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Where do you buy your screws?

Well Renny, The BORG couldn't help me. They only stock 1/2 and above length. I go to Ace Hardware. They have them in singles and 100 packs.

As you can guess, me being a spinny guy, I don't have much call for screws.

Bruce
 
Here's another vote for McFeely's. I've never been disappointed with anything from them. My purchases have ranged from #4x1/2" to #8x2.5", mostly square drive.
 
Another McFeely's fan. I started buying their sample assortments many years ago and just continue to order boxes to refill each size as I use them up.

Have been looking at the Spax screws for some time - they look pretty mean - like a regular screw on steroids. May have a couple of outside projects coming up this summer and that looks like a good time to give them a try.

Jim
 
Renny: This is not for the screws but a tip as far as making a screw drive easier in hard wood..... I have been doing this for several years and it works very well.....I pick up one of those bees wax rings that you use to set a toilet with,very cheep and I put it in one of those plastic holders that dental floss comes in,it has a flip top lid. I just dip the screw in the soft bees wax and it makes driving them much easier in hard wood. Especially works great when you are driving those small gold or brass screws for hinges:D:thumb::rofl:
 
I use either Deerwood fasteners, which are ordered through HDL
or... GRK fasteners, which I buy from a local fastener supplier, or the lumberyard. Depends which is closer. GRK's are too spendy to justify using in many cases, but for hanging boxes, or when a trim screw is needed they're hard to beat.
 
Put my refills away and reorganized my McFeely's collection.

From #6x5/8 up to #10x3. I like never having to go to town for screws and ending up with a bunch of mismatched boxes...

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I buy by bulk at Fastenal, I order slotted screws from them, w/o a breaking problem. But I prefer to file the top because old machined Wood Screws had a sharp edge on the head, today's stamped screws have a rounded edge on the head. I have a gentleman's agreement with the manager of a local store. I order ahead and he adds the order to the next available truck (no set date for delivery) and I save shipping. Often as not the shipping is more than the cost per hundred. :thumb:

I prefer slotted wood screws for furniture, of course the Canadians like Robertsons screws but here the common is slotted.

Even with Wood screw of the Phillips kind, I have little problem with breakage unless I am using those black drywall screws. Grabber screws are a bit stronger but not as strong as slotted steel. IMHO

Strongest are the Ceramic coated deck screws. (but in furniture?)
 
:wave:Morning Rennie ,

Deerwood fasteners are the ones I buy in larger quantities than the occasional user might. 1 1/4", 2" and 3" are my mainstay, phillips head with nibs. Breaking off at the neck will help you in other areas such as creative extraction methods, Patience, planning ahead, patchwork when necessary and verbal word control when in the presence of certain people.
All in all break neck screws have their place, learn what you can from them and move on.:D

Always,
Shaz :)
 
Another fan of McFeelys own brand of screws here. Home Depot and Menards are starting to carry Spax which are also good--German or US-made too. I've bought a few here and there when I can't wait for McFeelys.
 
Rennie Heuer said:
I just tossed an entire box of borg wood screws after shearing the heads off of three in a row going into a pre-drilled hole in hardwood. They break off just below the head and are a bugger to get out. :bang:There has to be a supplier that has a wood screw that can handle more torque than a 6 year old can dish out.:doh:
Click to expand...

you never mention the screw size but a 3/8 or 1/2 " lag screw will break the same way and it is not because of the torque being applied to the screw in all of the cases
 
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I hate screws/ if they do not break then the screwdriver rounds the slots out--
how can a broke screw be remove/ plug cutter or a piece of pipe big enough to fit over the broken screw ?
 
Hi,

I am another ardent Mc Feeley fan...My son, Glenn, is even more of a fan than I am. He should be a Mc Feeley representative.

They do NOT break. The square drive is fantastic. It holds on to the screw so it can be placed easily. The square drive holds the screw right side up or upside down or any place between without letting the screw fall off of the driver.

Buy Mc Feeley and Enjoy,

Jim

Maybe I should be a Mc Feeley rep.

Oh yes, they are great to work with also and that is another big plus.
 
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ray hampton said:
I hate screws/ if they do not break then the screwdriver rounds the slots out--
how can a broke screw be remove/ plug cutter or a piece of pipe big enough to fit over the broken screw ?
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I've used these and they work as described. I also have read where folks make their own out of pieces of tubing. I have not broken a screw since switching over to quality hardware however so basically it cost me about $10 to save a jewelrey box project and I haven't used it since ;-)
 

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Ron Roase said:
Renny: This is not for the screws but a tip as far as making a screw drive easier in hard wood..... I have been doing this for several years and it works very well.....I pick up one of those bees wax rings that you use to set a toilet with,very cheep and I put it in one of those plastic holders that dental floss comes in,it has a flip top lid. I just dip the screw in the soft bees wax and it makes driving them much easier in hard wood. Especially works great when you are driving those small gold or brass screws for hinges:D:thumb::rofl:
Click to expand...

I remember my father always had bits of scrap hand soap bars around and rubbed the screws on that before setting.
 
I don't have a favorite source. Sometimes get OK screws, sometimes very soft.
Worse screws I ever used were Phillips brand. Forget who I ordered from, might have been direct from Phillips. Incredibly soft and weak. I wrote them and they said nobody else had ever complained. I tossed the lot.
 
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