How to Choose Which Screws to Use
Published · 9:15 · 2,184 views
About This Video
How to choose which screws to use. Over 99% of Van's screws are tapping screws, the pointy kind that dig their own holes. Over 99% are Phillips head. Flathead screws are banned. His sheet-metal screw knowledge came from Tom Sachs, but the Wikipedia of screw information is the McMaster-Carr catalog. The smallest he uses: number 2. The largest in the shop: number 14, though he cannot find a single instance of number 14 use anywhere around the house. The video fills a gap most maker content ignores.
Transcript
undefined undefined thank you it took me well over a month to make the new fourth turning videos but the first comment on the patreon said you should make a video about
screws I want to harvest the cold shoe from this GoPro 8 thing to make a monitor mount and that will require screws so here goes undefined undefined
I rarely use Nails because screws are better for at least two reasons one you can get a tighter connection
with a screw than with a nail and two you can take the thing apart if it's assembled with screws
[Music] undefined undefined here are the screws that concern my shop over 99 of my screws are tapping screws
the pointy kind that can dig its own hole over 99 of my screws are Phillips head undefined undefined
I do have one box of hex head that I used for roofing Flathead screws are banned undefined undefined
Phillips Harry almost all of my screws are sheet metal screws I mostly use them for wood but they're
called sheet metal screws designed for joining sheet metal my sheet metal screw knowledge came from
Tom sacks but the Wikipedia of screw information is the McMaster Car catalog
they don't pay me but it's true they'll tell you everything I'm no expert I'm a hobbyist McMaster
Carr my favorite Tom sacks catalog is designed after the McMaster Carr catalog
we just call it McMaster I prefer sheet metal screws because the
sizing is straightforward and easy to remember the smallest sheet metal screws that I use are number two
[Music] yay big the largest sheet metal screws in the shop are number 14s yabik though I cannot find a single instance of number 14 use anywhere
around the house Studio or shop we used number 14s in nutsies to join
the track to the pipe flanges but that was a long time ago that's all the most common screws I use are undefined undefined
probably number eights or number tens now the number number two
number 14 number eight refers to the shaft and head diameters but the numbers don't correlate to
anything as far as I can tell a number two is .086 inches in diameter but who
cares a number two is a number two tiny diameter a number 14 is big big diameter undefined undefined
length I use Imperial length sheet metal screws inches as opposed to metric length
screws millimeters woodworking I do in inches foreign [Music] stuff I do in metric Tom sacks once told me that imperial measurement yields more harmonious
proportions than does metric measurement my sheet metal screws I stock in
one-half inch lengths to one and a half inch lengths in most diameters I generally stock screws in one quarter
inch length intervals half inch three quarter inch one inch one and a quarter inch and one and a half inch undefined undefined
[Music] I used two head types Flathead and round head AKA pan head so when buying sheet metal screws I ask for or look for two numbers and the head type
number six three quarter inch pan head or what have you beware that Phillips
screws come in three major sizes requiring three sizes of screwdrivers
little guys use a number one bit screwdriver medium that is most screws use a number two
screwdriver and big screws use a number three screwdriver too big don't fit
too small will strip most people don't know this undefined undefined
generally speaking plywood does not need to be pilot drilled to prevent splitting generally speaking every other kind of
board does there are two types of pilot holes we drill depending upon the application undefined undefined
we pre-drill a pilot hole when we want our screw to tightly grip or tap our
wood to hang a hook for instance undefined undefined
we clear drill a pilot hole when we want the threads of our screw to spin freely
in the pilot hole when we want to join wood to wood or metal to Wood the steel in the case
of this Hook is clear drilled the wood here is pre-drilled foreign undefined undefined
for form's sake we countersink when using Flathead screws
[Music] I used two types of countersinks this type which does not drill a pilot hole and this type which does drill a pilot hole generally a clear drilled pilot undefined undefined
let's make that monitor mount I'm going to harvest this cold shoe from a GoPro 8 media mod which I never used
and will never use it was a hand-me-down I'll leave the cold shoe on the media mod while I drill it so I can clamp the
cold shoe more easily than if I removed it before Drilling I use a center punch to Dent the steel
so the countersink bit won't skate out [Music] use oil whenever drilling through steel of course [Music]
foreign this should be the correct diameter to countersink my half inch number twos
[Music] now I clear drilled the steel [Music] Mark the two by two with a pencil I center punch the wood but Pros probably don't
[Music] pre-drill for my number twos probably Overkill but I'm going for precision here screw it down flush and smooth foreign
[Music] for sending me the monitor they don't pay me and thank you Alexander Palacios for the idea for this video and Alexander does pay me on my patreon [Music]
Products & Tools Mentioned
- McMaster-Carr recommends — catalog, 'Wikipedia of screw information'
- GoPro 8 Media Mod uses — harvested cold shoe
- Atomos uses — monitor, sent free
- sheet metal screws essential — primary screw type
People Referenced
Tom Sachs, Alexander Palacios