Houses often have to fix certain wooden parts, for example, during renovations or, if necessary, hang a shelf or paintings. As a rule, self-tapping screws are used in this case. However, their installation does not always go smoothly.
The origins of the problem
It can be very difficult to wrap a self-tapping screw in dense wood. Either it does not go flush, or the bit turns, or the surface cracks.
The fact is that the properties of wood are very different not only from metal. Different breeds behave differently. Even from the same wood, the material can have its own characteristics, which depend on the place of growth, harvest time, humidity and other conditions.
For example, pine and spruce are relatively soft species.
They resist less when harder bodies enter them. On the one hand, this is a plus, because it is easy to tighten the self-tapping screw, and on the other hand, it is a minus, since it holds up worse. But oak and beech have high hardness. They hold the self-tapping screw without any problems, however, it takes a lot of effort to screw it in.
At the same time, absolutely any wood is prone to splitting along and across the fibers, especially in load-bearing structures.
This is due to the fact that in the junction of two sawn timber under loads there is no redistribution of forces due to plasticity, as with metal. The wood is thinner and drier, and the self-tapping screw is thicker and closer to the end, the greater the likelihood of splitting the material.
How to solve the problem
To screw in the self-tapping screw correctly, you must first drill a hole in the wood to its full length. But if this is not possible, then an improvised tool that is in every home - soap will help to quickly and accurately solve the problem.
First, you need to insert the self-tapping screw into the screwdriver the other way around, that is, with the head down, in order to drill a small depression in the tree. This will prevent the wood fibers from splitting.
Then you should change the position of the screw and insert it as usual.
Next, the metal product must be rubbed well with soap or even screwed into a piece. The tool will work as a lubricant and will be an excellent helper when screwing screws into hard wood without using pre-drilling.
You need to use regular toilet soap. The household contains a large amount of caustic, which reacts with steel and causes corrosion.
