I'm replacing a few old split rafters with new ones,
made of new 'green' oak.
Someone said use stainless steel nails because of corrosion from the oak.
Should I drill pilot holes in either wood?
Would some kind of screw be better or worse?
[george]

On 28/06/2014 15:29, george - dicegeorge wrote:
I'm replacing a few old split rafters with new ones,
made of new 'green' oak.
Someone said use stainless steel nails because of corrosion from the oak.
Should I drill pilot holes in either wood?
Would some kind of screw be better or worse?
[george]


proper way is through holes & pegs, these tighten as green oak shrinks

--
UK SelfBuild: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/UK_Selfbuild/

On 28/06/14 15:29, george - dicegeorge wrote:
I'm replacing a few old split rafters with new ones,
made of new 'green' oak.
Someone said use stainless steel nails because of corrosion from the oak.

Yes - or brass. I'd use screws personally. There are some ScrewTite
style self cutters in stainless (I used loads for guttering).

Can look up the source if you like.

Should I drill pilot holes in either wood?

Yes for anything bigger than tiny. Especially SS screws - very easy to
twist their heads off.

Would some kind of screw be better or worse?


As above

[george]

On 28/06/2014 15:29, george - dicegeorge wrote:

Should I drill pilot holes in either wood?
Would some kind of screw be better or worse?

I would always (maybe I would make an exception for very small screws
if I didn't have a suitable sized drill bit to hand)use a pilot hole in
hardwoods (drilling a pilot hole is the work of seconds and I can see
no downsides if the pilot is a suitable size.

Using screws would mean no hammering(vibrations) in the, ceiling, near
pipework etc, and they are removable (without lots of effort).

"george - dicegeorge" wrote in message
...
I'm replacing a few old split rafters with new ones,
made of new 'green' oak.
Someone said use stainless steel nails because of corrosion from the oak.
Should I drill pilot holes in either wood?
Would some kind of screw be better or worse?
[george]

You will need pilot holes in the old oak anyway, I can tell you that.
Nails just bend without.

And steel is corroded by the tannic acid in oak.