Meanwhile back on topic

[Brian Gaff]

What is the current best screw head to use out of doors if you might want it to be taken apart in some years down the line? Brian

[GB]

Any type of screwhead, but made out of stainless steel?

[alan_m]

It possible depends on what you are trying to fix and to what.

For smaller fastenings use stainless with the correct size screwdriver/bit and then the head will not be degraded (rusted) when trying to remove.

[Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp]

I bought a pile of Lidl Stainless "chipboard" woodscrews for putting nesting boxes into trees. They need a pilot hole and I have little doubt they will be removable in a few years.

As to why someone would want to use stainless screws on chipboard is a mystery that defeats me :-(

AB

[Chris Green]

I'd go with that! :-)

I have a lot of Screwfix Turbo Ultra woodscrews outdoors (fixing fences, shed door, hinges, etc.) and they unscrew reliably after many years. The non-stainless Turbo Gold ones are usually much more diffcult to deal with (still better than nails though).

[Robin]

[Bill Wright]

What are you screwing into? Have you considered greasing the screw before you insert it? For crossheads and hex heads it helps to fill the head with grease. This solidifies but protects the head.

Bill

[The Other Mike]

But with stainless, if there is even the slightest degree of stressing the fastener during insertion or removal maybe due to a pilot hole being too small or the timber being too hard the screw can fail in torsion and also the head, either posidriv, or torx can be very prone to cam out damage if installed with an impact driver.

I've destroyed a few dozen 6mm, 5mm and 4mm stainless 'ultras' from Screwfix into normal constructional timber despite many having pilot holes

Spax torx stainless appear to be better than Screwfix pozi 'ultra' and green organic coatings on plain carbon steel with any head type may be even better still given the condition of some coach screws and bolts I installed maybe 15 years ago

For normal screws waxed screwfix turbo gold or reisser cutter yellow or spax yellox with beeswax rammed in the head recess should be enough for most non-coastal environments

[whisky-dave]

Well the chipboard would bio-degrade and you could reuse the screws making it a recyclable item :-D

[Brian Gaff]

Yes I have a garden gate with a slotted screw or two in the hinge and I want to remove them and raise them up so the gate, when its rehung after being painted, does not sag as now and drag on the ground. They are screwed into wood and do you think I can get the darned old ones out, of course bloody not! Brian

[Brian Gaff]

It will be a wooden bit attached to a concrete gate post. Brian

[bert]

I find heating them with an electric paint stripper works well.

In article , Brian Gaff writes

[tabbypurr]

or just turn them till the heads snap off.

NT

[Brian Reay]

Interesting question.

The material is also important- stainless is nice but at least something which resists corrosion and is tough/hard.

As for the head, ideally something with two options - eg a hex head you can put a socket on and perhaps pozidrive for a screwdriver. However, they probably aren't that neat. Ones that take an Allen key tend, in my experience, to hold up best- probably as 'butchering' them isn't as easy. However, they aren't always easy to find, at least in the DIY sheds etc. Torx are good, provided you buy quality screws and drivers. Cheap screws/bolts tend to have the recess too shallow/poorly defined and it soon deforms.

[Dave Liquorice]

The material is far more important than the head. Steel rusts, expands, ceases in the timber/plug making it impossible to remove and finally becomes rust and falls out.

Brass on the other hand just superfically weathers to a dark brown and can simply be unscrewed.

I've also used A2 stainless woodscrews but they failed in service, ie they broke. Not had that happen with brass ones I used to replace them...

Brass is soft so easy to nadger the head but correct sized plugs and holes or pilot holes in timber solves that. Along with a good condition and fit driver, be that straight or pozi.

I'll only use brass outside these days.