What kinda screws you all use?

[Mike Minto]

When holding a faceplate to a piece of wood? I've had problems with phillips screws stripping at the head (usually when I go to remove them), and had the same problem with Spax screws with the 'combo drive' I have recently tried. I then get to try and drill/dig out the threaded section of the screw still in the wood. So far, I've had the best luck with Robertson, or square drive, screws - 1 1/4 inch or so. Just curious. Mike :cool:

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mike,

I'm lucky in that we have two companies locally that supply hardware to a couple of sawmills and papermills in the area.

Square drive......

[Jim Underwood]

All I know is that you shouldn't use drywall screws. They are too brittle and pop the heads off too easy.

I think you're better off using mild steel screws, rather than hardened screws.

[Cyril Griesbach]

Spax with never a problem......yet.

[charlie knighton]

i like the square hole screws, about an inch long, biggest thing is have the right size square bit to tighten them down, i believe there are at least three sizes of square bits

i believe you can buy them at craft supplies

[Mike Minto]

thanks for the responses; i bought my Spax at McFeeley's (who i hear have recently joined Sawmill Creek); i was thinking of ordering from them again, as they have some cheap shipping offers sometimes - with hollow forms and deep bowls posing no depth restriction on screw length, they offer many options - but i think i'll go back to the square, Robertson #2. mike :o

[robert hainstock]

There are three sizes of Sq drive bits. I get my screws from McFeeleys. :):)
Bob

[David Walser]

Mike,

I found some #12 hex head sheet metal screws at the local borg. So far, I've not had any problems with the screws shearing off. The hex heads seem to be much more durable than the Phillips head screws these replaced.

[Mike Minto]

David, I like that idea, too - I'll try hex-headed sheet metal screws next time I use a faceplate - which, with any luck, the Lord willing and the creek (no pun intended) don't rise, I'll do this weekend! (oh, yeah, and if the wife says I can spend some time in the shop). Mike :rolleyes:

[Tim Thomas]

I like the Highpoint fasteners that Woodcraft has started to carry. The square drives with the self drilling tips and countersinking nibs under the head are great.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I use the hex head sheet metal screws too, although I usually use a chuck instead of a faceplate.

For the phillips screws stripping. Change your driver bit. Most times, if you're stripping the screw heads when removing, the bit is to blame. Too small, the corners are rounded, just plain worn out etc. The bit should fit snugly. You can buy packs of bits from any hardware store for cheap. Just toss them out so you won't use them again. You're not using a regular screwdriver are you? If you are, take your driver to the grinder and freshen up the tip. Most important to use the proper size.

[Keith Outten]

McFeeley's Square Drive screws, never had one fail on me yet.

They have a one dollar shipping deal going on right now :)
.

[Harvey Schneider]

If you want to use Phillips, use a #12 that size uses a #3 Phillips drive which is much harder to strip than a #2. Self drilling tip is a great idea.
Final suggestion, I recently started to use an small battery powered impact driver. I can drive and remove #2 Phillips without ever stripping the head.

[Richard Madison]

Mike, are you drilling pilot holes for the screws? With correct size pilot holes you get maximum grip without having to "over-torque" the screws. Phillips deck screws and even drywall screws have always worked fine for me. They strip or snap off when excessive torque is applied due to improper pilot hole in hardwood. Use cordless drill with proper torque setting.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Mike, are you drilling pilot holes for the screws? With correct size pilot holes you get maximum grip without having to "over-torque" the screws. Phillips deck screws and even drywall screws have always worked fine for me. They strip or snap off when excessive torque is applied due to improper pilot hole in hardwood. Use cordless drill with proper torque setting.

As has been said drywall screws should never be used. Drywall screws aren't made to handle shear loads and are brittle. The most common advice I've seen is sheet metal screws.

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

For what it's worth, I almost exclusively use #14 sheet metal screws. With a pilot hole drilled and with a #3 driver bit, I've never had any problems. Depending upon the situation, I have lengths from 1" to 2" and I use a 18amp battery powered driver.

[Bernie Vail]

I use Phillips head screws with never a stripping problem because I put them in with an impact driver. Makes it easier to get them out too.

[Darius Ferlas]

Robertson, mostly red and 1 1/4"long.

[alex carey]

I use Hex lag screws. This makes everything 10 times easier. I use to use regular screws but sometimes they would strip. I reuse the Hex lag screws over and over and over and never have a problem.

http://www.fasteners-cn.com/4_screws/4_2_hex_lag_screw_b.jpg

[Bernie Weishapl]

#12 hex head. Never had one fail.

[Mike Minto]

hey, alex - what size hex lag screw? i'm assuming non-galvanized, but thought i'd ask that, too. mike :)

[Edwood Ferrari]

GRK screws. I even reuse them when I disassemble jigs.

http://www.grkfasteners.com/

[Maylon Harvey]

Mike I have roughed out over 150 bowls with the same set of 6 #12 hex head 1 1/2 inch sheet metal screws and they look good enough to do another 150. I use a 5/16 socket as a driver in my cordless drill. Easy, fast, and no stripping. Use these and you'll never use Phillips again.

[Scott Conners]

I use Phillips head screws with never a stripping problem because I put them in with an impact driver. Makes it easier to get them out too.
I came to post about using an impact driver too. Makes stripping screws a problem of the past. It also makes removing stripped screws really easy too.

I typically use the biggest pan head phillips screws I can fit through my faceplate holes, long enough to penetrate into good wood about 1/2".

I'm also a huge fan of the torx drive wood screws. The good ones have a tapping point so start easy, are WAY stronger than gold or drywall screws, never strip, and have toothed threads so drive easy. Typically a gold color. They also have ridges on the bottom of the head which makes them countersink easier. I've driven one completely through a 2x4 before just to see if it would go. Not the best for faceplates, but really good for general use, I've stopped using phillips heads in construction now, and use them instead of nails most places. Framed whole remodels with them, they are great!

[alex carey]

The widest your faceplate will handle is probably the best. I use 7/16 head and I have a number of different lengths that go from 3/4" to 2". No they're not galvanized, but I hardly leave them in wet wood for very long.

[Don Eddard]

#12 hex head sheet metal screw driven with an impact driver. No pilot holes necessary, unless the wood is very hard and dry. Haven't stripped one yet, and the only one I brohke was because I was being lazy and didn't drill a pilot hole in a piece of dried carobcrete.

[Ed Sandle]

All I use is #12 Spax. You needa #3 driver bit though, or you will strip them.

[Nathan Hawkes]

#12 hex head sheet metal screw driven with an impact driver. No pilot holes necessary, unless the wood is very hard and dry. Haven't stripped one yet, and the only one I brohke was because I was being lazy and didn't drill a pilot hole in a piece of dried carobcrete.


Another vote for impact driver & #12 or even #14 sheet metal screws. If I didn't have the impact driver, I'd say a drill and square or torx drive screws. I have stripped the edges off the heads on the hex screws when using full torque settings on the 19.2V drill. Lag screws are great, but they're a pain to have to predrill first. I keep meaning to order some square drive screws, but the hex screws work great, and have super hold.

[Chris Struttman]

I use about 1" Tapcon screws with Philips heads. They work well for me.

[Jim Becker]

I use square drive/Robertson screws from McFeeley's because that's all I keep in my shop.

[Jeff Nicol]

I have heard all the bad things about sheet rock screws and I have used the #2 square drive construction or multi purpose screws on hundreds of bowls, vessels and everything! If you use them in hard wood you must drill a pilot hole. In soft woods no problem. If the faceplate has 6 holes put in 6 screws, 8 holes 8 screws and so on, do it right and there will be no trouble. I think people who have trouble with them are using a faceplate that is to small for the blank and not using enough screws. I only use them while between centers until I get a tenon or recess for the chuck anyway, I never use them to finish a turning, the wood can dry and change shape etc to add to the trouble. Also if you are using sharp tools and using them correctly you should never put that much torque on 6 screws to snap them off! Most failures come from operator error, this I know from my own learning curve!

Just me, the REBEL!

Jeff

[Mike Minto]

Thanks for the idea to use hex-headed sheet metal screws when fixing my faceplates to turning blanks. I tried it this weekend on a 15" diameter, 6 inch thick piece of half-dry cherry with the bark still on; I mounted this, as I have many others, to just turn-off the bark and round the blank for storage/drying. The #10, 1 1/2" screws held my 3" faceplate on just fine, and came out looking like new. I bought a small plastic box of them from HD over the weekend, and probably won't have to buy any more. Joy! I keep an 18 volt DeWalt drill/driver in the shop just for this purpose; it now has a nutdriver in it in place of another kind of bit. Mike :)

[Cody Colston]

1 inch # 10 pan-head Phillips drive screws from the Borg. When the head starts wallowing out I toss them and get new ones. This ain't rocket science. :D

[Mike Minto]

1 inch # 10 pan-head Phillips drive screws from the Borg. When the head starts wallowing out I toss them and get new ones. This ain't rocket science. :D

gee...thanks for the kind words, cody. mike

[robert baccus]

I long ago outlawed phillips head screws in my shop. also lag-bolts (sorry steel) i use good quality mcfeely's square head or combo heads in 1 to 1.5" sizes. this is for small pieces (10-15#) for longer and heavier vases(to 100#) i use 1/4" blue coated concrete screws. they are heattreated ans very strong. i broke my firstone recently after 13 years of repeated use. long vases exert a lot of stress on everything. in the past i would ca glue these pieces to a heavy glueblock and later drive 3" blue cc screws through the g block and into the vase. lately i have been using only the thick ca glue and screwing the glueblock onlyto the faceplate. i'm not sure i would recammend this but it works for me. use very fresh ca glue!! these cc screws can also be driven in by a socket head on a drill or driver. also good when removing it!!---------ol forester

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Mike I only use screws in my faceplate for larger bowls, I use two sizes, 1" long and 3/4" long Robertson screws, they need the Robertson red, or #2, drive bits
The screws shown on the bowl blank in the picture (20") I have used on many bowls, I still use the same screws now, the real Robertson screws and bits fit perfectly together, and I use them with no pre-drilling in wet wood, (never use dry wood big enough to need a faceplate).
Here's also a picture of the different Robertson drive bits, smallest is yellow or #0, next is green or #1, then Red or #2, and the biggest is Black or #3, so you see there are 4 sizes, and that's all I have ever used, I don't think there are more sizes, but I could be wrong on that :(

[alex carey]

Mike you are describing exactly what I do. Glad it works for you to.