# Tips on screwing drywall faster?



## Cali661

Well ive been doing drywal for a while and conaider myself good with the screw gun..the problem is sometimes i take too long with handling the screws and screwing them quick...any tips??


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## saskataper

Get a collated screw gun, you can fly with one.


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## Cali661

Yea ive seen those the thing is my job supplies the screw and if id get a auto feed id need to buy the strips myself...


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## fr8train

Perhaps you could change the companies process? Invest in a collated gun and show them what's possible, they may make the switch. If you get the right gun, and they don't switch, you can remove the collated attachment and put a cone on the gun.


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## drywallninja

Cali661 said:


> Well ive been doing drywal for a while and conaider myself good with the screw gun..the problem is sometimes i take too long with handling the screws and screwing them quick...any tips??


Don't hold too many screws in your holding hand.


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## thefinisher

I don't have many suggestions except practice! I have had some hangers that could put screws in the wall incredibly fast without missing . I have said it before, but there was a guy working for one of our crews at one time that could put screws in the wall about as fast as you could hit your hand in the same spot! NO IDEA how he did that, especially with what looked like a whole handfull of screws. Myself, I would just get a collated gun if I wanted to be quick :yes:


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## drywallninja

Collated screw guns are bad as*, but they sometimes just don't get in places a regular screw guns gets into. I like using them on lids personally. Have a senco 18v lithium ion. Works great.


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## moore

thefinisher said:


> I don't have many suggestions except practice! I have had some hangers that could put screws in the wall incredibly fast without missing . I have said it before, but there was a guy working for one of our crews at one time that could put screws in the wall about as fast as you could hit your hand in the same spot! NO IDEA how he did that


Did you spot those screws?


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## MrWillys

I was always fast with a screwgun, but attributed it to learning to finger nails at a young age. My advice would be for this young gentleman to be patient and it will come with time. Be happy you're gaining command of the screwgun, and start to focus on cutting drywall and other skills.
Years ago it would take about 2 years to get fast at nailing. It took me about a year and a half, but I had experience as a kid. 10 years from now you'll barely remember.


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## moore

MrWillys said:


> I was always fast with a screwgun, but attributed it to learning to finger nails at a young age. My advice would be for this young gentleman to be patient and it will come with time. Be happy you're gaining command of the screwgun, and start to focus on cutting drywall and other skills.
> Years ago it would take about 2 years to get fast at nailing. It took me about a year and a half, but I had experience as a kid. 10 years from now you'll barely remember.


Ya know. Back in the early 80s is when nails went to screws [around here] mainly due to the nail pops.. [lumber shrinkage] But then the screws started popping! [lumber shrinkage] Is ONE better than the other ? These days the board can't take a nail ..The egg holes are blisters that need peeling back... The screws are just better to finish off!


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## MrWillys

moore said:


> Ya know. Back in the early 80s is when nails went to screws [around here] mainly due to the nail pops.. [lumber shrinkage] But then the screws started popping! [lumber shrinkage] Is ONE better than the other ? These days the board can't take a nail ..The egg holes are blisters that need peeling back... The screws are just better to finish off!


Nails provide a better application. The conventionally framed wood structure swells, and shrinks with the season. The drywall application is solely a veneer finish and joints aren't even required to break on framing members. Even the garage separation is not technically rated. Okay, this said, screws hold the drywall too tight and try and resist this seasonal movement. It's my belief that a properly nailed application is more forgiving to this type of movement and will produce less joint cracking, but pops will occur in both assemblies.


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## gordie

MrWillys said:


> Nails provide a better application. The conventionally framed wood structure swells, and shrinks with the season. The drywall application is solely a veneer finish and joints aren't even required to break on framing members. Even the garage separation is not technically rated. Okay, this said, screws hold the drywall too tight and try and resist this seasonal movement. It's my belief that a properly nailed application is more forgiving to this type of movement and will produce less joint cracking, but pops will occur in both assemblies.


 
lol sorry mang were not going back to nails sh#t I would be a rookee all over again tries nails only good for guys who boarded back in the 80's good for you who can make them work to hard to learn for us newbs.

as for getting good with that gun well I assume you must have a boss or partner that is cutting "we all start that way". always screw off the top of the sheet then the corner that your cutter is gonna build off of.that way you don't fall behind he will come to a spot that will slow him down eventually.then just like the drywall ninja said just pull a few screws at a time mabie five. and when you pull them from your hand use the gun tip to get the screw just set it with your fingers.

also try to keep your screws spaced the same nice strait lines I look like a type wrighter when I go


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## Cali661

Well i work for a company and here we use nails around the edges and screws to finish off..i cut and hang on my own and when almost finished..i start screwing the entire house...


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## fr8train

Cali, do you use glue?


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## chris

MrWillys said:


> Nails provide a better application. The conventionally framed wood structure swells, and shrinks with the season. The drywall application is solely a veneer finish and joints aren't even required to break on framing members. Even the garage separation is not technically rated. Okay, this said, screws hold the drywall too tight and try and resist this seasonal movement. It's my belief that a properly nailed application is more forgiving to this type of movement and will produce less joint cracking, but pops will occur in both assemblies.


 nails may have worked better on materials from the 80s but in todays world a nail does not belong on a drywall job


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## super rocker

fr8train said:


> Cali, do you use glue?


He better not.


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## thefinisher

moore said:


> Did you spot those screws?


I actually did! This was on some apartments we were doing some years back. I think I was about 15.... long before I became management . That is still when we had enough in house guys to finish a house if we were slow.


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## MrWillys

Cali661 said:


> Well i work for a company and here we use nails around the edges and screws to finish off..i cut and hang on my own and when almost finished..i start screwing the entire house...


 This is great too hear. How do you put metal on if you never learn to nail? I have a lot of respect for people who come up through houses. Guys who start in commercial never really become proficient at cutting board. This is great you have a chance to do both.


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## Cali661

Yea ive been doing it since i was 15 helping out with my dad..and i saw us and other crews working with nails ..now im 22 and still the same only faster :thumbup:


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## gordie

MrWillys said:


> This is great too hear. How do you put metal on if you never learn to nail? I have a lot of respect for people who come up through houses. Guys who start in commercial never really become proficient at cutting board. This is great you have a chance to do both.


our you serious where you start out does not matter. if you board long enough and try hard to compete with the best even when you know you can't win that is how you get better not buy stressing about what kind of work your on


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## MrWillys

gordie said:


> our you serious where you start out does not matter. if you board long enough and try hard to compete with the best even when you know you can't win that is how you get better not buy stressing about what kind of work your on


I can respect this position, but will maintain mine. A piecework hanger prior to commercial metal stud is a better board hangar overall.

I also realize nailing is a dying art, and is too bad. During my last year I begged to get sent to a one day wood job. There was 4 class rooms of equal size, a hallway, and some misc rooms. Myself, and a 5th period apprentice, the other classrooms had foreman, and journeyman crews. I beat them by a full 2 hours, and then turned around and I nailed on all the cornerbead. Keep in mind, I was over 50 at this time.

The owner came by at lunch and asks me what I was doing there? I told him I requested to be there. These young guys where in awe watching me nail on this bead. The best reason for greater sales of Beadex is the screwgun. By the time the screwgun gets rolled out and plugged in I've got 5 sheets on the ceiling.


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## endo_alley

Keep the screw fingering hand fairly close to the tip of the gun. And the gun close to the wall/sheet be fastened. While fastening a screw with the gun hand, you should be using the screw hand to orient the next screw and put it in loading position. So you are ready as soon as the last screw is set to load a new one. Also Practice flipping screws with your thumb and forefinger into loading position without using a gun. Lightly shake the screw hand to keep the screws in motion and orient easier. It really is a skill. I used to be a lot better at it when I was younger. Mostly do finishing and plaster now.


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## gordie

MrWillys said:


> I can respect this position, but will maintain mine. A piecework hanger prior to commercial metal stud is a better board hangar overall.
> 
> I also realize nailing is a dying art, and is too bad. During my last year I begged to get sent to a one day wood job. There was 4 class rooms of equal size, a hallway, and some misc rooms. Myself, and a 5th period apprentice, the other classrooms had foreman, and journeyman crews. I beat them by a full 2 hours, and then turned around and I nailed on all the cornerbead. Keep in mind, I was over 50 at this time.
> 
> The owner came by at lunch and asks me what I was doing there? I told him I requested to be there. These young guys where in awe watching me nail on this bead. The best reason for greater sales of Beadex is the screwgun. By the time the screwgun gets rolled out and plugged in I've got 5 sheets on the ceiling.


ok I see what you are sayin . you think of commercial as work done buy large companies everyone works as a crew hourly,or union almost. Out here where I am we don't have unions and commercial is no different than residential 80% to 90% piece work . in my early years I would usually find myself doing commercial in the winter and residential in spring and summer . right now im boarding 2 custom homes next month ill be boarding a hotel doing tbar ceiling framing drops and miles of bulkhead ,and Im always doing cookie cutter crap townhomes all piecework.and if that is what you are talking about then I agree your pay check needs to depend on how good and fast you are to be good I.M.O.:yes:
And I learned first as a sider then a later on boarding by piece workers that were and are still good both guys would yell when I ****ed up and would reward when you were catching on in essence making them money I think that time was most important.


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## MrWillys

gordie said:


> ok I see what you are sayin . you think of commercial as work done buy large companies everyone works as a crew hourly,or union almost. Out here where I am we don't have unions and commercial is no different than residential 80% to 90% piece work . in my early years I would usually find myself doing commercial in the winter and residential in spring and summer . right now im boarding 2 custom homes next month ill be boarding a hotel doing tbar ceiling framing drops and miles of bulkhead ,and Im always doing cookie cutter crap townhomes all piecework.and if that is what you are talking about then I agree your pay check needs to depend on how good and fast you are to be good I.M.O.:yes:
> And I learned first as a sider then a later on boarding by piece workers that were and are still good both guys would yell when I ****ed up and would reward when you were catching on in essence making them money I think that time was most important.


 Pretty much spot on. I'm from the San Francisco bay area, and when I started almost 100% of residential was union. That started to change in the 80's with the influx of immigrant labor. Commercial is typically metal stud in office buildings, and high rise. A guy can work his whole career by the hour and never understand piecework. In the union only residential is allowed to be piecework.

When I retired 2 years ago I had over 61,000 work hours. Hangers are in the Carpenters, and Tapers are in the Painters unions. I did T-bar, doors, framing, and drywall. Drywall will always be my first love though.


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## P.A. ROCKER

I have some tips for ya. The screw hand moves to the gun, the gun doesn't move to the screw hand. Don't drive the screw until the next screw is ready to go on the gun,,,, this will train your screw hand to act before your gun needs a new screw. I usually juggle 10-15 screws at a time but do as many as you can handle. A lot of times 4-5 will line up between my forefinger and thumb like a strip of collated nails.


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## P.A. ROCKER

endo_alley said:


> Keep the screw fingering hand fairly close to the tip of the gun. And the gun close to the wall/sheet be fastened. While fastening a screw with the gun hand, you should be using the screw hand to orient the next screw and put it in loading position. So you are ready as soon as the last screw is set to load a new one. Also Practice flipping screws with your thumb and forefinger into loading position without using a gun. Lightly shake the screw hand to keep the screws in motion and orient easier. It really is a skill. I used to be a lot better at it when I was younger. Mostly do finishing and plaster now.


Nice post. I find it difficult to explain in text how to manipulate screws in hand. 
I usually rotate screws to orient direction between my middle finger and thumb and they land between my forefinger and thumb, ready for driving. 
Like you wrote, any time you can close the distance between your two hands the speed will increase.


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## endo_alley

"Don't drive the screw until the next screw is ready to go on the gun" That is good advice. I guess I never noticed it, But I tend to do that too.


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## nodnarb

When I first started I would always try to grab too many screws, just grab 5-10 or so and work your way up.

Also sounds goofy but on off time grab a handful of screws and work your hand as though you were putting them on a screw gun and just drop em instead. Itll come to you.


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