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Best sources for stainless screws/bolts, etc?

J

jimn

Advanced Contributor
I'm tired of locally-available screws that break too easily, even with pre-drilled holes or counter-sunk if the screw is oval head. I kow that fiberglass is tenacious and grips the thread, but this is ridiculous! This is a real problem and I have ordered these from marine suppliers with the same results.

Is the best source McMaster-Carr? Any options or distributors in the Midwest? Trying to prevent high shipping costs.

Thanks in advance
 
Jim, have you tried using a 1/4” impact driver? I’ve found using a cordless drill, many strip. I took a floating dock apart, it was a few years old, & built with regular brown deck screws. Using a 1/4” impact driver, almost every one came out, the few that didn’t, the screw shank broke, but the head didn’t strip.
Ditto for driving screws in, even in hardwood with no pilot hole.
I’ve never needed hundreds of SS screws, so I Jill bought Dillman brand, from Lowes.
 
Edchris177 said:
Jim, have you tried using a 1/4” impact driver? I’ve found using a cordless drill, many strip. I took a floating dock apart, it was a few years old, & built with regular brown deck screws. Using a 1/4” impact driver, almost every one came out, the few that didn’t, the screw shank broke, but the head didn’t strip.
Ditto for driving screws in, even in hardwood with no pilot hole.
I’ve never needed hundreds of SS screws, so I Jill bought Dillman brand, from Lowes.
Click to expand...
I Used to go to a True Value store when I started working for a boat dealer, but they have changed hands and it's not really close to my house. I had another TV store closer, but they closed, due to too many shoplifting problems and loss of business due to the decline of the area. I would go there when I worked as the car stereo installation shop manager and both had a tall rack of bins with trays of screws- bag what was needed and they charged by the pound. Specialty and Stainless stuff was in trays, like the ones at other stores. I was using my 7.2V Makita drivers at that point, but even they could break the heads off of the Stainless screws. I really don't like the hardware department at Home Depot- most screws are in bags of quantities too small to be useful or cost-effective. I mainly buy boxes of fasteners, washers, nuts, etc from Ace because they're a lot less $ than individually.

I haven't tried using the impact driver when I work with fiberglass- seems like they would snap off easier and I have used my hammer drill for this- it breaks the heads off of TapCons, too- even in hammer mode. I have reached the point of only driving Stainless into wood without a pilot hole if it's Pine and even then, would pre-drill if it's Douglas Fir- I hung an LED light yesterday and the drywall screws didn't go in as easily as I would have expected.

I don';t mean the heads strip, I mean the heads on the Stainless screws break off, although the heads do strip too easily. If I really need them to remain clean, I use square drive, machine screws/hex head or cap screws. For wood/framing, I have gone to Torx- much better WRT staying in the hole. I have lost interest in using Philips, even PosiDrive. I have had problems with the combo screws that can use #2 or #3 Philips or square drive
 
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