What's a life lesson you learned the hard way that you'd want to share with others to help them avoid the same mistake?

return2ozma@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 212 points –
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Never start a machined bolt/nut with your electric drill. Start it by hand first.

And start it backward, slowly. You can feel the thread drop in. Then start to turn the right way.

Works with threads in plastic as well so the metal screw doesn't make new ones.

care to elaborate?

By hand you can feel that you've engaged the thread properly. If you just send it with a power tool then dealing with cross threaded fasteners is in your future.

my assumption is a machined bolt is not as tempered as a store purchased one so using an electric tool on it could strip the head.
Using a hand tool applies less torque so you are less likely to strip it.

"Machined" doesn't mean "homemade", it's a manufacturing method meaning that the threads of the bolt/nut were cut from a smooth piece of metal (as opposed to being cast or forged from a mold). Machined hardware is more likely to have defects like tiny nicks in the threads or bent threads that can damage/ destroy whatever you're using it to fasten. You can usually tell pretty quickly if you've got a shitty bolt or nut if you're threading it by hand - any irregularities are easy to feel. But if you just blast it with a power drill right off the rip, you won't feel any of it, and might end up with an unplanned permanent fixture.

But can I strip....myself??? I WANNA BE NAKED!!!

Not recommended while using power tools.

Based on my posting history, I thought this comment was in reference to pissing and shitting your pants in your sleep.

Also not recommended while using power tools.

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