Sources for wood screws

[Alan Garner]

I need some #6 by 5/8" wood screws with thin oval heads. Think of an all wood machinest chest. Think of wood rails on the inside of the chest that the drawers slide on. The drawers have a 1/2 wide dado on the outside of each side of the drawer. The dado slides on the rail on each side. (Hope that makes sense.)

I will drill a hole just large enough for the threaded portion of the screw to go all the way through into the side of the case/chest. Then (actually first, before the other hole) a hole the diameter of the head of the screw and only deep enough in the rail for the head to go in just below the surface of the rail. So the drawer won't catch on it.

Thought as long as I am here I would ask who are all your sources for specialty wood screws and/or fastners in general.

Thanks,
Alan - planesaw

[Jim Rimmer]

McFeely's is a good source.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

Best sourde I know of is McFeeleys.com. Look through their catalog; I suspect you will find a screw that works for your design.

Ruperto

[Thomas Williams]

+1 for McFeely's.

[george wilson]

You can take the plating right off screws by putting them into a little muriatic acid for just a short time. Some use vinegar. I used to need unplated screws for 18th.C. style work I was always doing. I'd rinse the screws off when the bubbling stopped,and carefully heat them to a spring blue color for 2 reasons: It is very hard to kill muriatic acid,so I'd drive it off with heat. Also,they used brass hinges with blued steel screws on boxes of all types(like pistol cases) in the 18th.C.,and 19th.C.

When I first started working at the museum,I thought this looked peculiar. They did it because they did not have cold rolled brass back then,and cast brass screws would ring right off. I got used to it after finding that out.