# Tiny screws, fat fingers



## ianrobbo1 (Feb 13, 2007)

A bit of a conundrum here, "dunno what that means but it sounds good"  As per the thread title, I have a set of fat shaking fingers and need to put some tiny screws in a small hole that's surrounded so I can't get the fingers in any way, I've tried magnetizing the screwdriver head to keep the screw on it but because the hole is such a pain to get to it keeps dropping off or moving away from the hole "the screw that is" I thought about glue but haven't got the right stuff, and the possibility the screw would just stay stuck to the driver,  I thought about chewing gum but it is such a small screw the chances it will stick to the surround and move or stick to it, any intelligent suggestions are welcome.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

I use blue tac for fiddly screws. Have resorted to superglue before now too, apply tiny bit with ****tail stick to screw head then attach screw driver, once set screw in the screw and pull driver out.


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## ianrobbo1 (Feb 13, 2007)

Darlofan said:


> I use blue tac for fiddly screws. Have resorted to superglue before now too, apply tiny bit with ****tail stick to screw head then attach screw driver, once set screw in the screw and pull driver out.


Seems I'm off to buy some blue tack in the morning then, thanks Darlofan :thumb:


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

ianrobbo1 said:


> Seems I'm off to buy some blue tack in the morning then, thanks Darlofan :thumb:


What, you don't have blue tac in stock?
Have you checked the junk drawer? The one with loads of batteries, xmas fairy light bulbs, drawing pins and cables/chargers, one of which is from a Nokia 3210 that might 'come in handy'.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

As above, tiny amount of blue tac in the screw head, push the screwdriver into it and fingers (fat or otherwise  ) crossed it works :thumb:


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## John-R- (Feb 4, 2007)

Clicky

Used to use these in industry, not sure if they go small enough for what your looking for.

John


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## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

ianrobbo1 said:


> I have a set of fat shaking fingers


your wife shourl be happy then:lol:

try a little dab of grease


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## Kenan (Sep 7, 2015)

Darlofan said:


> Have you checked the junk drawer? The one with loads of batteries, xmas fairy light bulbs, drawing pins and cables/chargers, one of which is from a Nokia 3210 that might 'come in handy'.


You mean the man draw 

Sent from my Redmi Note 7 using Tapatalk


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## Tykebike (Mar 27, 2016)

Get someone else to do it?


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## The_Weasel (Nov 23, 2006)

I'll sometimes use a small amount of grease on the screw head in that situation, but depends if you need to keep it all clean


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Tykebike said:


> Get someone else to do it?


My answer as a chef when people ask me how to peel onions without crying😂


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Can you do it upside down where gravity will keep the screw in contact with the screwdriver?

Alan W


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## Crackfox (Mar 17, 2019)

grunty-motor said:


> your wife shourl be happy then
> 
> try a little dab of grease


This. The grease thing, not the wife thing.

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## Tykebike (Mar 27, 2016)

Tykebike said:


> Get someone else to do it?


I should have taken my own advice yesterday as I must have spent 20mins trying to get the earthing screw back into a light fitting whilst holding the light fitting with one hand and manipulating the screw, wire, locking washers and screwdriver in the other. After I managed to do it I then had to grapple with the live wire going into the switch where the hole wasn't visible. If at first you don't succeed ........


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## Andy from Sandy (May 6, 2011)

> If at first you don't succeed ........


… don't take up parachuting!


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## ianrobbo1 (Feb 13, 2007)

I had to laugh at some of these answers, thanks for that and the efforts to solve my problem, As I don't "do" blu tack, preferring to make things fit permanently  the man drawer let me down on this occasion, so I asked the girlfriend to bring some over when she next came, guess who forgot, blooming chemotherapy memory kicked in again, so I got my eldest to do the dirty deed for me, so now I need to buy a new unit as the ham-fisted twonk broke it. anyone want a six-foot-two lump of muscle to wreck their house just let me know, I have "someone" in mind


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## Tykebike (Mar 27, 2016)

If you're in the same need again, why not push the screw through a strip of paper near to its edge. Use the strip of paper to hold the screw whilst you start it into the hole, once you have a few threads holding the screw, pull the piece of paper away and carry on screwing it up! Maybe put a cut from the screw to the edge of the paper to reduce the force required.


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