wood screws

[Leon]

I gotta say, I have never never never ever heard of or seen a dry wall screw in a #8 or larger. Where do you get them?

[Swingman]

They're around:

[-MIKE-]

Thanks, Jack. Next one's on me. :-)

[Puckdropper]

Jack Stein wrote in news:iv2hjb$cv6$ [e-mail]:

*snip*

I'd be interested to see the results of using a drill/driver. I would venture a guess (hm... sounds like a hypothesis) that the regular drill will damage the screws much more than the impact driver.

Puckdropper

[m II]

Probably not original Phillips head design anyway.

The same number of people that use them. That's probably why they make'm so the heads don't "bugger"

--------------- On 7/5/2011 12:24 AM, [e-mail] wrote: How many care if a drywall screw has a buggered head.

[Eric]

They're around:

for atomic blast rated drywall thicker than 2" :->

Handy for many other things too.

[Jack Stein]

I got them at a builders supply. The heads are #8 because before I posted the message, I compared the head to a screw chart, then put it up against a the head of the Mcfeely's screw. The body looks a bit thinner than a standard #8 wood screw, but the head is definitely a #8 and that's why I specifically said #8 "head".

[Jack Stein]

OK, just did the test, only with the drywall screw though, and it went in, didn't snap, and counter sunk the head almost completely, but not quite. Much harder to keep a regular driver in the screw, required a lot more down pressure than the impact. Anyway, it still didn't snap and since I will always drill a pilot hole and countersink when screwing hardwood, worrying about snapping a drywall screw is last on my list of worries.

Also, since Leon questioned the screw size, I compared it to my chart again, and it might be a #7 screw head not an 8. I normally don't look at other than even numbers, and it is very very close to the same size head on the #8 McFeely screw, and obviously larger than a #6. Regardless, the body size looks more like a the body on a #6 standard screw head.

[dadiOH]

You do realize that the heads on DW and wood screws are totally different even though they are both "flat", yes?

[Jack Stein]

Yes, bugle heads on dw screws. They counter sink fine with a regular countersink, not so good on their own.

[-MIKE-]

I'm guessing since it's already heat treated, heating up from friction won't effect it. Friction heat buildup on an un-heat treated screw will make it prone to snapping.

ASAIK, the heat treating done to drywall screws makes them resistant to stripping out at the heads and resistant to breaking from the friction of being driven by powered drivers. The treatment also makes them very brittle and not good for resisting heavy shear loads, like on holding up decks or cabinets.

[-MIKE-]

Great link... bookmarked.

By the way, I'm still waiting for some evidence to support your allegations. Or an apology. :-)

[Larry Jaques]

Right, DW screws have bugle heads, curved "flat".

-- Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt

[Jack Stein]

Screws are not designed for shear loads. Screws are really just clamps and they work by clamping two pieces of wood together.

I guess a screw expert might come up with a bunch reasons they should be only used for the intended purpose, but my experience, which is considerable, is they work fine for most, not all, things wood.

I agree with you on the heat treating of DW screws making them more brittle, they don't bend like a regular steel screw, but the heads simply NEVER strip out.

I've been using them (not exclusively of course) for many years, and don't recall ever snapping one. That's why I did the test. I don't recall driving any screws into Oak w/o drilling a pilot hole, so I gave it a shot, and reported what happened. Anyone with an impact driver, drywall screw and a hunk of Oak can test it themselves. That doesn't mean they are unsnappable, just that they work good enough that snapping is not that much of an issue.

[-MIKE-]

While I agree with this, anytime you use a cabinet screw to hang a cabinet, they are under shear load.

The other thing I haven't seen taken into consideration in this thread is that not all drywall screws are the same. In the collection I have in my shop, gathered over the last 15 or so years, there are probably 6 different designs. From course to fine thread, thick to thin shoulder, depth of threads, etc, etc.... there are lots of different ones that act differently from one another.

Some of my older ones have a much more narrow un-threaded shoulder than others, so it stands to reason that they would be more prone to breaking in that area.

[whit3rd]

Classic wood screws for furniture, on the other hand, have a cylindrical barrel that has good shear strength, are made of softer metal that isn't brittle, and (best practice) are put into carefully predrilled holes. Also, they're getting hard to find. That kind of screw, unlike drywall screws, never competed with nails on price.

[Jack Stein]

I don't think they are, but hey, I'm not a scientist or a screw aficionado.... Well perhaps an aficionado, but not a scientist.

Yes, when I first replied to Leon, I mentioned there are drywall screws, and there are drywall screws. I've collected a variety as you have, BUT, all the screws I purchased at the builder supply place that sells mostly drywall, drywall products, and a bunch if concrete stuff for builders, have looked and behaved about the same. I guess professional drywall guys want a screw that is reasonably priced and not going to strip, break and so on.

You would think so, and apparently that has been some peoples experience. Screw failure to me has been rare, most notably to my deck screws, and only when trying to extract them after 20 years. I've never stripped a DW screw, and they work quite well when used appropriately. I would not use them to hang a kitchen cabinet, primarily because I don't have any near big enough for my tastes in cabinet hanging. I don't like the fine threaded ones either, I like the course ones for all woodwork.