Self tapping/self drilling screws - where to get assorted selection

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Interesting bit of trivia. The BBC (scenery) construction shop changed from slotted to Pozi. And minor injuries to the construction workers dropped by some 75%.

[John Rumm]

Unless you have a particular need for "period" screws in furniture restoration, you can save loads of hassle by lobbing them in a bin ;-)

[tabbypurr]

+1. They're a pain and a hazard.

NT

[Bill Wright]

I've got all my late dad's, my late uncle's, and my late brother-in-law's dad's slotted screws, and they were all avid collectors of fixings. Seems a shame to throw them away, but I'll never use them. Nails are an even bigger issue. I mean, there's no way a nail goes out of date or is superseded to the point of being useless, but I really have a got a lot of them. My dad in particular would buy 200 nails for every job, without checking his stock. Bill

[Huge]

I fear I must agree. Slotted screws are a PITA.

[charles]

but - if you arec trying to remove paint from the heads to insert a screwdriver, slotted screws are much easier to deal with.

[Huge]

Good point.

[Tim Lamb]

Something else is that *old* screws were tapered (some?) which I feel gave a better fixing for wall plugs.

I can't claim to have any parallel threaded fixings fail but the action seems to cut a thread rather than expand the plug.

>

[John Rumm]

Tapping a pozi head with a sharp point (i.e. a valid use for some of the spare nails!) will usually clear them enough. Failing that you can always dremmel a slot into em if you must!

[John Rumm]

IME they tended to make the screw "tighter" - but mostly near the shallow end of the hole where it does less good.

With modern plug designs and the right size hole, they seem at least as good in practice as the old style plugs and screws.

[AnthonyL]

That's exactly why I'm asking on here!

[Rob Morley]

Lidl have assorted boxes of usefulness at the moment, but no screws (I bought some hose clips).

[Rob Morley]

I'd rather use a proper tool. ;-)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - you really do need to keep an eye out for these goodies. Or pay 4 times the price at Halfords, etc. At 3 quid a box I'll be stocking up on pop rivets and heat shrink.

[Rob Morley]

I don't see it - just use the right size driver for the slot, and drill an appropriate pilot hole.

[Bill Wright]

Parallel thread screws are better for wall plugs. But you have to get the right size screw and plug, and drill the right size hole.

Bill

[tabbypurr]

A lot of us do :)

NT