Screws or nails?

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Awrrr
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#3093197 21-Jun-2023 19:57

Dynamic:

@Rikkitic if you've not already seen the tip somewhere, putting a touch of soap onto a screw allows it to drive in a lot easier. I do this when driving in longer screws which gives more friction.

I vaguely remember something about that from long ago, but it hasn't been an issue. My Ryobi drill has lots of torque.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

tweake

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#3093204 21-Jun-2023 20:25

Dynamic:

@Rikkitic if you've not already seen the tip somewhere, putting a touch of soap onto a screw allows it to drive in a lot easier. I do this when driving in longer screws which gives more friction.

if i remember right the soap can cause the screws to rust out.

elpenguino

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#3093251 21-Jun-2023 20:56

mattwnz:

Jase2985:

Its about $80 to hire a framing nailer for 4h. that easily cuts into to any saving you might make from using nails over screws to build a fence. Unless you know someone with a nail gun or you need to buy one then i cant seem much saving

Personal preference of course but i prefer screws for fences.

The other benefit of screws on fences is they shouldn't pull out like nails can. There are professionally installed fences near me where over time the timber has warped and pulled out the nails.

Welllll, if the fence was professionally built, maybe the nails wouldn't have pulled out in the first place ?! Builders have techniques like putting them in on mixed angles to increase the force needed to separate the pieces.

As a amateur nailer, one benefit of screws is I won't be leaving little marks where I missed the nail head or a multitude of other sins. OTOH, if it's a new dwang for a light switch or some other concealed thing then, who cares, swing away and get some nails into it.

If it's a shelf or something you might want to adjust/remove later then screws give you that flexibility.

Horses for courses.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

larknz

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#3093255 21-Jun-2023 21:01

Dynamic:
@Rikkitic if you've not already seen the tip somewhere, putting a touch of soap onto a screw allows it to drive in a lot easier. I do this when driving in longer screws which gives more friction.

In my early days as an apprentice electrician my boss used to rub screws through his hair. The oil, or maybe it was Brylcream, certainly made the screws go in more easily.

SepticSceptic

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#3093272 21-Jun-2023 23:33

larknz:
Dynamic:
@Rikkitic if you've not already seen the tip somewhere, putting a touch of soap onto a screw allows it to drive in a lot easier. I do this when driving in longer screws which gives more friction.

In my early days as an apprentice electrician my boss used to rub screws through his hair. The oil, or maybe it was Brylcream, certainly made the screws go in more easily.

Candle wax works well.

A quick swipe, don't need much.

mattwnz

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#3093279 22-Jun-2023 00:43

elpenguino:

Welllll, if the fence was professionally built, maybe the nails wouldn't have pulled out in the first place ?! Builders have techniques like putting them in on mixed angles to increase the force needed to separate the pieces.

As a amateur nailer, one benefit of screws is I won't be leaving little marks where I missed the nail head or a multitude of other sins. OTOH, if it's a new dwang for a light switch or some other concealed thing then, who cares, swing away and get some nails into it.

If it's a shelf or something you might want to adjust/remove later then screws give you that flexibility.

Horses for courses.

It often isn't builders that build fences for money, as you don't need any qualifications to build fence as far as I am aware.. Skewed nailing maybe fine, but often it is also not enough nails or wrong type, or using rubbish and knotty timber that hasn't been docketed and can be more prone with twisting and warping.

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MikeAqua

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#3093334 22-Jun-2023 09:23

I do a bit of wood working and I glue and screw almost everything. If I'm not using screws it's because I'm doing 'proper' woodworking, using a traditional joint (lap, spline, box, dovetail, etc) which negates the need for screws. Or I'm using nails for some decorative function (e.g. brass nails).

Pocket-holes can be a great screw technique to use.

Mike

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#3093340 22-Jun-2023 09:43

A tip my Dad taught me was if one is screwing into timber use a centre punch to create a starter hole. Easier and less fuss than drilling.

However if there is a risk of spitting always drill first

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Bung

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#3093345 22-Jun-2023 09:58

If it was your Dad it may have predated the many types of self drilling tips on screws. The danger of splitting hasn't changed.

duckDecoy

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#3093356 22-Jun-2023 10:21

Jase2985:

These are what i used, 500 for $120, and were excellent. will hold much better than nails and wont pull out.

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/zenith-10g-x-100mm-tufcote-square-drive-treated-pine-screw-500-pack_p0083585

FWIW I switched from zenith to otter (mitre 10) as I found them far less likely to strip out the square drive when going through tough wood. e.g. these

richms

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#3093364 22-Jun-2023 10:55

I got all mine from handy warehouse before it was handy hardware before it was tradie republic - much cheaper than anything at bunnings/mitre10.

Richard rich.ms

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neb

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#3093578 22-Jun-2023 16:47

wellygary:
Cost, if you're building a fence, or something big, the difference soon adds up..

Or, alternatively, knocking together something temporary where you want the cost to be as close to zero as possible. In particular for outdoors stuff the cost of hot-dip galvanised nails is vastly less than SS screws (I realise the nails will corrode eventually in treated timber but they'll last 10 years at least in stuff that you don't need to have around forever).

neb

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#3093580 22-Jun-2023 16:54

johno1234:
As others have said, nails for large quantity jobs like fence palings as screws would be a bit of expense overkill. Last fence I built I was lucky enough to borrow a mate's Paslode nail gun. Otherwise I would just hire one.

Paslode gas, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of gas in the morning. The smell, you know that Paslode gas smell? The whole fence. Smelled like... victory.

neb

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#3093582 22-Jun-2023 16:57

mattwnz:
The other benefit of screws on fences is they shouldn't pull out like nails can. There are professionally installed fences near me where over time the timber has warped and pulled out the nails.

That happened with the Casa de Cowboy's deck, the nails in the (treated) palings had corroded away, the nails in the deck kept pulling out due to expansion and contraction of the timber.

It's now all SS screws into composite decking, that's not going anywhere.

neb

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#3093584 22-Jun-2023 16:58

Dynamic:
@Rikkitic if you've not already seen the tip somewhere, putting a touch of soap onto a screw allows it to drive in a lot easier. I do this when driving in longer screws which gives more friction.

Father Neb, a builder, used to keep old candle stubs around for this purpose, it definitely helps.

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