broken screws in oak, drill or give up?

[leo]

aermotor, of course pre drilling will lessen the chances of breaking a screw, however, most of the screws themselves are still junk particularly the kind you find in packs at Home Depot and Lowe's. They are made out of Zinc and ??? I've yet to break a steel or stainless steel screw......

[whirnot]

I got a chuckle, there was one suggestion for using wax to lubricate the screw and one for beeswax. My stepfather was a cabinet maker and used to bore a 1/2 inch hole in the end of every hammer he owned. Then he would heat a mixture of wax and beeswax, and fill the hole. When driving a screw in hardwood he would just stick the screw in the end of the hammer handle to coat it, then drive it in. Worked great.

[woodiewagon46]

I would use a 1/2" plug cutter such as Rockler PN 68976. Then glue in a 1/2" hardwood dowel.Don't use Elmers Glue, use something like Titebond Glue. I would also drill a pilot hole using a taper drill matched to the size of your screw. Do NOT use soap as a lubricant. When I was building my '46 Woodie, I researches thread lube and was advised by many people that soap is hydrophilic and will attract moisture. This will eventually cause premature rust and possibly discolor your trim. The thread lubricant I use, is by Lloyd's and has the odd name of Akempucky Fastener Lubricant. It made the screws go into the rock maple with ease.

[JRrev]

Originally Posted by whirnot

I got a chuckle, there was one suggestion for using wax to lubricate the screw and one for beeswax. My stepfather was a cabinet maker and used to bore a 1/2 inch hole in the end of every hammer he owned. Then he would heat a mixture of wax and beeswax, and fill the hole. When driving a screw in hardwood he would just stick the screw in the end of the hammer handle to coat it, then drive it in. Worked great.

He drove a "screw" in with a hammer?

[woodiewagon46]

I just called a friend who has owned a cabinet shop for 30 years. He uses a 1/4" hollow drill. It uses the broken screw as a pilot. It's available from Woodcraft, 1-800-225-1153, Item, 124210. He said it costs less that $20. Glue in a dowel and use the above info and you'll be ok.

[TerryO]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

He drove a "screw" in with a hammer?

LOL...I worked 41 years at the telephone company and I wish I had a dime for every screw I drove in with a hammer. We would have to screw clamps every 24" coming down a pole and I learned early on that the screw slots were to remove the screw. Of course a telephone pole has a lot more "meat" than a cabinet frame. If I had used a screwdriver I would have to work 81 years.


TerryO

[CarlLaFong]

I broke a screw in a set of oak cabinets, that I built, just a few weeks ago. I used a piece of brake tube a few inches long. I filed teeth on one end with a 3 corner file. I did have to recut the teeth 3 or 4 times as the soft tube wore down quickly. It worked a treat

[katy]

He drove a "screw" in with a hammer?

When I was an apprentice working on construction. driving a screw in w/a hammer was called using a yankee screwdriver.

[Ed Wendell]

Kim,
Those screw extractors are what you want. I used them on several broken screws on our
Town Sedan. As I recall, I think they are made to run CCW. They are hardened steel so be careful how tight you tighten the chuck. Woodcraft in Spokane Valley should also have some good dowls. I have been using Door Ease as a lubricant for 50 years, works great and most car folks have it laying around.
Also, while at Woodcraft check out the tapered drill bits for screw holes. A bit pricey but well worth the money.
Ed

[Don S]

Re #22, I was told that hammers were for driving screws in and screwdrivers for removing them . With the correct size pilot this way does work

[kimeccles]

Ed Wendell, and all others,

Thanks very much for the additional advise.

[Russ B]

Originally Posted by 1crosscut

Using a small drill bit work your way around the screw(s), grab it with a long nose pliers or such. Once the screw is out drill out the remaining hole to size and glue in a piece of oak dowel to fill the hole. Probably will give a better anchor point for the new screw than filling with epoxy.

Exactly how I have recovered from broken bits in oak.