On 2/17/13 11:57 AM, Doug Miller wrote:
Unquestionably Confused wrote in
:

On 2/16/2013 11:31 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
"Gramp's shop" wrote in
news:effd5331-4ba2-44a6-9a68- :

The woodworkers show was in town today and I brought one of
the broken screws and a
sample to get some opinions from the graybeards. Here's what
they had to say:

1. Square drive screws don't allow the driver to slip off --
like philips head -- when the screw
is tight leading to breakage if I overtighten.
2. Screw should be lubed -- soap or wax.

Wax only, never soap. Soap will absorb water from ambient
humidity, which promotes corrosion of the screw.

Pick up the cheapest wax toilet seal you find at Menard's or
wherever and carefully melt it down - I did mine a little at a
time in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. I think the
original tip was to use a double boiler.

You know, it's a whole lot easier to just buy a can of Johnson's Paste Wax. :-)


Canning wax, those small blocks of paraffin sold in grocery stores, are
super cheap. You can break them up and keep little blocks in all your
tool boxes or wherever is convenient. They have no carriers, like many
other spray or canned waxes... just 100% inert paraffin. It's great for
screws, miter slots/rails, making jigs slippery, etc.

I don't know how it affects a wood finish or stain, but I do know it
doesn't soak into the grain like a paste might.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

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