Who Uses Production Screws or Traditional Wood Screws?

[Brody Goodwine]

I've always preferred production screws over the traditional wood screws, but understand they still have some ornamental uses. I'm just curious if most here also prefer production screws for general use. I have a taper drill set that frankly gets little use and am trying to justify tossing it on eBay.

[Mike Zilis]

I'm not familiar with production screws. I've been using SPAX for the last couple of years and really like them. I pre-drill using a tapered bit with a countersink. Works great.

[Brody Goodwine]

I believe spax is a type of production screw. That said using a taper bit with a non-tapered screw doesn't seem right.

[John Piwaron]

Also not familiar with production screws. I've started using SPAX screws if the need arises and they're available in the size I need/want. Also stainless steel screws from McFeely's - 316 preferred but also 304. Maybe bronze too. Depends on the project. That said, I try to avoid metal fasteners if possible.

This leads to another question - do you use anything to ease the screws way into the wood? wax? soap? nothing? I use paraffin wax from my local grocery store. They intend it for canning but I've repurposed it. :) The box I got contains 4 blocks. A supply that'll last me several lifetimes.

[Peter Quinn]

I use assembly screws for nearly everything except decorative hardware. Never heard them called "production screws". IIR the brand I have are deerwood ultimates. Square drive #8's, #17 auger point tip, annealed for strength, nibs under the head for self counter sinking. They look like sheet rock screws but certainly perform better. I also have a collection of SPAX and GRK fasteners for more demanding tasks and longer lengths. traditional wood screws? Not for anything thats blind. Their day has ended in my shop.

[Brian Kent]

Since I started using McFeely's instead of Spax for attaching faceplates for lathe turnings, I went from stripping and breaking screws to re-using screws about 5 times. Each use involves screwing without a pilot hole into white oak. And bagged screws at Home Depot are much softer than the Spax.

[johnny means]

I almost never use traditional screws. I feel like if I'm going to trouble myself with them I might as well go with some stronger or more asthetic joinery. In my mind screws are quick and dirty.

[Rick Lizek]

Always amazed at terms people use to describe things. Production Screws? Traditional screws=Slotted...gets tossed ASAP. We used to buy from McFeelys but I switched to Deerwood as they are just as good and 1/3 the cost. Prefer the recex drive which is a combination of philips and square drive. Torx drive screws are far superior but not as common yet. To everyone who thinks Spax are good you need to try other brands. Spax are horrible screws, soft and easy to strip. There is no need for tapered drill bits in my tool box

[Matt Meiser]

I can't remember the last time I used traditional screws. I've pretty much always used McFeelys since I learned there was a difference between drywall screws and wood screws but I think the quality has dropped since the Grainger buyout. I use Spax if I don't have what I need and can find what I want at Menards or Home Depot but their selections seem to skip around in size/type. Regardless, I greatly prefer square drive to Philips if at all possible, and NOT the combo-recess which doesn't stick on the square bit as well for me.

Edit: Rick, Spax are great screws compared to the other stuff in that aisle at the big box!

[ray hampton]

Since I started using McFeely's instead of Spax for attaching faceplates for lathe turnings, I went from stripping and breaking screws to re-using screws about 5 times. Each use involves screwing without a pilot hole into white oak. And bagged screws at Home Depot are much softer than the Spax.


you use screws in white oak without drilling a pilot hole first ? and no breakage

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I really prefer GRK, but Spax easier to find. Never use tapered screws. I agree with Johnny though.

[Rick Lizek]

Rick, Spax are great screws compared to the other stuff in that aisle at the big box!
Low standards for a hobbyist.

[Val Kosmider]

I got started using HighPoint square drive screws over the past couple of years. I was breaking WAY too many traditional screws and started searching for an alternative. To get a better (good) quality straight or Philips head screw was just too costly, so i switched. The stuff they sell at HD or Lowes has dropped in quality so as to be virtually unusable. I suppose if you are working in fir, and drill holes for everything first, but.....

The Highpoints probably aren't cheap, but i got a coupon for the first box, bought a sampler which came with another coupon, which bought me a box with another coupon.....

And best of all, i have yet to break a single screw, and recent projects have all been in some pretty hard wood. If you are just making patterns or jigs, it is not such a big deal. If you are well into a project where fine craftsmanship is warranted, breaking off a screw, even in an invisible area, really puts a damper on things while you do an extraction, or re-set the screw pattern.

[ray hampton]

I got started using HighPoint square drive screws over the past couple of years. I was breaking WAY too many traditional screws and started searching for an alternative. To get a better (good) quality straight or Philips head screw was just too costly, so i switched. The stuff they sell at HD or Lowes has dropped in quality so as to be virtually unusable. I suppose if you are working in fir, and drill holes for everything first, but.....

The Highpoints probably aren't cheap, but i got a coupon for the first box, bought a sampler which came with another coupon, which bought me a box with another coupon.....

And best of all, i have yet to break a single screw, and recent projects have all been in some pretty hard wood. If you are just making patterns or jigs, it is not such a big deal. If you are well into a project where fine craftsmanship is warranted, breaking off a screw, even in an invisible area, really puts a damper on things while you do an extraction, or re-set the screw pattern.

wait until you install a 3/8 lag screw and break it [bad steel ] the screw was turning easy so the torque did not cause it to break, I wonder if any of the big store screws and bolts will past a torque test

[Mark Ashmeade]

What are you describing as traditional and production?

I find the commonly available screws in the US to be poor, quite frankly.

I buy mine in England. Pozidrive heads, yellow zinc passivated, and either single or twin thread, depending on the application. I occasionally use slotted head countersunk woodscrews, but that's very rare. The "goldscrews" are superior in just about every manner. The one exception is with fittings, like hinges, when they will show.

[Geoffrey Frey]

If I am using MDF I will use a drywall screw (predrill). I've never had an issue with breaking them unless I really try and force the issue. In otherwords, it is more than likely my fault for a poor joint to begin with, or just pulling the trigger full bore and throwing caution to the wind. :D
For most other construction I use plain old Robertson (square drive) deck screws. I can get them locally in anything from 1" all the way to 3.5" lengths. I've never had an issue with these either

[Brody Goodwine]

Always amazed at terms people use to describe things. Production Screws?

Rick, sounds like you could use a refresher on screws. Here ya go, this link defines them pretty well.

http://www.mcfeelys.com/docs/screwposter.pdf

[ian maybury]

Another here that given the choice will always use a posidrive or similar pattern head on a parallel threaded hardened screw - that is set up to use a power driver. Except on stuff like hinges or lock plates with matching fittings where the appearance matters. Not a big fan of the reduced diameter plain shank 'clamping' type as they add complication in that the shank has to be the right length to suit the job.

Quite how traditional wood screws ended up with a tapered thread I've no idea - even thinking about it for a moment suggests it's got to behave a bit oddly so far as tightening is concerned. Maybe it's a relic of the use of hand awls and the like which tended to make a tapered hole.. Slot heads are understandable, but why bother when so much better is available?

:) I spent enough years as a kid wrestling with traditional screws and nails (typically recycled from old furniture etc)...

There's quite a variety of screws locally available, especially mail order from the big guys in the UK http://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/woodscrews/cat840066 - but realistically once it's something like the above (and unless there's something special about the application) they all tend to be pretty good. Some designs seem to have moved into pseudo tech territory - turbo this and that and the like...

Locally it tends to come down to what you get as the shops don't always bother with the sort of fine differences we might seek to apply. Which tends to be Spax or similar...

[Ole Anderson]

I find myself using a lot of Kreg self tapping washer head screws for assembly when countersinking isn't necesary. Use them on lots of shop jigs too. Self tapping in all sorts of hard and soft wood. Have never broken one or stripped out the square drive head. I like the brown lubed ones better than the plated ones.

[Jacob Reverb]

I was also unfamiliar with the term "production screw" until I looked at the McFeely's reference Brody posted.

I see in the McFeely's description that so-called production screws have "hardened steel shanks." Does that mean that they have low shock/impact resistance and break easily like drywall screws? (The biggest reason why I don't use drywall screws for WW.)

[Peter Quinn]

Looking through a few supply catalogues at work, none of them use the term "production screws" for fasteners. I see "assembly screws" noted by most sellers. Perhaps McFeallys had seen fit to create their own lexicon? In the end it's less important what you call them or where you buy them, it's more important that they perform. My understanding is that most cheap screws, like sheet rock screws, are hardened, that's it. So they are very brittle but cheap. Just the thing for holding drywall to green soft wood, not so good for much else. And most traditional wood screws I've found are soft as mush, so they can't take much torque, better for hand adjustment then power driver. The production or assembly screws are all hardened, then annealed, so they are strong but not brittle. Add an auger point, some self sinking heads, perhaps a hi low twin thread, or sedated fins like spax, you've got quite a screw by any name. Deck screws happen to have all these features plus weather resistance. Which pushes their cost a bit higher. Fine for occasional use, production sho