Category: Screws

Someone has gifted you an exquisite artwork this New Year, or maybe you would have won a high-quality wooden shelf in a lucky draw.

Now the attempt to fix it begins. The question is how to hang those things? Either high or low and not to mention it may also be the raunchy lopsided? You have to struggle hard with the correct size of screws, after you’ve driven some foot-into-mouth fasteners into the wall the wrong way before you get some suitable pieces.

Earlier hanging pictures, mirrors and artworks was so much complicated because of the dearth of right kind of tools and supplies at the nearby store, for which you’d to depend upon professional craftsman even for petty jobs. But with the recent revolution in the hardware industry and with the advent of the online dealings, such manual jobs have been simplified to a much greater extent as soon as low-cost tools and a huge range fasteners such as stud screws hit the market.

You can kick-start with some stud screws and a stud finder, which would cost you arround $10. If it’s a huge and heavy mirror or a wooden shelf or something very fragile, you’ll have to definitely go for this paricular type of fastener and tool, as you may have to insert screws or picture bolts into the wooden studs that are 16 inches apart behind your drywall.

Suh kind of method is also tricky, as you can hide the studs by rapping on the wall.

When you move the screw finder across the wall, you would see some light flashing out along-with a beep sound and this indicates that you’ve reached a stud. As wood is thicker than the half-inch drywall, so you can easily detect the hidden fasteners. After this, you can now mark the spot with a pencil or else leave upto your tool, which would make a tiny pinhole to help you locate the spot.

In states like Arizona, homeowners face a much more complicated issue, as they live in block masonry homes, whose walls are made up of concrete blocks.

In this region, usually builders insert “furring strips” (wooden strips) measuring about 1 inch on top of the concrete blocks and then fasten the drywall to the wooden strips, which are 16″ apart. The above mentioned tool is even ideal for finding these in-built strips as well.

Besides stud screw finder, you can also go for laser level. This advanced tool is available for just $20 or less, which projects a beam of red light across a wall, which furtehr enables you to line up the stud screws to hang up your gifted artwork or the heavy mirror.

Another effective toll is the power screwdriver, through which you can easily drill stud screws into studs. You can even go for a power drill, which can also speed up things up, especially in cases if you’re using molly bolts or toggle bolts on drywall.

In this edition, we are going to discuss about how screws, the most relevant fastener came into being. But before debunking into their history, let’s go through a formal introduction.

What is a screw?
A screw is a small metallic object (shaft), featuring a corkscrew-shaped channel present on its surface. This kind of fastener is used to bind two objects together and a screwdriver is required to fasten such objects.

History
Archimedes in 200 BC had originally developed the principle of screw and used this technique to build devices, so as to raise water from the ground level or beneath of that. According to the archaeologists, the forerunner of the modern fasteners, such as screws is found in some artefacts, dating back to early Egyptian and Greek eras. The rulers of Alexandria used them in their automations and ammunitions. With the advent of the Renaissance era, the screw thread attachments and their applications were started to be used in bits and pieces. One of the most common forms in the latter historical epochs is a thin metal bar twisted into a helix shape by a smith, which resembles much like today’s hammer, screw driver and nails.

The second most commonly used form of this particular fastener is the one, which was cut using saws and gravers. The screw thread technology started to be used on a broader scale in the 18th century. However, it is believed that the screw thread technology was invented by Archytas of Tarentum in 400 BC. He is also known as the founder of mechanics and was a strong contender of Plato. Its application was used for the first time in farms to extract oil from olive and grape juices.

The oil ranches in Pompeii used to work on the screw principle. These fasteners were also seen used in manufacturing of firearms. Earlier, ammunition such as guns were only used by the Royal bodyguards, but soon the common soldiers also started using this weapon. Thus, it became necessary to reduce the cost of the manufacture of the handguns. On one hand, a nation had to spend a fortune saving the ruler and on the other hand, they had to spend a fortune protecting the common mass as well. The two contributing factors, where this expenditure could be slashed off lay heavily in implementing the barrel and screw threads to accumulate a firearm. As the only solution relied upon the development of a rotating device (lathes), it was no surprising that these two techniques even evolved simultaneously.

Modern Screws
With each passing day, the technology as well as the usage continued to grow and in 19th century, the screws became a relevant part of the hardware supplies. The Robertson screw became hugely popular with the beginning of the 19th century. In 1908, Canadian scientist P.L. Robertson invented the square-drive screws and then 28 years later; Phillips head screws came into being. While the Robertson fasteners were considered the first recess-drive kind fastener, the Phillips Head was extensively used for the gasoline cars.

Some Recent Updates about Screws
Hey did you know recently the Queen of England gave the green signal to impart power to the Windsor Castle through hydroelectricity? It was carried out by using turbines hugely based on Archimedes’ screw principle. The 40 ton weighing Archimedes’ Screws were set-up at Romney Weir across the Thames River. The turbines exactly look like the screw invented by this Greek mathematician.

In the ancient city of Qsar in Egypt, an ancient mechanical tool was discovered. It appears to be a giant screw, which is believed to be used in ancient times for squeezing out oil from olives.

Most of our readers have asked us couple of times to publish a write-up explaining the general differences between two most commonly used fastener in the industry i.e. spax lag screws and structural screws. This edition will give them a clear idea about how both these screws are installed and their specifications are also clearly explained in this edition. Read on!

Structural Screws

These fasteners are equipped with high strength and so have gained huge popularity in the recent years over the age-old lag screws and are always preferred first for basic applications. This piece will highlight on the pattern, installation procedure and also the pricing, which are important to be consdiered, if you’re thinking between these two rivets.

Types 

There are usually three major types widely available in the market, which include the Spax (left), FastenMaster (right) and GRK (center). while the former two are easily found at ant physical store and home centers, the last one is a specialized fastener available only at lumberyards and online.

Benefits

These types of screws are stronger than the geenral lag bolts and are thus ideal for more sturdy connections. Even though they are stronger than lag screws, they are easier to employed since they do not require any pre-drilled or pilot hole. In most cases, you can install all of those screws at real time even before you are done with drilling pilot holes for the lags.

Installation

The structural rivets are made up of high-strength steel, which are even heat-treated so that they will not snap off while fastening. While the shafts of these metal pieces are thinner than lags, they are equal substitutes for a lag.

The threads however vary from brand to brand. While one brand features a drilled tip embedded into the screw point, so as to remove dust while entering into the wood, other brands have different screw threads near the tip, so as to pave ways for the remaining screw threads, which grips the screw into the wood.

Besides above characteristics, these fasteners are either equipped with Torx, having 6 contact points or Spider, with 8 contact points drive heads apart from their traditional hex-head styles. These specially designed heads allow further connection between the screw head and the driver tip, so as to prevent disarming as seen with Phillips or slotted screws.

Specifications

Some contractors may not be aware about the structural screws, so if you are planning tor enovate your basement or deck, you would then definitely have to speak with your the building inspector first, so as to ensure that they approve use of these fasteners. You can download the specifications from the Internet and attach it with your plans, so as to make them clear about your requirements.

In case of spax lag screws, you will have to drill two holes for every lag screw to prevent the wood from breaking away. This is indeed a time consuming task, in case you’re using lag screws in huge numbers. You may even need them in more numbers due to their reduced strength.

Even the structural fasteners have distinct disadvantages too, which lie greatly in their pricing and availability. While the GRK type screws are the most expensive and you can only find them at lumberyards, the Spax and FastenMaster types are sold by home centers, but again these are available in selective sizes, which are commonly used.

A 6″ long by 5/16″ diameter structural rivet may cost you about 85 cents, while you can easily get a spax lag screw at just 30 cents. Therefore, the lag fasteners are mostly preferred over these expensive fastening objects.

Comparison

Lag Screws

• These traditional fasteners are hundred years old and are quite inexpensive, as compared to other fasteners. Although these are difficult to be installed, they are still preferred by many.

• You’ll have to pre-drill two holes to use them i.e. one small one for the threads and a larger clearance hole for the shaft.

• The structural screws are only available at lumberyards and online stores, plus, their quality greatly varies with the brands stocked in most home center

• While lag screws on the other hand are easily found at all home centers, webstores and hardware stores, they even cost a third of the price of the former ones

• However, there are some hardened lag screws, which feature certain markings such as multiple lines, or a triangle on therir heads. These are bit costlier as compared to the normal lag screws

• When it comes to connecting a wood joist or other framing member to a concrete wall, these metal pieces are always a better choice. In such cases, the special lead sleeves are employed into a pre-drilled hole and then the lag screw is fastened into the sleeve

Structural Screws

• These types of advanced fasteners make faster connections, but are expensive as compared to general hardware supplies

• They are are thin and sharp and do not require pre-drilling unlike lag screws

• These are engineered to meet high standards as they are made up of hard and heat-treated steel

• These are found only in select stores in certain size and length

• These cost several times higher than a similar lag screw

The Tacoma screws are a leading brand in the fastener industry. They have been manufacturing different types of screws, bolts, nuts, studs, rivets and various other types of fasteners since 1946. Today, they offer their service to over 40,000 customers from their inventory of whopping 45,000 products.

Almost every product is sold under numerous categories, depending upon size and designs. Because of the abundance in varieties, their products easily satisfy customer requirement and thus, they play favorite among the supply chain industries such as Mutual Screw & Supply.

The tacoma screws are sold here in various categories. The different types of screws include the following:

Deck Screws

As the name suggests, these screws are used in wooden decks, which are made up of thin planks, which are quite prone to harsh environmental conditions. These types of Tacoma screws are specially designed to withstand the challenges, mostly faced by the lakeside houses.

Some of their major advantages include:

• They are corrosion resistant
• Their installation procedure is easy due to the sharpness of their point
• They can align smoothly against the deck surface, which is known as countersinking
• Ideal for composite decks, which are made up of pressure-treated wood. Their planks aren’t standard lumber and any regular screw may create ‘mushroom’ i.e. by using regular wood screws, the material can get pulled up in a hump around the screw head.

Dowel Screws

These are mostly cylindrical kind of metal screws, featuring two tapered ends and spiral threads. These are usually pointed on both ends, and thus can easily fasten two soft objects such as wood together.

Such fasteners are generally used with furniture, so as to create a conjunction with visible connectors. While one portion of the entire length is fastened into the joint, the other portion is driven all the way in when the connecting surfaces are aligned at the meeting point.

A 3D view of dowel screw

Drywall screws

As the name suggests, the drywall screws are used when drywall is installed on walls and ceilings. Drywall is a type of building material, which is made up of gypsum and other ingredients crushed between sheets of heavy paper.

These types of tacoma screws are mostly used to secure the drywall to the concerned surface, may be wood or metal framing. Moreover, their special design helps prevent dimpling on the surface. Unlike traditional nails, which leave behind holes/divots in the drywall, the drywall screws are threaded to grip both the framing member and the drywall firmly.

The primary feature of these fasteners, which offer the maximum advantage is their countersunk heads. The entire fastener is flushed within the sheet surface, thereby enabling a smooth finish. The countersunk head prevents the drywall screw from breaking the paper surface, which is a common problem with nails.

Lag Screw

A lag screw is a huge, coarse threaded screw featuring a hexagonal shaped head, used for tightening or loosening of the screw. Unlike regular screws, which require a screwdriver, this kind of screw requires a wrench for its installation.

Its application is quite similar to bolts, as it is used in places where extreme clamping force and strength are mandated. Raising foundation of a home or securing a deck to the wall typically demands the use of a lag screw-mounting application.

Besides, the lag screws are also used in surgery in spiral fractures, swinging doors, mounting gates and garage door tracks.

While fastening a wooden plank or any other wooden piece, a pilot hole should be pre-drilled through the two boards first for easy installation of these Tacoma screws. The pilot hole enables the fastener to be effectively screwed without splitting either of the boards.

Machine Screws 

A machine screw, which is also known as a machine bolt, is a typical screw specially designed to be attached to an pre-drilled, tapped hole on any metal surface, which is usually in alliance with a corresponding nut.

This kind of screw is usually smaller than the regular screws and range in size upto 3 quarters of one inch i.e. 19.05 mm. However, it is available in variations, depending upon shape of the head, slot type, length, overall size and material.

The two most commonly used screwdrivers used with machine screws are slotted and Phillips head screwdrivers. Other types of screw drives are also used, such as torx of star-shaped, 6-pointed and so on.

The machine screws are in varied types and are mostly differentiated by the characteristics of the thread.

Thumb Screws

The snake eye screws, which are also known as twin hole tamper resistant security screws or pig nose screws feature two small holes drilled into the head. You will require a special type of twin pin driver to both fasten and release the rivets. These fasteners are produced from A2 stainless steel and are ideal for both internal and external use.

These metal pieces are also available as Self Tappers and machine screws in Countersunk Head and Pan Head types and also as Pan Head or Raised Countersunk Head. All these fasteners are available in box quantities of 100. Normally, these spanner bits are available in various sizes, such as #4, #6, #8 and #10.

However, be warned that there are also metric snake eyes fasteners available in the market, where hole spacing does not match spanner and also these hole sizes are different. Such fasteners are highly recommended to be used where safety is strongly required. Such kinds of tiny metal pieces ensure protection and have made our homes and industries hassle-free and secured because of their tamper resistant characteristics. Because of their tamper-proof qualities, these are also known as vandalism resistant screws, as they ensure high security to the objects, which are prone to break-in or larceny.

Because of these special qualities, these are now most commonly used in industrial sectors. Primarily, these rivets flaunt atypical tops, which help restrict the users to easily loose them by simple screw drivers. Apart from the regular slots, the Phillips-head type drivers are also useless to unscrew them.

Snake Eye screws arguably feature the edge in terms of design. It is for such kind of aesthetic reason that such metal holders often get the vote. However, they do possess certain limitations, such as they have the lowest torque i.e. they cannot be fastened like other regular screws. And ironically, this particular feature makes them stand out.

As fast removing is extremely crucial in their cases, they have now become a favorite among the homeowners, as they reduce the possibility of vandalism to a greater extent. We, at Renovator’s Supply, do offer huge orders on daily basis. Not only home owners, but we get orders in bulk amount from various industries as well.

Instead of visiting physical stores, you can go online to fetch some real good deals. Plus, you always have the advantage to be exposed to a wider options and ranges, which physical stores usually lack.

Planning to restore your kitchen floor tiles or mend a damaged piece, but worried of the expenses? Well, you need not have to rely upon the expensive tradesman, who can unnecessarily exceed your budget line. You can volunteer for this job and all you need is to have a clear knowledge about the processes involved.

After understanding the method involved, you’ll now have to accumulate all the required ingredients, such as the hardibacker board, hardibacker screws, trowel, mixer and accurate drill and so on.

The hardibacker board is the brainchild of James Hardie Company and comprises of 90% of Portland cement and sand. Such types of floor tiles are fabricate resistant and are ideal for water-logged or wet areas. These days, these tiles are in much demand and most of the new constructions are seen installing these boards in the kitchen, bathroom as well as in utility areas.

Always remember that such kind of flooring supply is not any structural element, so if your kitchen’s floor molds due to improper joists then restoring task won’t help you much until and unless you fix the underlying architectural issues. Such tiles only enable a solution to bridge the existing gap between the plywood and floor tiles. And also keep in mind that you’ll need hardibacker screws to install those concrete pieces.

Here are some of the basic steps to look after

Step 1

The installing procedure will include grinding and levelling concrete floors to screwing a wooden subfloor with the above mentioned fasteners. However, you’ll always require a dry, reasonably flat surface for this job.

Now you’ll have to go for 1/4th inches of backer board and you certainly require special kind of screws, known as the hardibacker screws. These are slightly different than the usual screws. Plus, their threads are specifically designed to pull down the head of the screws for proper positioning. We highly suggest you not to go for drywall screws.

Step 2

Now we should go for the subway pattern, which is quite a popular technique followed in flooring. It is usually an offset pattern. You should always remember to ignore any excess amount of pieces. Measure both ends and draw a line, which helps you in laying the tiles in straight rows.

Step 3

Now mix up the pudding texture by using a mixer in your drill and with the flat edge of your trowel, you can start spreading the mixture in thin layer called as scratch coat next to the straight frame. Now before the coat dried up, apply some more thinset in rows. By applying the paste in rows, you can allow the air to escape as you set the tiles.

Step 4

This step is known as grouting. By now you would have left the tiles overnight for setting. You can now use a cleaning tool to remove the extra thinset from the surface and also from the joints. Now mix up a portion of sand grout by adding bit water so as to avoid the paste to become thin. Now spread the grout onto the floor, by using a margin towel scoop and rubber float held at 45 degree angle.

Required Supplies

Thinset mortar

Ceramic floor tile

Tile Grout

Hardibacker screws
Mixing paddle

Foam sponges

Tile cutter

Tape measure

Nippers

Trowel

Rubber float

Coach screws are heavy duty fasteners specially designed for fastening metal pieces with timber and also to fasten heavy timbers. These types of rivets are also known as ‘lag bolts’ or ‘lag screws’.

These rivets feature a square or hexagonal-shaped head, specifically engineered to be easily used with any plier, wrench or spanner. These metal pieces are available in a huge range of sizes, ranging from the very small ones ideal for furniture and easily assembled by the consumer to extremely huge ones, which are used in large scale construction projects.

These specially designed fasteners comprise of an outwardly threaded cylindrical shaft, which is tapered at one end and its head protruding out at the other end.

When such screws are inserted into timber, the threads dig in into the wood and their heads prevent the rivets from slipping all the way through, due to the compression which is simultaneously created.

Did you know?

This kind of essential form of the fastener has been in existence for over 2,000 years, although metal rivets used for construction and woodworking have only been in use since 19th century and that was made possible due to the initiation of the mass-manufacture.

It was only during the Second World War that the size of these hardware supplies became standardized, so that they could be manufactured and shared between Allied forces at much ease.

Features

• Coach screws are fastened into wood with a spanner or socket
• These rivets are ideal for fastening into wood and are also used with wall plug in all masonry work
• Made up of galvanized carbon steel
• Features coarse thread and hexagon head
• Features sharp gimlet point for easy penetration
• Length ranges from 40 mm to 110 mm
• Thickness varies from 5 mm to 12 mm
• Most of these fasteners feature smooth shank

Their uses

The coach screws are widely used at critical joins in construction projects, due to their highly sturdy nature. These fasteners are often more advanced than nails for construction projects, as they can be easily removed and reused later.

These rivets are preferred for joints because of their heavy duty characteristic and they even render additional support through the use of metal flanges, whenever needed.

These fasteners are also used for fixing into timber, as their sharp points enable easy and quick installation, however pre-drilling is required in some cases.

When using such screws, it is always important to make sure that you’re using the correct wrench or spanner so as to prevent the head of the screw from getting damaged during installation. You should check-out the size of a wrench or spanner whichever you’re using, plus, you should also measure the flat ends.

And if you’re using these fasteners in fastening wooden pieces or in other cases where the rivet has to pass through the surface then you should use a washer with the screw so that the head won’t be sucked into the surface.

Hints & Tips

• Use with a wall plug in masonry work
• Extremely sturdy and reliable

Advantages

• Easy to install
• Extremely sturdy and reliable
• These rivets are ideal for fastening into wood and are also used with wall plug in all masonry work
• Available in bulk for better prices

Pablo Picasso had once said that some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, while there are painters, who can transform a yellow spot into the sun.

His words can only seem to be true, if we come across some mind-boggling creations of some of the world’s treasured artists and sculptors. It is also true that art can take any form and creativity is always more than just being different.

Even from simple things, say screws, we can conceive great designs and even life-like faces. Hard to believe such words? Well, then you need to have a look at the works by Andrew Myers, who creates wonders by using fasteners. Up till now, you would be using screws to hang a painting on your wall. But this person uses the fasteners to conceive incredible 3 dimensional portraits by inserting thousands of screws into plywood.

Since his childhood, this legendary person has been exquisitely influenced by European art and culture. Born in Germany and raised in Spain, his espial to classical as well as modern architecture prompted him to create unimaginable artwork. This California based artist has certainly given a new look to the portrait work of art.

When he creates anything on plywood, the subject of his creation gets screwed literally. That’s because, he is the world’s only vindicator of what we now call as ‘screw art’. He elegantly uses the heads of the heads of the Phillips screws and then inserts them into a simple peg wood to design 3D paintings, especially portraits.

The artist’s main area of expertise is sculptures. Click here to know more about his swanky designs. Each painting took him at least 6 months to complete, yet he is selling his works at a throw away price, say $35,000 per piece. As per him, he is not doing this for money.

“Most people are drawn to the portraits because they have something different about them (from a distance especially). Seeing them in person is a whole different feel than seeing the photograph. They have a sense of depth that the photo can’t capture.” – Andrew Myers

He goes through a multistep procedure to conceive a mind-boggling art you almost have to see and touch it to believe. He starts with a plywood frame and then puts pages of a phonebook on top. Interestingly, he uses pages from his subjects’ local area. Then he simply draws out a face with a pencil and pre-drills at least 8,000 to 10,000 holes within the drawn area. He then keeps on inserting the screws into each pre-drilled hole. He doesn’t use any kind of advanced computer software for guidance; instead he simply follows his basic instincts as he goes along.

In a recent interview he said that he considers his form of art to be just another traditional art form and that all of his used screws are placed at different depths. However, one of the most challenging parts is to get rid of the pencil drawing underneath and because of this, he has to paint on every Phillips screw head individually, so as to make it look like an actual painting.

Myers mingles modern fabric with the top notch figurative adroitness, flaunting a universal subject matter that is quite evident from his work. It is the fusion of those three factors that screws art pieces are able to captivate viewers.