desgnr wrote:
Before i screw the studs together should i drill a pilot hole for the
3" screws & if so how deep do i make the pilot hole ?


Depends how hard the wood is, and how experienced you are shooting
screws. On the fifty-year-old (since made into lumber) doug fir (I
think) in this place, I would definitely do pilots, since they can bend
a 16d nail in a circle. I usually go a little way into the second piece
of wood to assist in lining the holes up, and to avoid the problem of
the screw snugging up in the first piece before the gap is drawn up
tight. Standard warning about NOT using drywall screws for this,
applies. Too Brittle. Don't make the pilot too big, or you will lose
most of the holding power. It should be a tight fit on the shaft
diameter between the screw treads. Putting beeswax or even candle-stub
wax on the screw makes it go in a lot easier. I used to use soap, but
sometimes had stains come through later, if screw is through a finish
surface.

Why are you using screws instead of nails, anyway? I usually only do
that where an old wall is part of the assembly, to avoid nail pops in
finish wall of next room. Nail new wall together on the ground, tilt it
up, and pin to the old structure with screws. Nothing wrong with screws,
and they are reversible if you make a boo-boo. They just take longer. In
a DIY where you are working by yourself and double-checking every
measurement anyway, that probably does not matter.

--
aem sends...