Thread: Brass screws

Hi Treecycle,

i think small brass screws and confidence don't have much in common

I don't normally use a steel screw first (sometimes, though) but I ALWAYS pre drill the holes and rub the screws against a candle. The waxing certainly helps.

Happy boxmaking!

Brian

I've used both beeswax and parrafin, which is what most candles are made of. Parafin works great, but I find that a softer beeswax tends to stick to the screw and stay in the threads better. With sizes like #6 and #8, I've had some luck without pre-screwing with steel screws, but that was in softer hardwoods. I'm assuming you're using #4 or smaller, so If you're screwing into anything significantly hard, like eucalypts, acacias, or drylands species, then I'd highly recommend seeking out the appropriate sized steel screws for pre-screwing. You can just buy some that are longer than anything you have. They don't need to bottom out on the screw head, they just need to thread to the base of the screw hole. Use wax on both the steel screw and then subsequently the brass one when you sink it.

Hope that helps,
Luke

Tune up the right size screwdriver and have a few more screws than are needed for the hinges, you will be lucky not to scuff a few of the slots.
Mark

Proper sized pre-drilling and wax is the tried and tested method. Brass will not tolerate a tight hole! Make sure both hinges are aligned with each other so there is no binding. Its not easy but you will get the hang of it with practice

Pre drilling the hole is crucial and the size of the hole depends on the timber you are using for instance Cedar v hardwood. For Brass hinge screws you only need a minute part of the thread showing outside the drill bit when you lay the two together and and when screwing the hinges in STOP as soon as you start to feel pressure. Remember that it's probably not going to get used that often so no need to go overboard with the torque.

Thanks for all your help guys. I will predrill my holes to just under the thread size and get some bees way to lubricate them.
Hopefully I will be at the point of installing the hinges this weekend.

Try drilling a few different size holes in a piece of scrap and test for tightness. If i can use just two fingers on the screw driver i'm confident its good.

Did a test fit with the screws today and all went well. The screws are 2mm dia and I drilled a hole 1.5mm, rubbed them in beeswax and lightly screwed them in to test. Went it very easily so I don't think I will have any issues.
Just another question, what methods do you guys use for creating the rebate to sink the hinges in to? Do you mark out their position and then use a chisel to remove the waste? The timber I have used is 10mm thick the the hinge leaf is about 8mm wide so leaves 2mm of uncut timber on the inside. Cutting down the face of that 2mm shoulder with the chisel tends to want to split the timber towards the inside of the box. Is the inside normally supported in some way when doing that edge?

Cramp a couple of bits of timber either side and that should stop the edge wanting to split out.

John

Head off to the hardware shop and get a few steel screws the size you need and you wont need stress pills any more

It is as wimmera says, clamp a piece of MDF or scrap to the back.

i also use a marking gauge with a blade in it to score it deeply with many passes. It stops the grain from grabbing, which on fine edges is a disaster.

Got the hinge pockets finished and screws fitted today without any drama. Used the suggestion of clamping the scrap behind the thin edge (don't know why I didn't think of that myself). I haven't got a marking gauge with the blade so used a chisel to cut the back edge and sides. Used a mini router plane to remove the waste and all fitted perfectly.
Need to get on with the finishing now. I brought some premixed Shellac from Bunnies but I don't seem to be getting any gloss buildup. Not sure if I have got the wrong thing even though it says for French polishing. Might have to get some flakes and mix my own.