Those Ridges On Your Screwdriver Handle Have A Genius Hidden Function
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If you occasionally take on DIY projects around your home, you know that having the right tool is a must. When you don't, the project takes far longer and typically includes far more frustration. Sometimes, the right tool involves deploying a hack. For example, simple hacks exist with screwdrivers that give you more leverage to remove or insert screws. One trick, as highlighted from TikTok user sandra.maria.home, involves placing a wrench over the end of a screwdriver with a grooved handle to gain extra leverage.
Some screws are difficult to dislodge, especially if you must work with a short-handled screwdriver that doesn't generate a lot of torque. To calculate torque for this tool, you multiply the force you can generate by the distance from the middle of the screwdriver to the screw that you are trying to loosen. If you must use a short-handled screwdriver in a limited space, you lose some torque, partly because of the short tool and partly because you cannot generate as much force.
However, adding a second tool to the equation, such as an open or socket wrench, over the handle may let you create more force by removing the limit of the condensed space. The wrench works at a perpendicular angle to the screwdriver handle, where you'll hopefully have more space in which to work. With this hack, you must hold the Phillips or flathead blade tightly against the screw with one hand while you crank the wrench with the other.
Why this hack doesn't work with just any screwdriver
Don't just assume you can deploy this hack on any screwdriver, as most of these tools sold today do not have the correct style of handle. The tool must have a hard plastic handle that has a six-sided shape with grooves that match the hex shape in the open wrench or in the socket wrench. There are many types of screwdrivers that you can use for DIY projects, but the screwdriver with a grippy material on a round handle won't work with this hack. The hex shape in the wrench would just slide around the round handle and potentially damage it. The shape of the wrench or the socket needs to match the shape of the handle. To turn a bolt, the bolt's six-sided head must match the socket's six-sided shape. The same idea works with the screwdriver handle.
@sandra.maria.home I just learned this and wanted to pass it on. Now that you know, go conquer the world! #tooltips #handtools
You can purchase a five-piece set of Craftsman screwdrivers on Amazon for almost $17 with the hex-shaped handle to try this hack. If you do try this technique, understand that it is possible to damage even a hex-shaped handle, as you could apply so much torque that the tool breaks. If you want to have the ability to use this hack on a tool made precisely for it, consider purchasing bolster screwdrivers. These tools have hex-shaped nuts attached above or below the handle where you can apply a wrench. You can find an eight-piece set from VCT on Amazon for about $20.