"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...
I tightened up a 1/4" lag screw that I bought from Home Depot earlier this
evening. It was screwed into 1.5" fir after pre-drilling with a 1/8" pilot
hole.

After it bottomed out, I turned it just a little bit more, holding a 3/8"
ratchet handle close to the shaft, not out on the handle. I wasn't giving
it much torque, just making sure that it was secure, when it turned to
butter.


I first twisted off lag screws starting in 1979. Lag screws in general are
not strong unless you get stainless steel.

IIRC I try to give to lag screws a polit hole size the size of the body or a
bit larger.

Even a "hardened" square drive #14 screw which is .246" thread diameter
requires a larger 5/32" pilot hole in soft woods.

Additionally you do not want to bottom out a lag screw, the point on the end
helps guide not pull the screw into the wood.