Screw heads have snapped off

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johno1234

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#3288193 30-Sep-2024 14:23

I've found Bunnings/Mitre10 stainless screws to be OK. As others have mentioned, the screws you get with fastener packs are made of cheese and painted silver. You can use them but they really do need the correct pilot hole and you have to be careful driving them in.

When fixing into dried timber always drag the threads through some wet soap. As far as MDF is concerned, it's so soft that even an undersized pilot hole should be all that's necessary.

mdf

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#3288250 30-Sep-2024 15:23

I've had mixed results from Bunnings screws, especially stainless. You get a batch that are absolutely fine then another batch where its seems that the head seems to pop off every third screw or so. I've found an impact driver better than a drill for non popping heads, or turning the torque right the way down on a drill.

A bit off topic, but I've been triggered: I miss the days when Bunnings stocked EDL screws. No scientific evidence whether the screws were better quality or not, but at least they came in a decent container rather than the rubbish Zenith blister packs that guarantee either spilling the screws everywhere or cutting yourself on the f*ing staple that you forgot you hadn't taken out of the packet. Or both.

richms

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#3288251 30-Sep-2024 15:36

mdf:

A bit off topic, but I've been triggered: I miss the days when Bunnings stocked EDL screws. No scientific evidence whether the screws were better quality or not, but at least they came in a decent container rather than the rubbish Zenith blister packs that guarantee either spilling the screws everywhere or cutting yourself on the f*ing staple that you forgot you hadn't taken out of the packet. Or both.

I go next door to mitre10 for small screw quantities as they have square drive on most of the range, but yeah, the otter or whatever packs are not as good as what they used to have, and when you get to the small bolt packets they really are taking the micky with the pricing massivly.

Richard rich.ms

neb

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#3288263 30-Sep-2024 16:15

Bung: AFAIK the packs of screws in Bun10 are made of the same chinesium as included screws. I've checked a sample of Fortress Fasteners screws and they all lead back to manufacturers in China.

China is perfectly capable of making high-quality stuff, see for example Meanwell power supplies vs. the junk you get included in anything from Aliexpress, you just need to make sure you're getting the quality stuff and not the made-as-cheap-as-possible rubbish. This is what Mitre 10 and Bunnings do for you, you have to pay a bit extra but they sort out the cheap junk from decent-quality stuff. Having said that, they also carry cheap junk, you just need to avoid the hobby-grade packs and get tradie lots instead.

neb

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#3288265 30-Sep-2024 16:18

richms: I go next door to mitre10 for small screw quantities as they have square drive on most of the range, but yeah, the otter or whatever packs are not as good as what they used to have, and when you get to the small bolt packets they really are taking the micky with the pricing massivly.

Have you tried stuff from the Bolt Shop, just up the road from Bunnings? I've only used one of their bolts to create a thread cutter so I don't know what quality it is but I'd expect, as a specialised supplier, that they'd stock at least some decent-quality stuff.

Bung

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#3288551 1-Oct-2024 12:53

neb: Having said that, they also carry cheap junk, you just need to avoid the hobby-grade packs and get tradie lots instead.

The secret is to know someone who buys trade quantities at decent discount and get your trivial amounts from them. Else go somewhere like Anzor or Coastal.

I know China is capable of producing quality. Olympus cameras had their water resistant compact camera factory there and said it exceeded the precision required in their other plants.

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