Crossover tool
Bill Houghton, sunny today yahoo in Sebastopol, CA
>WARNING: Some power tool content, but ultimately hand tools win the day.
I use quite a few galvanized drywall screws in the various projects around the house. Today, I went to remove the screws holding the tarp on the fence where we pile the firewood, and found that all four batteries on both the cordless drills were flat.
So I got out one of the unsung heroes: my 3/8" drive speeder wrench, on which I mounted a 1/4" reducer, 1/4" bitholder, and Phillips bit. Lee Valley sells adapters to put 1/4" hex bits in a brace, which looks like a marvelous tool, but this gets the job done too.
Speeders are old-time mechanics tools (still sold, I think) that use the same crank principle as a brace to "speed" automotive and other fasteners into place. The throw's not much - about 7-1/2" on mine - but for drywall screws, they're about right. Bottom feeders might want to watch for them at garage sales. Teamed up with a 1/4" hex socket (such as a replaceable-tip 1/4" hex bit), they're right useful.