Screws sheared while mounting bed rail hardware. Help?

Ok, so I decided to make my sweetie a nice oak bed (I snore something awful). Almost done; the last little bit was to cut mortises and mount the bed rail hardware

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in the posts and ends of the side rails. The hardware is drilled and countersunk for #8 screws. I drill pilot holes the length of the screw, using a Stanley adjustable pilot-clearance-countersink bit, after starting the holes using a self-centering bit through the hardware itself. In the first attempt, to mount the bed rail hooks to the side rail, two of three screws sheared at the top of the threads, leaving the potential for the bed to be held together by one presumeably already stressed screw. I *really* don't want to go back to the lumberyard and get a 7 foot length of 5/4 x 8 oak to make another rail.

As I see it, I have (at least) two problems: First, if I want to salvage the almost-completed side rail, I need to somehow extract about an inch of wood screw that is buried a good 3/8 of an inch inside a chunk of oak, preferably without doing so much damage that I can't re- use the hole. I suppose I could just lengthen the mortise and reposition the hardware, but I'm not real keen on that (fortunately, I made the side rails an inch wider than the plans called for, so I have some room to play with on the end of the rail. Any suggestions?

The second problem is what is stopping me right now: Any advice on how do drive screws in oak without shearing them? I figured a full length pilot hole in end grain, with the screw threads heavily waxed, would not present so much friction that a #8 screw would shear, but apparently it does. So far, I've sheared about 8 screws this afternoon, two in ind grain and the rest in side grain, using both Crown Bolt screws from HD and Hillcrest screws from my local lumberyard, all in pilot holes drilled the length of the screw.

I appeal to the assembled wisdom of the group to help an admitted idiot out of an embarassing jam (though not as embarassing as having the bed fall apart would be). Thanks

Jim

Reply to
Jim Willemin
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There is a special bit for a drill that appears to be a hollow hole saw. You drill/saw the screw and the surrounding wood out, glue in a matching dowel and start over.

Are you using "quality" square drive screws? I would advise using at least #10 screws. Pilot holes should be large enough to accompany the unthreaded portion of the screw, preferabley you use a tapered pilot hole bit. WAX the screw before insertion.

Reply to
Leon

This is not a solution. Are these China made screws? Bet 2 to 1 they are. Hmmmmmm, think I started a post a few days back about this very problem. This one probably proves my point. Use quality screws, not junk from China!

Wish you luck on this one. If screw broke at shank and below wood not sure there is a solution. If you can move the bracket over an 1/16" drill new one. Leon's solution may work. This is a tough one.

Reply to
evodawg

Well, the first thing that comes to mind with the shearing is that you might want to try going up a 64th on the pilot hole diameter. If the pilot set you're using is intended for construction lumber (very likely if it's a Stanley) then it's probably a bit undersized for oak.

Try SPAX screws--between the serrated thread and the Teflon coating they drive real easy--you can get them from

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or from
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far as getting the busted screws out,
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will do it but you end up with an oversized hole that you'll have to fill with a dowel or plug or (probably the best solution) a threaded insert such as
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Reply to
J. Clarke

Piece of cake.

Form a small hole saw from a steel tube, the drill out the material around the screw.

This is not a time to be dainty.

Think of yourself as the mad dentist in pursuit of tooth decay.

When you have the hole cleaned out, mix up some epoxy putty (epoxy/micro-balloons), pour it in the holes until just proud.

Allow 2-3 days to cure, then sand smooth and drill pilot holes for some S/S, coarse thread, sheet metal, self tapping screws that you get at a good hardware store.

Once assembled, a flying red horse won't see it from 1,000 ft.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

I am guessing that the screws are probably lesser quality metal, so I would drill them out and plug the hole with an oak dowel and redrill slightly larger holes for a new higher quality stainless steel screw.

I had to repair some holes in the back of a guitar neck once when they did not align with the backing plate. I drilled them out on the drill press with a forstner bit and then filled the hole with a dowel and redrilled the new holes. Worked like a champ.

Jim Willem> Ok, so I decided to make my sweetie a nice oak bed (I snore something

Reply to
mapdude

As some have mentioned already: WAX your screws. I use mostly paste wax. You can also buy screw wax from Rockler that is a very soft wax.

As for screw extraction. Can you adjust the position of the hardware and re-drill a new pilot hole?

Reply to
Garage_Woodworks

As the poster mentioned in his original query, he already waxed them and it didn't help.

Reply to
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

?

Sounds good to me. Where do you buy such a bit?

I bought a set of tapered pilot hole drills from Lee Valley and use wood screws from local hardware stores. This has solved my screw breaking problem. I also wax the screws before they go in. These bits also counter sink the hole. The screws go easily until just before they grab and then moderate pressure engages the all of the threads at once and applies remarkable clamping pressure on the joint. Try it, works. :-)

Reply to
Lowell Holmes

if I needed any help. Well, I did need some threaded inserts so I asked if they had any, knowing pretty sure they didn't. Well the salesman took me to a drawer full of tee nuts. I was impressed they had Tee nuts but in the drawer below them, they had threaded inserts. I was impressed Lowe's actually sold this stuff. Anyway, 4 threaded inserts cost over $5 and they were cheap ass china junk.

Going to the the woodcraft.com place above, you could get 10 of them for $6. Well, inspired, I went to Granger

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there you can get 100 of them for under $10.

They had a nice selection and really nice interface for getting what you want.

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have to remember to buy some stock in Granger.

Reply to
Jack Stein

"Jack Stein" wrote

Except that you're still buying Chinese:

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Reply to
Swingman

I guess it depends which town you are in. If I need something quick, I will try a big box store. But if I want the job done right, with quality fasteners, I go to an industrial fastener store. Any kind of planning on the project, includes a trip to the right kind of store.

Reply to
Lee Michaels

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don't doubt that for a minute. Thing is, if you buy Chinese junk, you should at least pay cheap Chinese junk prices. Over $1.25 a piece vs less than 10 cents a piece is the point.

I liked the article though. To stay on topic in this group I might comment of interest is the government agrees to a Grainger fixed markup of 26%, yet Obama ben laden and Obama Momma want to charge Oil companies a windfall profit tax when they only make about 9% profit. I guess the government paying an automatic 26% markup to Granger makes it possible for Grainger to charge 12 times LESS than Lowe's for the exact same product...

Also of interest is where in the hell can anyone buy screws not made in China? Heck, even McFeely's were getting their screws from China before Grainger bought them.

Reply to
Jack Stein

amazing dichotomy, isn't it? Just goes to show you the hypocrisy.

I don't think it is possible. Wondering how will we defend ourselves if God forbid we ever have another WWll? We have no manufacturing base any longer.

Reply to
evodawg

Yes, that's what I did. I hadn't even thought about buying threaded inserts at a big box store. I didn't think there was a chance they even sold the things, or knew what they were. I was shocked they had the things.

But if I want the job done right, with quality

Sure, thats how you get burnt by paying 12 times more than you should. I know for a hobbyist, it can be next to impossible to find quality products at a reasonable price. All the big box and most of the remaining hardware stores sell junk, pre packaged like 4 to a package, and charge an arm and a leg. Just finding a box of 100 for an item like screw inserts is a treat,particularly when they cost almost the same as FOUR.

Reply to
Jack Stein

FWIW, I was in Sears today and noticed that their "micro drill out" screw extractor kit is supposed to work on screws down to #5. Item number is 952158 and order page is

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would be very surprised if it actually worked (there are no reviews on the Sears site), but it might be worth a try.

Reply to
J. Clarke

...and we can't buy from China so unless we fight with wooden sticks, assuming someone knows how to make a stick, we be out of luck...

Reply to
Jack Stein

Reply to
Myxylplyk

So exactly which weapons and military vehicles does the US buy from China?

Reply to
J. Clarke

screws with damaged heads and for _free_ _spinning_ broken screws.

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Reply to
J. Clarke

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