Q: What’s the best way to avoid stripping screw heads when driving them?
A: When fastening screws, poor “fitment” is when the driver bit fails to fully engage the screw with equal contact on all surfaces. This leaves gaps and results in a poor fit that leads to “cam-out” (stripping the head of the fastener). Poor fitment can be attributed to lesser quality bits or improper engagement with the screw head. Check the bit “fitment” by pressing the bit into the screw head and measuring the side-to-side movement. The more movement, the worse the fitment. Another indicator of poor fitment is “wobble” or “slop” when in use. This off-center alignment and uneven fitment can cause those frustrating cam-outs. If your bits have this problem, then buy new bits or screws of a higher quality. It’s also important for the operator to make sure the bit is fully seated in the screw head before activating the drill.
