Originally Posted by 450slcguy

Battling Stubborn Screws?

Before screwing into hardwood you should always pre-drill a "pilot hole". A pilot hole should generally be about ½+ the diameter of the screw in hard woods and ¼ in softer woods.

Sometimes even with a good pilot hole, a stubborn screw will refuse to go any further. To solve this simply rub a little moist bar soap or paraffin wax on the threads to act as a lubricant. This is especially useful with soft metal screws such as brass and aluminum.

Ps... if your using brass screws for the hinge, first use a steel screw of the same size and thread pitch. That way the harder screw head will not strip as easily under the torque required to set the screw. Once the steel screw is set, remove it and repalce it with the brass one.

Also, Dont use cheap screwdrivers, they lack the tip strength to get a good bite on the screw head.