trial assemblies

[George Waite]

A tip (for those who don't already know) If you are making up "trial assemblies" and bolting or screwing them together prior to disassembly for epoxy etc, then use carbon steel screws or bolts as Both Stainless or Bronze are quite soft and are easily damaged. The carbon steel items can be replaced with the expensive stuff when final assembly takes place. also a touch of Beeswax on the screw threads makes for easy release in sticky dense woods such as Iroko.

[jwboatdesigns]

Sheetrock, or drywall screws are made of tempered high carbon steel, and have flared countersunk heads which are larger in diameter than the usual ones. They also have very sharp points and tapered shanks so in many cases you dont need pilot holes.
I prefer square drive ones and am careful to order number two drive ones. Very cheap and very good for this kind of work.
John Welsford

A tip (for those who don't already know) If you are making up "trial assemblies" and bolting or screwing them together prior to disassembly for epoxy etc, then use carbon steel screws or bolts as Both Stainless or Bronze are quite soft and are easily damaged. The carbon steel items can be replaced with the expensive stuff when final assembly takes place. also a touch of Beeswax on the screw threads makes for easy release in sticky dense woods such as Iroko.

[Philip]

apart from over here m8! drywall screws here are not the same and WILL snap if under pressure, l know from my own experience better of using good qauilty chipboard screws as a temp hold reg phil

[Mike]

Phil's right, John, in that the drywall screws sold over here are rubbish and snap off very easily. I tried 'em for a while and they were more trouble than they're worth by way of any savings.

I use C/S Philips head steel screws and chuck 'em after removal, replacing with same size silicon bronze where needed.

[jwboatdesigns]

Fair comment, I just went out and tried some of mine to see how brittle or otherwise and they are actually quite tough, our suppliers must be buying them from a different manufacturer.

JohnW

[This'll crack you up, John. Jeannette popped into our local builders merchant yesterday to pick up another couple of boxes of the screws as I referred to above. The helpful guys at the counter, always fawning over Jeannette anyway, suggested she should not buy the ones I get. Said something about them being brittle and she should buy the ones in the red marked boxes instead "because they screw in easier". She laughed and said: "Mike needs no advice on screwing, thank you, and he always drills a pilot hole first." When she told me this, it took me a few minutes to be able to see anything properly. She is a right character is my Jeannette. And she always has counter staff eating out of her hand. S'why I leave all the buying to her. She gets discounts on discounts! :rofl:]