Thread: do you re-use screws

Have always had a box of assorted used screws around the workshop. Would only keep slotted head screws if brass or something special.

Often go to the 2nd hand screw box for small jobs where you only need a couple of screws.

Same with nuts & bolts.

Any damaged or rusty screws go straight out.
Invariably, you never have the right sized screw so finish up buying more anyway.

Unless they are custom screws that may be needed for a specific purpose and are able to be fixed, rusted or damaged screws get chucked out.
Self tappers - by now I have so many "spares" of these, unless unusual they also get chucked out
Everything else gets sorted and kept.

I routinely reuse good screws but you need to be brutal about quality and damage. I start off throwing into a bucket but eventually find time to resort the common sizes. In order of preference:
* almost always reuse square drive screws and there is rarely damage to the drive head.
* reuse Phillips head only in set sizes and often find head damage.
* only keep slotted screws if they are going to be reused in the same project such as a restoration.
* I also keep a spare assortment box but try to not let this grow into a bucket size before sorting it down.
I probably throw about half of the tin when I do a resort.

Like others, it depends on the condition, if good then yes.

Unless you have a specific upcoming use for them do your kids a favour and throw them out. Some years ago I cleared out my late father's shed and I lost count of the number of 1kg Nescafe coffee tins and large jars of screws, nuts, bolts and nails that I put out in hard rubbish.
Mind you, the scrap metal scroungers had a field day and they disappeared almost as fast as I put them on the nature strip!

Some of my general guidelines, items required for restoration excluded.

If there is the hint of damage in the bin, this includes any corrosion and head damage.
If undamaged and known size, immediately placed back into the correct storage location
Unknown size or couldn't be bothered days, placed into 100x100 tray and first dive to when looking for screw.
left on bench/floor ... swept up in a cleanup and dropped in bin, rarely sorted.

Honestly i probably throw out more than I should.

Cheers
Phil

There are a lot of ifs but like others have said I keep some if they look OK. I have a few tins of bits n pieces for future use and sometimes I actually find something that gets the job done. I do need to up my game at sorting because it can take ages finding that right nut,bolt or screw. Sometimes its quicker to just go to the big green shed in the first place.
Regards
John

Wood screws no.
Machine screws and bolts are sometimes re-reused if they were not previously torqued heavily or heated for removal. Heavily damaged threads and rusted fasteners no.
For load bearing situations new fasteners are best.
Use your best judgment. When in doubt throw it.
On the flip side of life some automobile fasteners are re-used and others replaced.
Best of luck.

Anything brass and undamaged is kept. Not sure why. Robertson drive if pristine are kept. Phillips or pozi scrapped. Anything from Zenith at Bunnings is scrapped unopened. Anything by Spax gets reused repeatedly. Roofing screws for some reason proliferate no matter how ruthless the cull.

My father had jam jar lids screwed to the underside of every shelf in the garage with full jars of every piece of scrap fastener he ever had. Growing up on a farm during the depression will do that to you. It took me a long time to kick that habit.

if you're not sure if you'll ever use the ones you save, i'd sort them into two jars: one jar for the good ones, one for the junk

someday, the junk jar will be full. take it to the metal recycling place next time you're passing by. if you still have never reached into the good jar to find a screw, might as well take that one to the metal recycler too

if you do end up reusing the good ones, you'll probably come up with a more sophisticated system as you go

I really like the feeling I get when a piece of rubbish Ive saved has saved me getting in my car and driving to the shop .

It happens a lot . Ive got my own tip now . Bliss ! I always have had in fact . Its just bigger than ever now . Part of that is scrap metal and when I take a load to the tip and don't pay a cent to get in because I'm unloading a years worth of bottles and jars, I take along some scrap metal just to get me into the metal section so I can throw some good stuff back on my ute , if I'm lucky . I cant get over the good stuff that's sometimes there.

As for screws yes I save all old ones . The slotted rusty ones . The more rusty the better in fact . Unusual I suppose but I restore as well as make furniture for a living . Its not very often I have a reason to take out new ones from something but if there good Id keep them . Of course with restoration things need matching up when I have missing screws . I did a roll top desk last Christmas . Those things a re full of screws . And someone else had worked on it before me and left about 10 out of the re assembly . So rusty and same size was required . I buffed them all a little to clean them up and I had a perfect match .

I certainly recycle batten screws. If a bit mangy looking they are just used for temporary or non important jobs. This is more a building strategy than fine woodworking of course.

Regards
Paul

I keep some old screws and other fittings. But not if they are pretty common, cheap quality or damaged or just a hassle. Or just because I can't be bothered walking to the rubbish bin. The older or more unusual it is, the more likely I will keep it, provided it is in good condition. However I just toss these into a little box. It was getting a bit fill of bits so now I have one for door and cabinet fittings and another for everything else. So technically there are now 2 boxes. I never try to sort this box. It is my go to when I can't find the screw or fitting that I need. It is like a last resort to search in this box for something suitable to avoid another trip to get what I really need.

It has come in handy sometimes because because by some standards I have a limited supply of fixings and fittings. Mostly what I have a good stock of are Robinson/square headed woodscrews. Anything else I'm often lacking.