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Discussion » Questions » Random Knowledge » This is for carpenters/builders. How do you know what screw to use? Aren't there thousands of them?. Do you have a favorite size? Why?
RosieG

This is for carpenters/builders. How do you know what screw to use? Aren't there thousands of them?. Do you have a favorite size? Why?

OK. There are flat head screws and Phillips head screws and Robertson head screws. The shank can be tapered or straight. It can have a deep thread or shallow. There are metal screws and wood screws  and sheet metal or self-tapping screws and machine screws and concrete or masonry screws. It is mind-boggling. Do you have to go to school to learn which screw to use when?    My dad had a few different sizes in his workshop. Jim has a few types in his workshop. But thousands of sizes? Geez, why thousands?

Posted - October 25, 2016
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Responses


  • 6988
    I used mostly "deck" screws when I built my house. They are very tough. Most were #8 I think.  1.5 inches long, 2 inches long, some 3 inches long. The #8 size generally will not split the wood like the larger sizes will. When those powerful wind gusts roll across the open fields, those #8 screws hold it all together. No creaking, no wall flex, just a solid wall against nature. 
      October 25, 2016 4:35 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Thank you for a very helpful answer bh. So there are "deck" screws too? It is essential to know the right size screw to use so it won't split the wood! You just taught me something else I didn't know about carpentry which is quite a lot! I looked it up yesterday and the mind boggled at the variety of screws there.  Deck screws are not limited to using for decks though. You built your entire house? Wow! That is some ambitious undertaking. Are you a carpenter by trade or just a multi-talented guy? Do you make furniture too? My grandfather had a shop in Detroit, Michigan on Woodward  Avenue aeons ago. It was called "Paris Woodworks". He was very artistic and made furniture for local hotels. He also did marquetry which is so extraordinarily beautiful. I remember when I was a very little girl living in Detroit I loved going into his shop because the first thing you smelled was wood shavings. I was 3. Funny the things you remember. I remember seeing the wood shavings on the floor  in curls after he'd work on something. It all seemed magical to me because he would start with ordinary pieces of wood and make something fantastic out of them. The chairs he made for his home use my grandmother did the needlepoint seat and back covers for. I have one of those  chairs. We call it "Grandpa's chair" and it is a treasure.  Happy Wednesday bh! :) ((hugs))  That's for taking my question seriously and answering it so nicely!
      October 26, 2016 2:46 AM MDT
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  • 6988
    Screw-loose Bruce says thank you for the Detroit story. I am somewhat familiar with that area, having spent several years of daily crossings of the Ambassador Bridge on my way to Windsor.  Anyway, it took me about 4-5 years to finish building this house in my spare time. I originally started out as a mobile home mover and set up guy. I graduated from that to building garages. Then several houses. I am not skilled enough to build furniture, so we bought a house full of Amish-made oak end tables,chairs, beds, vanities, etc. The Amish craftsmen are really good at wood products. 
      October 26, 2016 12:55 PM MDT
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  • 46117
    Total common sense.  Go to Home Depot and ASK them.
      October 25, 2016 4:36 PM MDT
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  • 628
    Good morning Rosie,,,
    Nails vs. screws.
    Nails and sctrews work differently in their application. A nail works on friction where as a screw is a mechanical connection. The reason screws are not used when framing a house is because a screw doesn't react to torsion (twisting) as well as a nail. A screw is generally more brittle and will break when "twisted" where a nail will bend.
    Most people will improperly install a screw when framing. To get the best result predrilling is required, and you have to over drill the piece to be connected other wise the two pieces will not come together properly.
    Under normal conditions a screw will have better "pull-out" strength, that is why they are preferred for decks.
    For most finish work, nails are used because the heads are smaller and less visible.
    For furniture most of the time I rely on joinery ( dowels, biscuits, dovetails etc...) for connections rather than a fastener.
    As for all the different types and sizes, they are for specific applications and the materials joined.
    Where more nails are required, smaller nails are generally used, you don't want to weaken the board you are nailing too with a barrage of nails causing the wood to split.
    Different screws will be made for the job they do. A small mechanical screw meant for sheet metal wont have to take the forces of application a concrete screw will, so the concrete screw is made much stronger.
    The type of head will also depend on what it is used for. When I install small hinges on say, a jewelry box, I will use a slotted because I can get more surface area of the screwdriver on the screw. When driving a screw with a drill I will use either a phillips or torque head ( star shaped) because they take less force to drive.
    Then there are Dead as a doornail, toenails, fingernails, getting nailed, getting screwed, screwballs, screwdrivers, boat screws, corkscrews, screw-ups,
    Hows that for screwy....and as always
    have a great day



      October 26, 2016 8:50 PM MDT
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