I've used #8 x 2" stainless and #8 x2" deck screws and they either strip out the head or break. Spent more time removing screws than turning. Any suggestions are much appreciated.
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Faceplate screws
- Thread starter Tom C. Jones
- Start date
#8 are not stout enough, especially stainless. I believe #14 are recommended (not stainless). I’ve had good luck with #10 years ago when I used faceplates, but I didn’t turn anything reall large. It’s been a long time since I used faceplates, #3 jaws on my Oneway Chuck, worm drives or spur with a tail stock have worked well for me (I haven’t done any hollow forms though). If in doubt I run the tailstock up until it’s balanced.
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Been using Craft Supplies screws for years. Never a problem with stripping or failure. Check them out at https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/...t-Square-Drive-Screws?term=screws&term=screws. - John
Been using the same #14 and #12 stainless square drive button headed sheet metal screws for over 15 years now. They've never failed yet.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Square drive screws from.McFeelys are.great. also.Topcon concrete.screws with hex heads.
Roger Wiegand
Beta Tester
I've been using these for a while (Spax #10) and haven't broken or striped one yet. I do pitch them on general principles after a couple dozen uses, I figure at some point they will succumb to the stress of being driven repeatedly with an impact driver.
I've snapped so many Tapcons (in concrete to be fair) that I've pretty much given up on them. They're great in new concrete, but in old hard stuff I almost invariably break off a quarter of them. I think they are made brittle by how hard they need to be for concrete so perhaps not a good choice for wood.
I've snapped so many Tapcons (in concrete to be fair) that I've pretty much given up on them. They're great in new concrete, but in old hard stuff I almost invariably break off a quarter of them. I think they are made brittle by how hard they need to be for concrete so perhaps not a good choice for wood.
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#12 or larger. Sheet metal screws that have wide treads the whole length.
I Turn a slightly concave surface to mount for faceplate mount. This avoid any rocking of the faceplate before the screws are put in. Evens out the stress on all the screws. If the unfastened faceplate rocks some screws will get stressed more contributing to your problems.
This thread include a video of the mounting process
https://www.aawforum.org/community/index.php?threads/mounting-a-faceplate.14749/
Thanks John for info on those screws. I have some like that except they are Phillips head and I've been looking for the square head type.......Much better grip!
Great advice here on moving to larger screws.
If I may suggest... I don't use faceplates very often but when I do it's with #12 or 14 screws. I sized them because they would be the largest diameter screws to insert through the holes of the plate. And if a desired larger screw is just a wee bit too big to insert, well, head on over to your favorite drill and open up that hole to match the diameter of the screw thread. (Or just re-drill in general for larger screws, esp. with smaller and cheaper plates that are pretty much sized for drywall screws.) Having the plate hole match the screw thread for a near perfect slip fit helps keep the screw in alignment perpendicular to the plate when driving it, so the screw head mates down squarely on the plate with less likelihood to break off the screw head.
Also, I'd not suggest a tapered head screw (such as most wood screws, or like the machine screws for chuck jaws) unless the faceplate has tapered holes to match. That taper is meant to countersink into wood, not metal. I've seen many examples elsewhere in the world where a tapered screw is used where a flat-bottom screw head is meant to be used and the tapered head shears off due to the stress of the taper pulling against the non-tapered steel hole rim it is mating to.
Screws in general are hardened to prevent damage to the threads, this hardness makes them more brittle and prone to breaking from excessive twisting and bending forces. Nails are the opposite, not as hardened and can handle far more twisting and bending force before breaking. Screws deserve extra respect in their proper and safe use.
If I may suggest... I don't use faceplates very often but when I do it's with #12 or 14 screws. I sized them because they would be the largest diameter screws to insert through the holes of the plate. And if a desired larger screw is just a wee bit too big to insert, well, head on over to your favorite drill and open up that hole to match the diameter of the screw thread. (Or just re-drill in general for larger screws, esp. with smaller and cheaper plates that are pretty much sized for drywall screws.) Having the plate hole match the screw thread for a near perfect slip fit helps keep the screw in alignment perpendicular to the plate when driving it, so the screw head mates down squarely on the plate with less likelihood to break off the screw head.
Also, I'd not suggest a tapered head screw (such as most wood screws, or like the machine screws for chuck jaws) unless the faceplate has tapered holes to match. That taper is meant to countersink into wood, not metal. I've seen many examples elsewhere in the world where a tapered screw is used where a flat-bottom screw head is meant to be used and the tapered head shears off due to the stress of the taper pulling against the non-tapered steel hole rim it is mating to.
Screws in general are hardened to prevent damage to the threads, this hardness makes them more brittle and prone to breaking from excessive twisting and bending forces. Nails are the opposite, not as hardened and can handle far more twisting and bending force before breaking. Screws deserve extra respect in their proper and safe use.
#12 Sheet Metal screws.
On a radial (face-grain), I use #14 SS oval-head phillips. The face-plate is attached after the outer profile is 99% done. The tenon is between flat and a teeny bit concave - hole positions are determined with a hinge drill and the drilled with a 11/64 with a depth stop. While the face-plate is 6", the bottoms on my hollow-forms are always under 4" which means last step is to remove the twelve outer screws and then dive under at least 1". To do so, I use 1" length on the 12-outer holes and 1.25" for the six inner-holes - I grind the tips off the 1" screws to minimize hole depth.
On an axial (end-grain) I won't use a face-plate - a Vicmarc chuck with standard dove-tail jaws combined with a Keith Clark steady-rest has worked past 400-lbs - no screw is going to hold in end-grain with the pressures of hollowing.
Face-plates are great for cantilevering the piece - if the weight/grain requires two points of support, why hassle with a face-plate?
On an axial (end-grain) I won't use a face-plate - a Vicmarc chuck with standard dove-tail jaws combined with a Keith Clark steady-rest has worked past 400-lbs - no screw is going to hold in end-grain with the pressures of hollowing.
Face-plates are great for cantilevering the piece - if the weight/grain requires two points of support, why hassle with a face-plate?
Hate is a powerful terminology....but I hate Phillips head screws. I've spent a significant portion of my life drilling out rounded screws. We turners should make the elimination of Phillips head screws a "cancel culture" issue.Thanks John for info on those screws. I have some like that except they are Phillips head and I've been looking for the square head type.......Much better grip!
The only thing I would ever cancel is cancel culture... I have zero tolerance for zero tolerance...
I've found the large phillips slot in a #14 oval head, when used with the proper large screw driver and large bit for the drill motor, can go for years. I can apply all the torque I need to secure the screws without spinning in the head. I generally seat all screw with around 8-ft/lbs and then snug by hand. I use a lot of McFeeley screws for everything else - seems like square drive is overkill that could result in over-tightning.
By the way, you're talking to the expert when it come to stripping threads. I had a 650cc BSA back in the sixties - bet I put over 5000-miles on it. One day I decided to do some repairs and went to work - nobody told me the bolts were Whitworth and one side was left-hand threads - tight bolts require longer cheater bars.
It sure "was" a cool bike.
By the way, you're talking to the expert when it come to stripping threads. I had a 650cc BSA back in the sixties - bet I put over 5000-miles on it. One day I decided to do some repairs and went to work - nobody told me the bolts were Whitworth and one side was left-hand threads - tight bolts require longer cheater bars.
It sure "was" a cool bike.
You know what comes after too tight?
Too loose.....
I thought Toulouse was in France...