The screw you use with faceplates

[Gary Beasley]

Most turners know better than to use sheetrock screws when mounting wood to a faceplate. Ive also had my share of deck screws snap off on me.Then I found a box of screws at Home Depot that looked like a better choice, concrete screws. The brand I found is Tapcon by ITW Brands. The minimal shear strength listed on the box was over 700 lbs and the pullout from concrete about 350 lbs. So far these this have been pretty well bomb proof.

 

[Tom Albrecht]

Yep, a good choice and safe, for the rare times that I do faceplate work anymore. I used to turn a lot of big architectural stuff like column bases and capitals.

 

[Mark Wollschlager]

I usually use sheet metal screws or spax screws ( if I have the right size for the job ).

 

[Bobby Smith]

I bought a few different assorted sizes of machine screws. Some are tapered at the head and some are flat. Depends on the faceplate I'm gonna use for what size and type I use. I don't worry about these breaking at all.

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

On my big bowls I use 5/16x2" lags put in with an impact hammer.

 

[Mike Johnson]

The screw should be made from a metal that is not brittle and won't shear off or break, sheetrock screws will twist and break easily, an easy test is to mount the fastener in a vice and bend it back and forth with some pliers to see if it breaks. A good quality metal fastener will withstand some bending and twisting without failing right away. Sheetrock screws are designed as a cheap one time fastener, it is no fun trying to dig one of these screws out of a wood billet when the head breaks off and the screw is left in the wood.

 

[Paul A Andrews]

The screw should be made from a metal that is not brittle and won't shear off or break, sheetrock screws will twist and break easily, an easy test is to mount the fastener in a vice and bend it back and forth with some pliers to see if it breaks. A good quality metal fastener will withstand some bending and twisting without failing right away. Sheetrock screws are designed as a cheap one time fastener, it is no fun trying to dig one of these screws out of a wood billet when the head breaks off and the screw is left in the wood.

Ellesworth recommends sheet metal screw, #12 or #14, with 3/4" to 1" penetration.

 

[Paul A Andrews]

Yep, a good choice and safe, for the rare times that I do faceplate work anymore. I used to turn a lot of big architectural stuff like column bases and capitals.

Interesting. I decided to buy a couple of faceplates since I was tired of setting up and parting off waste blocks.

 

[Mike Johnson]

If you are loading the billet onto the lathe with one hand or using a forklift to lift the billet onto the lathe there might be a slight difference in the fasteners used to secure the billet to the faceplate. Once you move into the bigger pieces calculating the fasteners strength and loading characteristics would be wise, in the industrial world a 400% safety factor is a good rule of thumb.

 

[Donovan Bailey]

I also look for square head instead of phillips head screws. Sweet mercy I hate dealing with phillips head screws.

 

[John Jordan]

#12 SPAX. 1-1/4, 1-1/2 long. Very thin threads with the first couple of threads having a saw tooth edge. They displace very little wood. Power drivers will strip any screw-I always run them up and finish with a screwdriver by hand. I used to take just a screwdriver to demos, people couldn't believe I was going to install six screws by hand, but it only taks a minute with the SPAX screws. Of course I only turn green wood, might want to predrill some of the harder dry woods.

I used a lot of drywall screws 30 years ago and don't remember breaking any, but never since the SPAX screws came along.

John

 

[Mike Johnson]

Drywall screws made these days are made very cheaply compared to the way they made them decades ago.

 

[John Jordan]

Drywall screws made these days are made very cheaply compared to the way they made them decades ago.

Now that just makes me sound old........

John

 

[Gary Beasley]

Drywall screws made these days are made very cheaply compared to the way they made them decades ago.

You know that when you have them snapping off in sheetrock!

 

[hockenbery]

You know that when you have them snapping off in sheetrock!

sure it isn’t snapping off in to what you are attaching the Sheetrock?

They are brittle

 

[Gary Beasley]

sure it isn’t snapping off in to what you are attaching the Sheetrock?

They are brittle

Quite. I wouldn’t expect a good screw to snap off in construction pine. Probably made from recycled steel, no way to know what is in them.

 

[George Stratton]

Putting a screw of any kind into wood without drilling a pilot hole just spreds the fibers? Its so quick to drill 4 or 6 pilot holes, why would you not drill them?

 

[Gary Beasley]

Usually the block you mount is thick enough and quite often green wood so predrilling is not really needed. The fibers compressing around the screw may just help hold tighter.

 

[hockenbery]

Putting a screw of any kind into wood without drilling a pilot hole just spreds the fibers? Its so quick to drill 4 or 6 pilot holes, why would you not drill them?

I allow a 1/4” of extra length for the faceplate tenon to allow for the opening the screw will make ahead of itself
With wet wood there is no need for a pilot hole with #12 screws.
I find it easier to center the faceplate by driving one screw 1/3 the way in checking then putting another screw-in check and then all the screws.
If I miss with the first screw - I just remove it and try it in another hole until I get the faceplate on center.
Too hard to move a pilot hole if I miss.

 

[John Torchick]

I have a faceplate for a DIY disk sander. I put the wood on and turned it round. Use PS sanding disks. No need to try to center the wood before installing. Screws are FH Slotted #12-3/4.

 

[John Tisdale]

I use #14, SS, oval head sheet-metal screws with a Oneway faceplate. The 6" faceplate has 18-holes so I use 18-screws. The tenon is cut flat and the holes are centered with a hinge bit then drilled with 11/64 bit with depth-collar. Never had a problem with face-grain up to >300-lbs and end-grain mesquite >300-lbs. Length is 1.25" - I sometimes use 1" on the outside holes for lower profile designs - that allows me to "dive under" the faceplate for a 4" base without worrying about the outside holes showing.
While the above may be a bit excessive, to my thinking it provides a greater margin at zero expense. I've used the same screws for over five years and precision drilling cost nothing. One the other hand, getting hit in the pearly whites can be expensive.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I use #14, SS, oval head sheet-metal screws with a Oneway faceplate. The 6" faceplate has 18-holes so I use 18-screws. The tenon is cut flat and the holes are centered with a hinge bit then drilled with 11/64 bit with depth-collar. Never had a problem with face-grain up to >300-lbs and end-grain mesquite >300-lbs. Length is 1.25" - I sometimes use 1" on the outside holes for lower profile designs - that allows me to "dive under" the faceplate for a 4" base without worrying about the outside holes showing.
While the above may be a bit excessive, to my thinking it provides a greater margin at zero expense. I've used the same screws for over five years and precision drilling cost nothing. One the other hand, getting hit in the pearly whites can be expensive.

That's basically what I use for my Oneway 6" and 10" faceplates. The only difference is that I use flat heat head rather than oval head (I'm cheap). I have various length screws from 1¼" to 2" depending on what I might be turning. Since these are #14 screws I predrill the holes and wax the screws.

 

[JeffSmith]

+1 on the stainless screws - been using the same set of #14 button headed, square drive sheetmetal screws for about a decade and a half. Leftovers from a misadventure in boatbuilding. Got several lengths. They never wear out - just make sure I don’t lose any.
Tried to use some of the silicone bronze screws left over from fastening planks but the phillips head drives would give out after a couple of uses.

 

[Perry Hilbert]

Geesh, and here I spend so much time looking for actual wood screws. Gettin rare as hen's teeth some places.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Geesh, and here I spend so much time looking for actual wood screws. Gettin rare as hen's teeth some places.

I think that the problem with the old fashions wood screws with a slotted head is that they really aren't very good for holding wood compared to newer screw designs.

 

[Ron Vasser]

Too hard to move a pilot hole if I miss.

Self-centering hinge bit, never miss the lineup hole.

 

[hockenbery]

Self-centering hinge bit, never miss the lineup hole.

. This bit can’t drill in the wrong spot?

I get that it will drill in the center of a faceplate hole. This will work if the faceplate is in the right spot and doesn’t move before the drill gets started.

I just don’t need two two tools to put on a faceplate.

 

[Ron Vasser]

. This bit can’t drill in the wrong spot?

Nope, just the drillee can do that!
I just thought about the bit because I used one yesterday to set up my wolverine sharpening jig.

 

[John Simmons]

The screw should be made from a metal that is not brittle and won't shear off or break, sheetrock screws will twist and break easily, an easy test is to mount the fastener in a vice and bend it back and forth with some pliers to see if it breaks. A good quality metal fastener will withstand some bending and twisting without failing right away. Sheetrock screws are designed as a cheap one time fastener, it is no fun trying to dig one of these screws out of a wood billet when the head breaks off and the screw is left in the wood.

Well said. So many screws, so many choices. I'm a retired Mech. Engineer and a lifelong DIY'er. Deck screws are pretty much horrible for anything but "deck boards".

It really is pretty simple though to find the right screws for face plates. Only use screws that are labeled as "structural" or "construction" screws. They are made from ductile material with high tensile strength.

My favorite is Simpson, they make some really good quality structural screws. GRK makes some decent structural and construction screws. Simpson and GRK are available at Home Depot.

Again, look at the label on the package. If it doesn't state "Structural" or "Construction" screws.. don't use them.

 

[Dean Center]

OMG! Did somebody leave the door unlocked and let another engineer in here? Heaven help us.

(In truth, I really, really appreciate the expertise and compulsiveness all you engineers and material scientists bring to the discussion. Sometimes, the urge to tweak just gets too strong though )