Replies

1. 
   eddiefromaustralia | Dec 22, 2003 02:47pm | #1

   Fairly common in this part of the world -

   try your local trade supplier?  You may need to buy 500g or 1kg (oops, wrong language - 1lb or 2lb), but this should cost you USD3- to USD5-

   Cheers,

   eddie

2. 
   jazzdogg | Dec 22, 2003 08:04pm | #2

   JMuir,

   You might want to try McFeeley's.

   http://www.McFeeleys.com

   Paul

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
1. 
   Biscardi | Dec 23, 2003 06:18am | #3

   An old guy sold me his shop. With it came several large coffee cans full of old fashioned, slot headed steel woodscrews. I was too cheap to pitch them.

   They are a pain to use because you have to drill a tapered hole. Also, it is easy to strip the head out. If you are carefull though, they are tremendous screws. They really pull things together and the cross sectional area of the screw is immense. Does anybody else out there use these things?

1. 
   UncleDunc | Dec 23, 2003 07:10am | #4

   >> Does anybody else out there use these things?

   I used to, gave them up for square drive hardened construction screws when they came on the market. The main beef I had with them is the hassle of power driving them.

   Somebody's still using them, cause you can still get them at the hardware store, last time I looked.

   >> They are a pain to use because you have to drill a tapered hole.

   I never did. Just drilled a pilot hole the same size as the root diameter of the threaded part, maybe a little bigger in hardwood, maybe a little smaller in softwood. If I was losing any holding power by not engaging that last thread and a half at the point, I could never tell.

   >> They really pull things together and the cross sectional area of the screw is immense.

   True, but more screws with less cross sectional area works just as well.

1. 
   BrianMcG | Dec 24, 2003 08:54am | #13

   Hi Uncle Dunc,

   Question: "Root" diameter. Would that be the tip..ahhh..pointy end of the screw?

   Guess I need to do a little screw nomenclature research!

   Thanks, Brian

1. 
   UncleDunc | Dec 24, 2003 09:22am | #14

   It's the diameter of the screw shank between the threads. What you'd get if you chucked the screw in a lathe and carefully turned the threads off. Also called the minor diameter. The name comes from the fact that the measurement is taken at the root, as opposed to the crest, of the thread form.

   Edited 12/24/2003 1:34:53 AM ET by Uncle Dunc

2. 
   BrianMcG | Dec 26, 2003 12:30am | #15

   Thanks, Never thought a wood screw could be so interesting! Thanks again, Brian

2. 
   eddiefromaustralia | Dec 23, 2003 11:52am | #5

   Frank,

   Our standard screw over here - when I was training they were prob used about 60% of the time, now they're used about 30% of the time.

   I should have a screw drilling chart somewhere - found it - I'll post it as an attachment.

   Correct order of drilling

   (1) Drill clearance hole as deep as the shank of the screw (ie: the bit without screw threads);(2) Drill pilot hole to the full depth of the screw;(3) Countersink for screw head if needed.

   Terminology - clearance hole is the diameter of the screw shank, the outside of the screw threads run neatly through this clearance hole too.  The pilot hole is the root diameter of the screw thread - ie, the diameter of the screw at the narrowest part - allows the screw threads to bite neatly without having to force the shaft of the screw into the hole.  I know this is probably telling you how to suck eggs, but there are others who probably are wondering what the terms are

   Re strength, yes you're right - the holding power of a 10 gauge screw is a lot more than the holding power of an 8 gauge screw.  Indeed, if 1" x 8 gauge doesn't hold, you're better going 1" x 10 gauge instead of 1.5" x 8 gauge.

   Hope that this helps and cheers,

   eddie

   
3. 
   jazzdogg | Dec 23, 2003 09:53pm | #6

   "They are a pain to use because you have to drill a tapered hole."

   Biscardi,

   I have a set of tapered drill bits in my drill cabinet. Unfortunately, I can't recall where I bought them, but, as far as I know, they're still available.

   Hope this helps,Paul

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

4. 
   AlanTurner | Dec 24, 2003 12:27am | #7

   I use them often, and try to use only those types in finished work.  E.g., the buttons to hold on a table top.  They are much more traditional looking, and becuase they are of mild steel, they will not break, like drywall crews.  In terms of driving them, I tend to use a flat bit in a brace.  Tremendous torque.  I tend to use Nos. 12 - 18.  A fellow WW gave me a 5 gal bucket of them in these larger sizes, and when I need a few, I dig through them, find what I need, put on the leather gloves, and head for the wire wheel oon grinder to clean them up.  But, that said, I still use DW scres for shop jigs, etc.

   Alan

1. 
   Biscardi | Dec 24, 2003 01:14am | #8

   Very interesting. He made very high end reproductions and said they were most appropriate for period work. I think he also sold me a bit that fits in a brace.

   Thanks all

   Frank

1. 
   AlanTurner | Dec 24, 2003 01:52am | #9

   I bought a bunch of stuff from a patternmaker's shop that was closing.  You should have seen the screws they had on hand; nearly all were the traditional slotted screws.  The older the better, the owner said, as the head is thicker, and thus the slot deeper.  And, they still used the brace and bit to drive them.  I bought an Emmert from them (3 actually) and one was still mounted.  The shop fellow just grapped a brace and just like that it was off.  The ultimate cordless drill/driver.  That got me to thinking, and so now that is all that I use, for finish work, if possible.  And, as he said, the older the better.  When mounting the Emmeret on my bench, the plan is for a No. 18, which is hard to find, but I had them in the buckets given me by my WW friend.  No problem.

   Alan

2. 
   SBerruezo | Dec 24, 2003 03:30am | #10

   Definately try McFeely's for the screws, and even the tapered drill bits.  They have all sorts of screws, and I'm pretty sure they offer the drill bits too.  Grizzly might have them, and maybe Lee Valley.

3. 
   jonsherryl | Dec 24, 2003 04:46am | #11

   Frank, I still use a lot of traditional slotted screws...nothing looks worse than a phillips or square drive screw head on a period piece.

   By the way, I've been looking all over God's creation for some old slotted brass oval head 1-1/2"#7 screws to mount spool type porcelain knobs. You wouldn't happen to have a dozen or two in those coffee cans, wouldya? I don't think anybody makes them anymore. I can get #8s, but they won't chamber in these old knobs.

4. 
   Biscardi | Dec 24, 2003 07:31am | #12

   John,

   I think I have quite a few and would be glad to send you some. Just e-mail me off line. I think I have what you need, but I am not certain they are brass; I'll polish one and see.

   Frank