole of a size
recommended by the screw
manufacturer prior to driving the
screws in place.
• Adjust the drill’s chuck collar so that
arrow on the drill body points to the
desired torque setting. A lower
number will cause the drill to ratchet
sooner, that is, it will not drive the
screw into the workpiece as far as if
a higher clutch collar setting is used.
• Set the speed selector to the low
speed “1” setting.
• Install the proper screwdriver bit and
insure that this bit is securely
gripped in the chuck.
• Make sure that the FWD button is
fully depressed. This should make
the drill rotate in the forward
direction, that is, clockwise as
viewed from the user’s vantage
point.
•Make
sure that the workpiece is secured.
This might entail clamping it in a vise
or held securely by other clamping
means. A loose workpiece may spin
and cause bodily injury.
• Using one’s fingers, place the tip of
the screw in the pilot hole and turn
clockwise so as to start the screw
squarely.
• Place a properly-sized screwdriver bit
on the screw and while exerting
pressure on the drill, actuate the
switch trigger to drive the screw in
place. It is important that the screw
be driven squarely from the start, so
a constant square pressure should be
administered in order to drive the
screw properly in place. If too little
pressure is put on the drill during
this driving operation, the
screwdriver bit may not be retained
in the screw head- this could
damage or strip the end of the
screw.
• As soon as the screw has been
seated, release the switch trigger
and lift the screwdriver from the
screw head. If the drill ratchets
before driving the screw to the
desired depth, remove the drill from
the screw head and increase the
clutch collar setting. Then repeat the
driving process.
• A lubricant, such as soap or wax,
may be used on screw threads for
ease of driving. This is particularly
important when dealing with hard
wood.
• Screws are typically comprised of a
threaded section, a shank section in
which there are no threads, and the
screw head. Sometimes it is
advantageous to drill
holes/countersinks in one operation
and there are different combination
bits (e.g. pilot drill/shank, pilot drill
bit/countersink, etc.) available at
local supply houses for doing these
combinations.
Driving Wood Screws
In addition to the guidelines given in
the General Driving Instructions, the
following also apply:
• Prior to driving a wood screw in
place, it is recommended that a pilot
hole (and shank hole if necessary) be
first drilled. See the table below for
recommendations when using
common screw sizes.
Driving Self-tapping Screws
In addition to the guidelines given in
the General Driving Instructions, the
following also apply:
• Prior to driving the self-tapping
screw in place, drill a pilot hole of
the recommended size by the
manufacturer. Place the tip of the
screw in the pre-drilled hole and
while gently holding the screw
square, slowly start driving the
screw. Once it has properly started,
discontinue holding the screw
threads and finish driving the screw.
As soon as the screw is seated,
release the switch trigger and lift
the drill from the screw head.
Driving Machine Screws
In addition to the guidelines given in
the General Driving Instructions, the
following also apply:
• Prior to driving the machine screw in
place, drill and tap a hole of the
recommended size by the
manufacturer. Start the threads of
the screw in the tapped hole by
hand and once squarely in place,
discontinue holding the screw and
then start to slowly drive the screw
with the driver. Once the screw has
been fully seated, release the switch
trigger and lift the drill from the
screw head.
8
Operating Instructions
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DRIVING WOOD SCREWS
SCREW PILOT DRILL DIAMETER SHANK SCREWDRIVER BIT TIP
SIZE (FOR SOFT WOOD) (FOR HARD WOOD) PILOT HOLE SLOTTED BIT PHILLIPS BIT
#6 1/16" (0.063") 5/64" (0.078") 9/64" (0.141") 3/16" #2
#8 5/64" (0.078") 3/32" (0.094") 11/64" (0.172") 1/4" #2
#10 3/32" (0.094") 7/64" (0.109") 3/16" (0.188") 5/16" #2 OR #3*
#12 7/32" 0.219") 1/8" (0.125") 7/32" (0.219") 3/8" #3
* Some head styles in this size take a #2 Phillips bit and others #3.