Situation: using a screw gun to drive in the self-driving screws (the star shaped ones) horizontally, and sometimes at a difficult angle above my head. Hard to get good leverage like that. The driver starts spinning the screw but it doesn’t catch right away and then the screw jumps out and falls on the ground.
Has this happened to you? Is there a trick for that?
Hammer the screw in like a nail just a couple a couple millimeters before driving it.
Get yourself a bit holder with a guide sleeve (https://www.dewalt.com/product/dwairdg/ir-drive-guide-w-2-impact-ready-bits). Works for any type of screw since you load it with whatever bit type you need for your screw (in your case, torx). If you’ve never seen one, you’ll love how easy it makes driving screws when they wanna fall off the bit/work.
Only real drawback is you don’t have precise control of the angle the screw starts at but it’s close enough for most work.
Use an awl to give it a little dimple to drive into.
I see a lot of good responses but id also like to add: Drill a hole first if you can. Use a bit smaller then what your screw is, and only drill enough to be able to slide the screw into the hole.
You could also do this with a hammer and punch tool, provided you can reach.
This also doubles as a benefit for wood, you’re unlikely to split or crack the wood if you pre-drill the hole.
I had a whole box of Simpson screws that did that. Try another brand
Yes, torx screws and good quality bits. Bosch ones are good
If you mean phillips head, then fins the right sized bit. they look similar but the right size grips the screw properly
Completely agree. It’s also worth saying that worn Phillips bits don’t perform as well as ones with less wear. If OP is using a cordless drill, use the clutch to avoid the bit caming out.
