How to prevent screw hole threads stripping when using drill driver?

[foxhound]

Hi all, I am using a drill driver on lowest torque and speed setting to drive screws to assemble a BBQ. However, I have stripped two screw holes threads despite of being very careful and not exerting much force when driving. Screw holes are steel as is the BBQ, What else I could be doing wrong and what other steps should I take not to strip any more screw holes.

[Noyade]

Morning @foxhound 

One thought is to ditch the driver - just use a humble hand-held screwdriver so you can 'feel' the tension building - then once this is achieved - stop.

Can you please upload photos of the stripped areas? I'm sure we can offer fixing solutions.

Cheers.

[MitchellMc]

That's quite unusual, @foxhound. A drill driver on its lowest torque setting should barely be able to drive a screw in, let alone strip a screw hole. Typically, you'd put the torque setting on mid-power and not have any issues with stripping. Even on the highest torque setting, it would be unusual to strip a screw unless you were being careless.

It sounds like something else is going on here. As mentioned, you could use a hand-held screwdriver, or if we can see the type of screws and the damage that has been done, that might provide more information.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell