Many people think that the nails , the screws and generally the fasteners we are all familiar with and have all in our houses , aren’t serious tools and maybe they “underestimate” them .
This is “not the case” and in woodworking the fasteners are extremelly serious helpers for the carpenter , amateur or not . Especially if he-she is all alon and have zero help , to accomplich a wood project .
So , let’s start and make an all time guibeook concerning the wood fasteners , in order to have a precious knowledge “database” , to use as a guidebook and “lighthouse” .
What are the wood Fasteners ?
The fasteners focused for woodworking use , several types of metalic pins or metalic screws having several type of heads and several types of threads , made from several types of alloys .
Make a check in HERE to see what best fasteners you can buy .
What are the fasteners , for Wood ?
The fasteners are helping the woodworker , to join two or more wood pieces together permanent or not , with several stability and securance levels , providing the abilty to decompose most of the times .
What is 8.8 fastener ?
The 8.8 bolt is a bolt with nominal tensile strength of 800MP and a nominal yield strength of 80% , of the tensile strength , which is 640MPa .
What are the 5 Fasteners ?
The 5 and most common fasteners are the : screws , the nails , the bolts , the washers and the anchor rivets .
What are the Types of Threated fasteners ?
The type of threaded fasteners are the bolts and screws .
What are the 3 Types of Threads , found in fasteners ?
1) The all types .
2) The UNC ( Unified National Coarse ) , threads .
They have longer pitch and bigger measurement .
3) The UNF ( Unified National Fine ) , threads .
They have smaller pitch and measurement , smaller threads , better locking and higher tolerances to heavy loads
How Strong are Threated Inserts in wood ?
The bond between the wood and the inserts are very strong , stronger than the bond of many screws .
How do you use wood Inserts ?
You screw them very tight with the appropriate torx tool and you make the joining between the two or more wood pieces , very strong .
Why use Threated Inserts , in wood ?
The wood inserts improve big and secure the wood joints in a very high level , because their bonds and “grabbing” with the wood’s fibers are very strong and tight .
Is an Insert a fastener ?
Yes and a very top one , providing a great joint help and stability to two or more wood pieces .
What is the Best Insert for Plywood ?
The best insert to use for your plywood , mostly the softer versions , is the Hex drive inserts .
Do threated Insert , Work in MDF ?
Yes , certainly and it provides a very strong joining results , especially if your MDF is made from a harder type of wood – veneer .
Are threated Inserts , Better than screws ?
Yes , there are because the threaded inserts are “grabbing” the wood’s , fibers stronger than the screws threads and their tension is higher , securing the wood joining , very stable .
What are the Disadvantages of the Threated Inserts ?
The most crucial and main disadvantage is their higher prices , most of the times way more than the common screws and bolts .
Do you Glue , wood Inserts ?
It’s not necessary , but if you want the best possible tightening force and security for your wood joining , you should use glue and let it dry naturally and fully , in order to gain the best results .
What is the Best Glue , for wooden Inserts ?
This depends from the type of wood you’re about to join together , but usually the epoxy and the two elements glue , are just fine .
I’m certain that the very popular yellow wood glue will be a best glue , because when it dries , it becomes very strong .
How do i Choose a fastener ?
You should count the type of the material your fastener should have , you should know the load forces and needs , the resistance to several types of strengths , as twistings , expansions , et.c and some controlled tolerances it should have maybe .
How do you Fasten , Wood to Wood ?
According to the exact needs , your wood joining should have , you should choose the appropriate fastener to use . Sometimes you may need just some screws , sometimes some nails only , sometimes a threaded insert for maximum strength , etc .
Can you Manually screw , into wood ?
Yes , certainly you can and i suggest you to always start manually , in order to be “surgical” precise and then after some screwing , you can continue with your power screwdrivers, et.c .
Why does , my wood Split when screwing ?
This may happen for many reasons , as your wood is very dry and stiff needing hydration or you may screw very close to the edge of your wood and the screw is very sharp .
How do you Stop wood Splitting , while screwing ?
You should make steady and not too fast screwing moves , the prehole drilling will help for sure and your bit should have less diameter than the screw shank tapered .
See in HERE how you can alternative nail or screw near the wood’s edge , without splitting .
Should i Nail or Screw , Plywood ?
The screwing has better “biting” results to the plywood’s mass , but your screwing should be very careful in order the plywood’s veneer layers , won’t get hurt .
Move – screw , very slowly and controlled .
Why can’t i screw into MDF ?
The micro particles of the MDF along with its resins , are very splitting – sensitive to screwing and if you try to screw an MDF, your bit should be extremely sharp and maybe you should choose a brad and proceed very slowly .
If you lubricate a little you’ll screw easier .
What are the Best fastener for MDF ?
A brad with some yellow wood glue , is a perfect choice to use in the sensitive micro particle and resins mass , of the MDF .
Is a Bolt a fastener ?
Yes , of course it’s a faster and it’s a non tapered fastener , while the screw are tapered fasteners ,that create the thread as you screwing .
What is the Best bolt , for wood ?
The standart brass woodscrew or the stainless steel woodscrew .
Can you use Metal bolts , in wood ?
Yes , you can use a stainless steel bolt for your wood or an galvanized bolt , especially the electroplate galvanized bols are top for salt conditions wood use .
Have in your mind that , you may use several types of screws , bolts to your wood and maybe not the specialized fasteners for wood , but this isn’t correct .
The screws , bolts , et.c , that are made primary and only for wood use , have the appropriate specifications , the wood requires .
Can you Screw bolts into wood ?
Yes , you can certainly do that .
How do you Hide bolts in wood ?
You can use the several types of plugs having the same color as your wood , you can screw deeper into the surface to cover the bolt and a wood filler can do the same job , also .
Can you use , Any screw in wood ?
Yes you can , but if you want to have the best results and don’t have future problems , you should use the appropriate screws for wood , which are designed for the specific features and nature of the wood .
In some cases the aluminum and the galvanized screws are not ideal and should avoided .
Can you Screw , into Solid wood ?
Yes , you can screw into whatever wood type you want and for the very solid and high density wood , you should make predrills and have a pilot hole , for maximum precision and result .
Will screws , Crack wood ?
No of course not , this is not a general case for the screws and their performance into wood .
If you do what you should do accordingly to the wood you have infront of you , you go slowly and with precision , make your predrills maybe et.c , you won’t have a problem .
How do you screw into wood , Easily ?
You should use the appropriate screw type for the wood you have infront of you ( hard – soft , plywood , et.c ) , you can make predrills , you should begin manually and proceed with a power screwdriver and you can also lubricate the screw thread , a little .
Do i need to Predrill holes , for wood screws ?
Yes , in some difficult hardwood types , in plywood and in the industrial wood in general , because they have specific properties and needs .
If you want to be certain in a high grade that you’ll avoid the wood splitting , the predrills are helping very big .
Do you need a Special Drill for wood ?
Yes , you need and every drill in the markets aren’t suitable and ideal for all the materials , because every elements has its own specifications , tolerances , density , resistance to drilling powers , et.c .
The wood area needs the HSS ( high speed steel ) bits .
Can you screw , into Plywood ?
Yes , you can certainly screw into plywood and the correct and ideal way is to make predrills , slowly and with the appropriate attention , not to interrupt the plywood’s mass violently and have problems .
Will Plywood , hold screws ?
Yes , it can hold your screws if it has the density it needed and you screw the appropriate screw to it , but you should be careful to the powers you’ll apply to it after the screwing .
What is the Best fastener for Plywood ?
The best fastener for the majority of the plywood types are the stainless steel ones with hellical thread .
Can you screw , into MDF ?
Yes you can screw into MDF , but not with the regular scews , because you’ll have splittings so you should use the straight shank screws .
Will screws , Stay in MDF ?
The MDF should have good density between its wood fibers and the resins , in order to be strong enough .
How do you Secure MDF to wood ?
If you want to get a bigger holding security for your MDF and your wood join , you can use the popular yellow glue , or you can combine an epoxy two elements glue , to get the strongest connection possible .
How do you Hide screw heads in MDF ?
You can screw a little deeper than the MDF’s surface , use a plug in the same color with the MDF and if you’r ecarefull enough , you can experiment and use a nice wood filler , matched to the MDF’s color .
What Size screws , do i need for MDF ?
For the MDF , usually we use screws with the appropriate threads( they have their own specific thread ) having a size range between , the 40mm – 50mm and they usually are torx ones .
What screws for 18mm MDF ?
Usually you’ll need the 35mm – 40mm screws for a 18mm MDF .
How do you Measure wood screws ?
For the Round head screws , you begin to measure from the flat outside .
For the flat headed , you begin to measure from the top of the screw .
What are the common Sizes , for Woodworking ?
The most common diameter screw size in the woodworking area is the range between the 6mm -10mm .
What is the most common , Torx screw size for woodworking ?
The torx sizes for woodworking are the : T6 – T8 – T10 – T15 – T20 – T25 – T30 – T40 .
What is the Rule , for wood screw Length ?
The general screwing length rule is this : you go from the thin to thicker area and you penetrate only up to 2/3 of the second piece of your joint .
If the second piece you join together is 9mm , you screw up to its 6mm .
What is the Rule of Thumb , for wood screw Length ?
The thumb rule is this :
“The anchor length ( length of the thread in the parts you’re fastening ) , should be twice of the fastened materials thickness .”
If you have 2 boards of 1 + 1/2″ , the shaft inside the materials should be up to 3″ .
How do you CounterSink , screws ?
You should use a countersink bit , so you can cone drill and the cone part of the screw , penetrate deep into wood .
Do you Drill or Countersink , First ?
First drill and make the pilot hole and then countersink .
What will happen , if you Don’t use a Countersink ?
You may have stability issues , maybe some small cracks and of course the looks won’t be nice .
How Deep , should a Countersink hole , be ?
The countersink hole , shouldn’t be more than the 50% -60% of the thickness .
How do you Make a Countesink hole for wood ?
Use your countersink bit and make the drill pilot hole , but drill a little larger hole , in order the screw head “sit” and fit easier and correctly .
What is the Alternative for Counter Sink ?
The countersink alternative is the counterbore , but you need specialized bits for the job .
What is the Difference between , Countersinking and Counterboring ?
The countersink make cone shaped holes , while the counterbore make cylindrical flat bottomed ones.
How do you countersink , Without a countersink Bit ?
You can improvise and use a wood piece as a stop and reduce the length of the bit . Start with a kind of a bigger bit to make the area for the screw head and you can finish with smaller bit .
How do you Sink a screw head into wood ?
You use a countersink , cutter .
How do you Countersink wood Plugs ?
You make a deep hole and inside this hole , you make an extra hole as a step . In this second hole you screw , your screw and above you put the wood plug or a dowel if you like , to cover everyting , like a cap .
Does MDF , needs to Predrilled ?
Yes it does , because if you don’t prepare the fibers and resin surface , you’ll have fiber raising and maybe big problems .
Does MDF , need Special screws ?
Yes , it does and we usually we use screws for the MDF , with long and straight shank and with big aggresive thread .
How do you Strengthen MDF screw Holes ?
The use of glue is the answer in here . If you have the two elements glue , even better because you have to glue two different elements in here . The screw metal and the MDF’s mass .
Do you use Coarse or Fine screw for MDF ?
You use coarse screws for the MDF boards .
Will MDF , hold Pocket screws ?
No , it cannot hold and it’s not recommended .
What type of fasteners is Used for Pressure treated wood ?
We use galvanized screws , stainless steel , copper , steel bolts for the bigger jobs in the area of 6mmm to 12mm .
What Type of Metal fastener is permitted to be used for Pressure threated wood ?
The galvanized screws , the zinc coated ones , the silicon bronze , the copper and the stainless steel , are the most common permitted ones .
Do a Pressure treated wood , have to use Corrosion resistant fasteners ?
Yes , it’s needed to use corrosion tough screws as the zinc ones .
Can i Use Regular screws , for Pressure treated wood ?
Yes , you can but it’s not recommended because in a long term you’ll face corrosion , stabilty and other general problems .
The galvanized , the stainless stell and the ceramic coating are way better and suitable .
Are Galvanized Nails , ok for Treated wood ?
Yes , they can do the job and this galvanize coating is very weather and other tough conditions capable .
Do i need Special Nails , for Pressure treated wood ?
Yes , you need the zinc coating ones and the stainless steel ones , to avoid corrosion and rust .
Can you use Galvanized screws , in treated wood ?
Yes in general , but not in a treated pine wood .
What are the Best Screws , for Pressure treated wood ?
The copper head are the most suitable and best for your pressure wood .
What happens , if you use Regular Nails in Pressure treated wood ?
You’ll have certainly highly corrosion themes , followed by rust and eventually the mixture of corrosion – rust , moisture and the chemicals from the pressure wood , will give you serious problems .
Are Stainless Steel screws , ok for Treated Pine ?
No , they’ll brake eventually .
Why need Certain fasteners , for Treated wood ?
The fasteners should be able to withstand the corrosion to their metal and all the chemical reactions through time from the treated wood .
Can you use , Zinc screws on wood ?
No it’s not recommended to pressure treated wood , because they’ll face corrosion and rust themes , during time and there aren’t approved for the treated wood from the ACQ .
Are Zinc screws , Strong ?
No , there arent and usually the zinc is a coating to black steel .
Are Zinc plated screws , ok for Outdoor use ?
There aren’t very much , because the coating they have isn’t enough for the tough outdoor conditions .
How Long Zinc plated screws , Last Outside ?
This depends from the general weather conditions and the treatment this screw will have , during its “life” , but a decade is a realistic time period .
What Outdoor Bolts , won’t Rust ?
The stainless steel bolts are the most suitable for outdoors .
Will Machine screws , hold in wood ?
Yes , generally and especially into hardwood , but it’s recommended , to use the appropriate screws for the wood .
Are Machine screws , Stronger than wood screws ?
Yes , there are because they are made to join together metal and other materials , way stronger than the wood’s mass .
What is the Difference , between a Wood screw and a Machine screw ?
The wood screw has a more coarse thread and a smooth shank , while the metal screw has finer thread to all of its body and of course the quality and the treatment of the metals , are totally different .
What is the Difference between a wood screw and a Timber screw ?
The size variety of the timber screw are way smaller , and fluctuates between the 1/2″ up to 3″ than the wood screws , which you can have more range .
Are Joints , stronger than Screws ?
Yes , there are many joints which are more sotrong than the screws , with the most typical examples the mortise and tenon , the dovetails and not only .
Are Screws , stronger than wood Glue ?
This depends , even if many say that the wood glue is stronger . If you have the exact strong wood screw and a hard type of wood , you can join wood pieces together , very – very strongly .
Why carpenters use Nails , instead of screws ?
The nails are cheaper than the screws , there are more easy to place them into wood and if you’re capable enough to nail them strong and angled , in some cases the nails are providing equal wood joining , with the screws .
Are wood screws , Weak ?
This depends with what you want to compare them and of course infront of the metal screw , the wood screws are different made and weaker , because they have to join wood , not metals , et.c .
Why do Nails hold better , than Screws ?
This isn’t totally true and even if the nails have more tensile strength , a good and appropriate screw with a nice tread shape , can hold and tighten two or more wood pieces together , very strong .
More stronger than a nail , which if you force big power long its nailing direction adn with some small hit , it may start to tremble and lose its bonding power .
When should you use a Nail , instead of a screw ?
The nails are used moslty for temporary joints , there are removable if you like ( easier than a screw ) and there are more adjustable , than the screws are .
Nails are easier to use and you can extra secure a joint , along with some wood glue maybe .
The screws are providing more stability to several forces and from several directions , providing a joint of big stability and long lasting , holding the wood pieces in the exact spots , you screwed them up .
What Direction , is a screw stronger ?
You should try to screw your screws , across the grain of the wood and radially to the wood’s rings if possible abd less along its grain , in order to grab the fibers better .
Will screws , Hold in wood Glue ?
Yes , they’ll hold , but if you have stainless steel screws , you won’t have very good bonding – holding power .
How much Weight can a wood screw hold ?
A 6″ long screw can hold a ton of pure weight , into one feet of thickness oak wood .
What Kind of screws , will not Split wood ?
Its’ not so much the type of the screw you should have to avoid splitting , as the type of wood and your screwing actions to screw your screw .
The sharp screw are more dangerous for wood splitting .
Why do Sharp screws , Split wood ?
The sharp screw are forcing the wood’s fibers with bigger twisting forces they can handle and all this happens fast , because a sharp screw penetrates easier than a more wide one .
Can you put screws in wood , Without drill ?
Yes , certainly you can and every type of wood outhere doesn’t need drilling and pilot holes , in order to use your screws , successfully .
Usually we predrill in the tough type – hardwoods , in the industrial wood , but whenever you jude that you need to predrill , you should do it .
The wood drilling makes the job easier and gives extra precision .
Should you Lubricate wood screws ?
The screws lubrication makes the screwing way easier , for the manual screwing and the power screwing with your power screwdrivers , screwguns , et.c .
For the hardwoods and the tough density woods , i can say that lubrication is maybe necessary and welcomed .
The only you should be aware in here is that because the screwing becomes easier , you should not screw very fast , in order to be precise and not damage wood in any way from the fast screwing .
What is a good Lubricant for wood screws ?
You can use whatever lubricant you want( teflon , parafin , just oil ) and doesn’t affect the wood and the metal of the screw , with the beeswax being a top lubricant .
If you want ot see what i use to lubricate my screws and how i learned this , go HERE .
What are the Best screws for wood ?
Generally for the hard type of wood , we use scerws with fine threads , becasue they don’t need more screw “biting” and for the softer types of wood , we use screws with coarse threads .
Can you Drill bolts , into wood ?
Yes , you can and the hardwood will need the drill pilots to secure the maximum precision .
Is a Pin , a fastener ?
Yes , it is and a very popular one , along with its several capabilities .
Is Stud , a fastener ?
Yes , it’s surely is and an exceptional one . This metalic stick with its two sides able to screwing and tightening the wood , provides amazing stability and strength .
Is Dowel , a fastener ?
The dowel is a fastener helper and it’s designed to support a joint , not keeping it together tight and strong , all alone .
How do you Secure something , to wood ?
The wood glue , the dowels and the right combination of the classic wood joinery ( mortise & tenon , dovetails ) along with the big help of the right fasteners , can secure wood , extremely big .
Imagine a dovetail joint , having an entire dowel , penetrating all of the joint’s length . This would create a “beast” joint , extremely stable and strong .
The combinations are countless , depending your imagination .
What is the Strongest wood Screw ?
The strongest screw for wood is the one with an externally driven hexdrive or maybe a square head , with tapered point and coarse thread .
What is the Difference , between a fastener Bolt and a Screw ?
The screws are full thread designed , while the bolts may have shanks without threads and the bolts are used with nuts , always .
Are Bolt or Screw , Better for wood ?
The bolts can handle more weight than the screws and general big forces in every angle the wood joint can be “tortured” .
Are Bolt Stronger than Screws ?
Yes , there are stonger made in a primary level and the nuts help them very much to tighten the wood joint , better than a simple screw .
Is a Screw or a Nail , a Better fastener ?
The screws are better , because they “bite” the wood’s mass and fibers way better with its thread , than a nail and it can handle very big tensile forces on it .
The nails are a faster and easier fasteners , but in some cases they can lose their tightening strength of the entire wood joint , especially if you put forces – you hit them along their nailing direction .
If you hit a wood joint with only nails with a hammer lightly , along the direction you nail it , the joint starts to loosen and eventually , you’ll unscrew the two wood pieces .
Are Nails , stronger than Screws , in wood ?
No , there aren’t and a good quality screw with coarse thread can provide , very good wood grabbing and tightening .
What can i Use , Instead of screws ?
You can use all the other fasteners ( nails , inserts , stud ) , bonding tapes , several wood glues , zips , maybe ropes and of course all the variety of wood joinery .
What is the most Popular fastener for , Screwing wood ?
The flat headed screw is the most common fastener you can use and i don’t think there is a house ,which doesn’t have a couple of them or bigger quantities of any size .
The fasteners in woodworking are super and extremely useful equipment , anybody can use to make a simple wood joinery , permanent or not .
You can create amazing entire wooden furniture using the amazing beautiness , antique nails and screws , or use them for extra security , along with wood glue .
Keep woodworking and the happiness will permanent be attached to you , “with screws , or nails” .