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Secrets to driving screws in White oak

Started by Banjo picker, October 06, 2010, 08:34:51 PM

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Banjo picker

Does any one have a trick to make driving screws in white oak a little easier...I am trying to put the finishing touches on a fence made of white oak ....putting the top board on to keep the tops from curling...I am using a screw that is really made for composite board called Splitstop it is good enough of a fastner except the T15 head wants to give it up just before I finish...Do I need to predrill every hole or is there another way....Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

fishpharmer

If white oak is not green you must predrill holes in my experience.
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Banjo picker

Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

pineywoods

Try rubbing some soap into the threads before you start the screw. Waterless hand soap worked best for me.
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SPIKER

Quote from: pineywoods on October 06, 2010, 08:59:42 PM
Try rubbing some soap into the threads before you start the screw. Waterless hand soap worked best for me.

ditto liquid soap is one of only ways I have found.   My brother worked doing fencing when other construction jobs were low.   Kept dove liquid soap for oak boards ;)
I'm looking for help all the shrinks have given up on me :o

Don K

I've heard beeswax makes a excellent lubricant.

Don
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cpstrutt


isawlogs

 Wax or soap will do the job just fine , I use wax myself.
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Banjo picker

I tried soap and some sort of go-jo this evening and had limited success...I just started drilling them...The problem is the T 15 head its just too small for what I am asking of it...I think if it was a T 20 it would work with the soap...but the 15 just spins out..does great after dirlling ....I got some bees wax somewhere I will give it a try and see how it does....The reason for sticking with the T 15 s...is I have 4 boxes of 400 each...I am too cheep to buy anything else while I have them... ;) :D ;D   Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

isawlogs

 Cheap is good  :D  Drilling , even though it will be longer, will be the best to do in this case. Hope you have two drills to play with .  :)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

trapper

I have found a cordless impact driver works far better than a cordless drill for driving screws. Bit dosn't slip in head of screw.
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fiddle1

you get one of those donut shaped wax rings for seating toilets
and rub the screw threads on it to lubicrate them----its like
wax and silicoln with graphite in it. Screws will go in superfast.

also you can predrill a pilot hole. but best success in oak
has been not only a pilot hole but a counter sink.

make sure the screw is level stick it in first then use the driving force to
screw it down.   

woodsteach

Use Square drive screws and not those DanG torx head screws. ;D

I hate the torx head screws but they are available local and I have to remember to order the square drive ones.  Just a a test I drove a 3" square drive screw into kd red oak with nothing more than countersinking
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Phorester


Squirt'em with WD40?  I sometimes use that on my rough woodworking projects.

Stephen1

Quote from: trapper on October 09, 2010, 08:11:49 AM
I have found a cordless impact driver works far better than a cordless drill for driving screws. Bit dosn't slip in head of screw.
The impact driver is the way to go, for sure.
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SwampDonkey

I work with white ash a bit and I have to pre-drill every hole or it ain't going to happen. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

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Banjo picker

Here is some pics of the fence in question...I had to drill the holes after the wood seasoned a bit...The torx heads worked good as long as they were the 25 ...the smaller ones would strip, and that is what I had to put the verticals up with...I tried most of what was suggested with very little sucess...I did not get the bees wax out..that might have been the cats meow...





I still got a gate to build...I thought I had a pic of the double gate in the gallery ,but I didn't find it...

Its all white oak except the post which I cut from utility poles (never again)  and 3 sections of fence when I ran out of WO and used red oak...That will be a good test to see how well the different species age...I wanted to do several different kinds...popular, pine etc. but the misses put a quiotias on that... :D  Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

fishpharmer

Nice looking fence Tim.  The grandkids will enjoy it, when they are grown. 8) 8)
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

ScottAR

The T25 Torx are the best I have found.  I prefer those over all the rest with square being semi close second.
Once a square strips, they are done as where most anything else will back out.  My main deciding factor is what is available in stainless. 
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

SwampDonkey

That's a nice fence in any man's yard. ;D Should keep the deer out of the pool. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Banjo picker

You know SD I was actually worred about that...I have seen tracks within a few feet of it...I would think if one got in unless they happened upon the corner where the steps are ...it would be lights out for them...I have to move enough dead deer at work, I don't want to have to get one out of the pool...

I was breaking a horse a few years ago and he bucked from the barn to the edge of the pool, where I decided it was time to get off...If he was going in the pool he was going in by himself... ;D  Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

SwampDonkey

"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

H60 Hawk Pilot

I think you ID'd the problem with the T-15 head as the problem and 4 boxes of them and too frugal to upgrade to T-25 or so. I understand all that and would drive the screws I have as well. I'd pre-drill them to get them in all the way in. The lube may be not req'd... if you are using the right sized pilot drill.

I have done tractor trailer (oak) decks and it took me awhile to get my installation set up right. I ended up using a 3/8 drive impact, air driven and it worked 100%. However, my head size was T-25 or T-30 as I recall. I had to find some good T-30 bits because the cheap bits would round off in a heart beat.

Also, I have used the shock type (hammer) 3/8 drive to remove bolts/ screws and it works 100%. I learned this trick when I worked in a motor cycle shop. This shock drver was the best tool in my box for removing case screws in motorcycle engines. I don't see them for sale at the hardware stores, Sears has them.. I think. You can't beat this tool for removal and driving screws when they hang up. This tool will drive any screw because of the hammer shock force and the turning action you get when the end is struck (works 100%) with a hammer.

Forgot to mention, this shock driving tool may work too good and will twist the head off but better that.. than rounding it off by (just) the simple turning force without the shock being applied.  

Take Care,

Avery
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Bandmill Bandit

I will ship you some real Screws from Canada!

I dont care what T screw you use they are all Phillips head and in my shop (and most Canadians shops) we chuck that junk in the trash bin without even opening the package

Robertson head is by far preferable and Thanks to GM (my mistake, should read Ford) you cant get Robertson head screws down there.

Bees wax works great as does dry silicon spray.
 
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
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beenthere

Seems to me we can get square drive screws "down here" (and I understand that is also the "Robertson Head").

Now about the GM comment, maybe you meant Ford ?? Ford went with Phillips screws over Robertson screws for his model A's from what I read.

http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Ontario/robertson_screws.htm

I went through a period using just the square head screws and liked them. But got tired of needing to change out the drive bits between square and phillips, so just became satisfied with the phillips now. :)
south central Wisconsin
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