A short cut to them pesky little screws.

Chuck Thoits

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So after the last box swap several people asked if anyone had a better way for them little brass hing screws.
Well I am here today to tell ya the short cut to getting them in.
Step one find the right size drill bit and drill the whole. Drill the hole a bit deeper than the screw is long. I am for some where in 1.5 times deeper than long. This gives room for sawdust to push into the hole ahead of the screw.
Step 2 find the right size driver for the screw.
Step 3 wax the screw.
Step 4 drive the screw. If you don't have a light touch with a drill/drive than use a hand screw driver.
Now your all looking at this and saying that aint no short cut.:huh::huh::huh:
But it really is to not follow these steps means your going to be digging out a broken screw. :thumb::thumb:
Now you can see the short cut Huh:thumb::thumb::thumb::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
All very good advice Chuck. Hopefully some will heed this and do the job right. :rolleyes:

I say some, because we know everyone will not pay attention. :doh:

Thanks Chuck :wave:

Aloha.
 
I add one more step, and that's to use a little steel screw the same size first before I put in the brass ones....
 
I'm anal about inserting screws. Here's my take. I prefer to use a combo countersink with a pilot drill. Or, first countersink and then use a pilot drill (as it will center itself at the bottom of the countersink). A pilot drill bit, either as part of a countersinker, or by itself should be sized properly.

The size of the pilot hole should be the diameter of the shank of the screw (not the threads). It is the measurement of the shank across from the base of the gullet on one side to the other side. In drilling for the depth, my suggestion is to keep the pilot hole just short of the length of the screw, so when the screw gets seated the point and a few threads have solid wood to seat in.

Another method for starting screws, and this has a lot to do with the positioning of the screw hole, is just to use a very sharp scratch awl to poke the point to start a screw. I've used Vix bits and spring loaded punches to start/center screw holes, and unless they are perfectly perpendicular to the surface, the punch hole will be slightly off.

So, what does this do? It makes seating screws off center...even slightly, which when seating will not center in the hole, and likely either move the object piece, or cause the head to be skewed. So, for a starting point, I use a scratch awl, because I can see the point and hold the awl straight, and give it a tap. That hole could be a perpendicular strike, but not necessarily. As long as the pilot hole is drilled straight the screw will go in straight.

For procedures like butt hinges, and piano hinges with several screws to be installed that need to be positioned accurately, this method works well. It's a matter of getting a starting point in the center of the hole area. Ultimately, if using a pilot/countersink, using a screw starter (or gimlet) would only be of help if driving the screw by hand in hardwood. Ordinarily the countersink guides the screw fairly well.

For the very small screws that may not be available in phillips, or you prefer to use slotted (to line up the slots), a prepared hole makes for an effortless insertion, and an undamaged head.

BWTM: Just a word about driving a screw. You can do it by hand and for some projects I actually prefer doing that. For ones that need more oompf, I use a cordless drill, as it has more torque when run on slow speed than an electric (and is usually more controllable). I use slow speed and when near tight, I just bump the trigger until tight. Screws driven at speed have the propensity to over spin when seated, get hot, and snap off heads.



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But on them little boxes, drilling a hole for the screw, what do I do when I close the lid and see all them little holes on top of the box lid!?:eek::huh::dunno::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh:

Jon, Do like I do, I hide the little holes in my head with a little hair.

Enjoy,

JimB

We have so many Jims that I stuck on a B for Bradley. Translation: I got myself in trouble yesterday thinking another Jim referred to me.
 
Seriously:

When I was in Jr. High (think they call it middle school now), I worked after school and Saturdays in a typewriter repair shop. Typewriters have little screws, a whale of a lot smaller than brass hinge screws, however not as little as screws in a watch.

I made screwdrivers that would hold the slotted screws to start them. If anyone is interested I can tell you (show you) how to make them.

Enjoy,

JimB
 
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