Subscribe now

Home improvement can be an exhausting chore, so to make things easier Chun Chen Screw of Taiwan has invented a screw that can penetrate even the hardest wood with little effort.

The company says pre-drilling holes for screws rarely works effectively because screws don’t bite well enough into the wood, leaving a weak join. But without pre-drilling, you’re likely to destroy the head of the screw before you get very far. The company’s invention is a screw with two different threads. The tip of the screw bears a spiral of triangular cutters shaped like miniature arrowheads (GB 2371343). As the…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop