Dan Kozar wrote:
In article ,
"G. Ross" wrote:

Working on a green Bradford Pear blank. Sawed it round. Attached a
faceplate and turned the outside and dovetail socket. Then it
happened. The faceplate was attached with six #10 screws. Three came
out ok (I use an impact driver). The fourth one twisted off at the
neck. The fifth and sixth ones could not be backed out. Ruined an
impact Phillips bit. Finally drilled out the screw heads and cut them
off with a cold chisel. Threw that blank away. I think I will start
waxing the screws.


HI GW,

I use no. 14 spax screws from McFeely's. I don't pre-drill, and I use a
no.3 square drive bit. I've turned over 200 bowls from 6 - 17 inches,
and never had a problem. I use a 12 volt cordless drill to drive and
remove them. I reuse them until the square drive won't drive them
anymore.

Hello Dan,
According to my log I have finished 1596 bowls from 4-16 inches. I
have about 50 more roughed out and in various stages of drying, and
about 45 green blanks waiting to be roughed out. I usually start with
a faceplate using #10 flat head screws. For the first 10 years I used
a drill driver and pre-drilled the holes. Then I got an impact driver
and found I did not need to pre-drill. Never had a problem until this
time. I think for the next large bradford pear blanks I will pre-drill.

--
GW Ross

Some days, the only good things on TV
are the vase and the clock.