RANT: screws on assembly-required furniture

[Daveman Deluxe]

Every time I get one of these bloody things, my screwdriver strips the screws out to all hell. However, I can at least get the screws to tighten all the way and don't have to worry about it anymore.

At least until today. I was assembling a cabinet with a drawer for my mother today. The sides of the drawer have four screws each that secure them to the front and back of the drawer. The screws are so stripped that I can't possibly tighten them anymore. What pisses me off is that none of them are in entirely and some aren't even in two-thirds of the way!

That's absolute BS. I have been constantly frustrated that the companies would use such a soft metal for their screws. It's not my fault since I almost never jump a ridge on a screw. WHY CAN'T THEY USE DECENT METAL FOR THEIR F**KING SCREWS!

Thank you. I'll be going to the hardware store shortly.

[medea]

heh, pick yourself up some of these and they will relieve some of your apparent stress.
http://www.sears.com/sr/craftsman/whatsnew/cr_ct_cooltooldetail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0953259817.1062201712@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccgdadcjfdigdljcehgcemgdffmdfko.0&vertical=TOOL&Tool_Id=14

[baby duck monge]

terribly sorry. stripping screws is the worst. i was putting together a loft for my girlfriend's dorm room this past weekend, and the screws for part of it kept stripping. it was most irritating, especially when it would go in through like 3 of the 4 inches we needed it to go through before stipping. too shallow to easily get it the rest of the way in, and too deep to easily remove it. alas...

[Daveman Deluxe]

Contrary to popular belief, it's not hard to remove stripped screws. See, when a screw gets stripped (as long as it's not TOTALLY chewed up) it only strips in one direction, so you can still turn the other way.

Thanks for the input though, but I just might start buying wood screws anytime I buy furniture. Cam screws aren't so bad though, as you'd have to be out of your mind to remove those to move furniture.

[3rdpath]

i used to have the stripped screw problem when i used my hand drill as a screwdriver...i thought it was the bits but i had the same crappy results regardless of the bit maker. so i switched to a black and decker cordless screwdriver and it rocks! it has the power to drive wood screws into pine, whitewood and mdf...and yet it never strips a screw. i guess having less torque is a positive thing.

truly the best 20 bucks i ever spent( besides that one time in amsterdam...);)