Concerning Piffen, er, I mean drywall screws: what are the intended purposes of coarse vs. fine threads? Is one generally preferred over the other? Is one stronger than the other?
I’ve always meant to ask someone this. Thanks.
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fine= metal studs, coarse for everything elsemo..
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Sell your cleverness, Purchase Bewilderment"...Rumi
I had to use fine star-drive ones on a job that involved putting drywall on hardwood studs (way old house... they had to have built it with green lumber and let it dry after construction... man was that hard stuff).
Other than that... fine = metal studs.
Edited 3/20/2005 2:44 pm ET by Rich from Columbus
Coarse will work on everything, wood or metal studs except for structural metal studs.
mike
Fine thread will pull out more easily, coarse thread will break more easily. I think that's why fine thread for steel studs, coarse everywhere else
Thanks, everyone. I've never worked with metal studs (yet) and I've used them both interchangably. I've noticed that the coarse thread screws seem to break more easily, probably because they go in so fast that it's more difficult to back off on the screwgun quickly enough.
Course threads for woodwork,square drive and driver on slow.
I was quizzical if the fine threads would have a less impact on splitting or weaking the mechanical hold on melemine board that wasn't predrilled, as one might find if glueing and screwing a backing panel onto open faced cabinet/shelving using 1/2 or 5/8length screws?
Greetings razz,
This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again.
Perhaps it will catch someones attention that can help you with advice.
Cheers
LOL - I hate those melamine screw bumps. <G>
Seriously, I can't imagine fine threads holding in melamine at all without a threaded insert. There is just nothing there for tiny threads to get their teeth into. It seems to me that the shaft diameter of the screw, more than the threads, is what creates the tension that causes those cracks. The only certain way I know of eliminating them is to pre-drill.
There are specialty melamine screws with a fatter shaft and a coarser thread that hold pretty well, but they have to be pre-drilled with a stepped bit. There are melamine screws with machine threads that hold pretty well, but they have to be predrilled and have an insert installed. Logic tells me that a thin shaft and coarse threads would be the best "speed" (read no pre-drill) fastener in melamine, but in my experience, that stuff just defies my logic, so whada-I-know?
Here is a link with a few options from McFeelys - http://www.mcfeelys.com/mdf.asp
use a TEK point for the less impact route...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just Roar!
fine fer metal and coarse fer cabinets, decking, joist hangers, picture hanging and all types of general repair..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Fine threads go in the regular Fine Home Building Breaktime folders-
Coarse threads go in the Tavern.
yeeha! That just became my new tagline!Justin Fink
FHB Editorial
No fine threads go over here.http://forums.taunton.com/tp-gatherings/