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gburgwardt t1_j26yvbi wrote

Did you drill as deep as the screw goes? My guess is not quite, since I've done the same thing.

Otherwise, get a manual screwdriver and finish those off, or use it as an excuse to get a better drill :)

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huongdaoroma OP t1_j26z3eh wrote

Can I take the screws out and predrill a bit deeper in the same hole? I'd love a new drill, but saving for a new car rn - just got into a car crash a few weeks ago T.T

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huongdaoroma OP t1_j271l4w wrote

Update: Drill bit broke inside one of the screw holes while pre-drilling after advice. Can it hold 55 lb with only 3 of 4 screws (middle screw not used...)?

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Texasscot56 t1_j27lnkm wrote

Why did the drill bit break?

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huongdaoroma OP t1_j27z11p wrote

Not too sure, but it broke off inside the wall and I can't get it out unless I dig

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keestie t1_j27nq2m wrote

Is it for sure wood that you're screwing into? When you drilled the hole, did wood chips come out? If the drill bit broke going into wood, you need to practice drilling into wood without bending or stressing the bit.

BTW, a drill bit is a device made for drilling holes, and a driver bit is a device meant for putting screws in. Some people will call a driver bit a drill bit, but that's incorrect and confusing.

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huongdaoroma OP t1_j27zenu wrote

I'm pretty sure I was drilling into wood behind my drywall; I checked with a studfinder. My house doesn't have any brick surfaces.

Yeah, it was my drill bit that broke. I was trying to predrill it before putting the screws in properly

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keestie t1_j2a1fwv wrote

Ok so if you're gonna do this again, ideally you should practice drilling into a piece of scrap wood. If the drill bit broke going into wood, it means your control of the drill really needs practice and you put pressure on the bit in the wrong direction. Try to think about pushing the bit into the hole you're making in a *perfectly* straight line, making sure not to bend the bit, not to put any pressure on the bit that isn't directly along the axis of the hole.

There's a challenge to this, because your hand isn't directly behind the bit when you hold the drill, so if you push your hand directly towards the wall without compensating, you will break the bit. You can see how this happens if you take the drill, and without pulling the trigger, just push the drill against a surface with a limp wrist. You'll immediately see the drill change angle. That angle change breaks bits. You need to compensate for that tendency or you'll keep breaking bits.

This difficulty is very normal for someone who hasn't done a lot of drilling. Breaking small bits is a rite of passage tbh.

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