Using an electric screwdriver

[rgsparber]

This is one of those times when I feel like I must be the last person on earth to know this trick.

My Ryobi electric screwdriver looks like a drill. I install a flat-bladed hex body bit in the magnetic chuck. The slot in the screw is never aligned with the blade of the screwdriver blade. Sometimes I can twist my wrist a little to get them to match. Most of the time I pull the trigger for a moment and see if the blade is in a better alignment. I almost never win this bet.

What I failed to notice is that there is 90 degrees of backlash in the chuck. I can rotate the bit a total of 90 degrees with my fingers. This will be enough to always get the desired alignment.

Rick