In the past when I picked up an ordinary woodscrew, I used to look
at the head diameter and could usually guess what "number" it was.
If I had to measure it then the head diameter in millimetres seemed
to give me that "number" value.

Now I want to get some replacment screws by ordering online but
it's all metric and seems a bit of a muddle to me.

Is the head size of a woodscrew still a good guide to the shaft
diameter? The illustrations I've seen suggest it might not be. If
I can't use the head size to determine the shaft diameter then what
measurements should I use?

In the end I want to order some (metric sized) woodscrews similar
to the ones I have (the older ones are probably imperial). How can
I do this? I can take accurate measurements ofmy woodscrews using
calipers but how do I translate that into what I can order?

Expoten wrote:

In the past when I picked up an ordinary woodscrew, I used to look
at the head diameter and could usually guess what "number" it was.
If I had to measure it then the head diameter in millimetres seemed
to give me that "number" value.

Now I want to get some replacment screws by ordering online but
it's all metric and seems a bit of a muddle to me.

Is the head size of a woodscrew still a good guide to the shaft
diameter? The illustrations I've seen suggest it might not be. If
I can't use the head size to determine the shaft diameter then what
measurements should I use?

In the end I want to order some (metric sized) woodscrews similar
to the ones I have (the older ones are probably imperial). How can
I do this? I can take accurate measurements ofmy woodscrews using
calipers but how do I translate that into what I can order?

Screws now come dimensioned in 2 ways:
- shaft diameter
- number
Just buy them specced as shaft diameter. If eg you wanted a 3.5mm
shaft, you buy 3.5mm x 50mm etc. See screwfix.com


NT

Scroll down on this page to the lower chart
http://www.wlfuller.com/html/wood_screw_chart.html
You will see decimal head sizes.

Then you can also look at my favorite chart at
http://images.meredith.com/wood/imag...screwchart.pdf. This is the
one I have taped to my toolbox. You can see for instance that a #2
shows an 11/64 head bore size. Divide 11 by 64 and you get .171875.
The fuller chart shows head size as .172. So you can just use the wood
magazine chart.

Not sure this gives you what you want but thought it might help answer
some questions.


On Apr 15, 7:23*am, Expoten wrote:
In the past when I picked up an ordinary woodscrew, I used to look
at the head diameter and could usually guess what "number" it was. *
If I had to measure it then the head diameter in millimetres seemed
to give me that "number" value.

Now I want to get some replacment screws by ordering online but
it's all metric and seems a bit of a muddle to me.

Is the head size of a woodscrew still a good guide to the shaft
diameter? *The illustrations I've seen suggest it might not be. *If
I can't use the head size to determine the shaft diameter then what
measurements should I use?

In the end I want to order some (metric sized) woodscrews similar
to the ones I have (the older ones are probably imperial). *How can
I do this? *I can take accurate measurements ofmy woodscrews using
calipers but how do I translate that into what I can order?

CAn you repost this URL. Doesn't seem to work.

P

Then you can also look at my favorite chart at
http://images.meredith.com/wood/imag...screwchart.pdf.

wrote:

wrote:

http://images.meredith.com/wood/imag...screwchart.pdf.

CAn you repost this URL. Doesn't seem to work.

It works fine, is your Acrobat reader OK? The document doesn't require a
recent version.

wrote in message ...
CAn you repost this URL. Doesn't seem to work.

P

Then you can also look at my favorite chart at
http://images.meredith.com/wood/imag...screwchart.pdf.

Make sure you don't include the trailing "."

Then you can also look at my favorite chart at
http://images.meredith.com/wood/imag...screwchart.pdf.

Make sure you don't include the trailing "."

Got it. That damn trailing "." did me in.

thanx
P

On 15 Apr 16:03, wrote:

Expoten wrote:

In the past when I picked up an ordinary woodscrew, I used to
look at the head diameter and could usually guess what
"number" it was. If I had to measure it then the head
diameter in millimetres seemed to give me that "number"
value.

Now I want to get some replacment screws by ordering online
but it's all metric and seems a bit of a muddle to me.

Is the head size of a woodscrew still a good guide to the
shaft diameter? The illustrations I've seen suggest it might
not be. If I can't use the head size to determine the shaft
diameter then what measurements should I use?

In the end I want to order some (metric sized) woodscrews
similar to the ones I have (the older ones are probably
imperial). How can I do this? I can take accurate
measurements ofmy woodscrews using calipers but how do I
translate that into what I can order?

Screws now come dimensioned in 2 ways:
- shaft diameter
- number

Just buy them specced as shaft diameter. If eg you wanted a
3.5mm shaft, you buy 3.5mm x 50mm etc. See screwfix.com


Thanks for the info. So the head diameter doesn't come into it.

Have I been wrong all these years for using the head diameter to
get the screw size (or "number")?

In fact, I still want to use the size of the head in choosing a
woodscrew because I find I often have to consider it on account of
what is on the surface. IYSWIM.

Is there a chart which shows the head diameter for given shaft
sizes of metric woodscrews?

On Apr 15, 7:23*am, Expoten wrote:
In the past when I picked up an ordinary woodscrew, I used to
look at the head diameter and could usually guess what
"number" it was. * If I had to measure it then the head
diameter in millimetres seemed to give me that "number"
value.

Now I want to get some replacment screws by ordering online
but it's all metric and seems a bit of a muddle to me.

Is the head size of a woodscrew still a good guide to the
shaft diameter? *The illustrations I've seen suggest it might
not be. *If I can't use the head size to determine the shaft
diameter then what measurements should I use?

In the end I want to order some (metric sized) woodscrews
similar to the ones I have (the older ones are probably
imperial). *How can I do this? *I can take accurate
measurements ofmy woodscrews using calipers but how do I
translate that into what I can order?


On 15 Apr 16:26, SonomaProducts.com wrote:

Scroll down on this page to the lower chart
http://www.wlfuller.com/html/wood_screw_chart.html
You will see decimal head sizes.

Then you can also look at my favorite chart at
http://images.meredith.com/wood/imag...screwchart.pdf.
This is the one I have taped to my toolbox. You can see for
instance that a #2 shows an 11/64 head bore size. Divide 11 by
64 and you get .171875. The fuller chart shows head size as
.172. So you can just use the wood magazine chart.

Not sure this gives you what you want but thought it might
help answer some questions.


They're both good charts. Thank you.

http://www.wlfuller.com/html/wood_screw_chart.html
http://images.meredith.com/wood/imag...screwchart.pdf

I can't quite work out what the first chart means by:
"Basic Dec(imal) Size"

The charts both use US sizes and unfortunately I have found that
the main metric sizes are sometimes not even all that close to the
old inch sizes.

It would be really great to have similar charts in metric. Does
anyone know if they exist?

On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:13:43 +0100, Expoten wrote:

I can't quite work out what the first chart means by:
"Basic Dec(imal) Size"

The unthreaded shank size. Minimum size for a clearance hole. Given by
the formula 0.060 + 0.013 x "Number".

#0 = 0.060
#1 = 0.073
#6 = 0.133
#8 = 0.164
#10 = 0.190
#14 = 0.242
etc.

Tom Veatch
Wichita, KS
USA

On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:13:43 +0100, Expoten wrote:

The charts both use US sizes and unfortunately I have found that
the main metric sizes are sometimes not even all that close to the
old inch sizes.

It would be really great to have similar charts in metric. Does
anyone know if they exist?

Don't know if of any use, but Screwfix has a chart, e. g. the 2 links on
this page:

http://tinyurl.com/cntc9w
--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.

On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:10:04 +0100, Expoten wrote:

On 15 Apr 16:03, wrote:

Expoten wrote:

In the past when I picked up an ordinary woodscrew, I used to
look at the head diameter and could usually guess what
"number" it was. If I had to measure it then the head
diameter in millimetres seemed to give me that "number"
value.

Now I want to get some replacment screws by ordering online
but it's all metric and seems a bit of a muddle to me.

Is the head size of a woodscrew still a good guide to the
shaft diameter? The illustrations I've seen suggest it might
not be. If I can't use the head size to determine the shaft
diameter then what measurements should I use?

In the end I want to order some (metric sized) woodscrews
similar to the ones I have (the older ones are probably
imperial). How can I do this? I can take accurate
measurements ofmy woodscrews using calipers but how do I
translate that into what I can order?

Screws now come dimensioned in 2 ways:
- shaft diameter
- number

Just buy them specced as shaft diameter. If eg you wanted a
3.5mm shaft, you buy 3.5mm x 50mm etc. See screwfix.com


Thanks for the info. So the head diameter doesn't come into it.

Have I been wrong all these years for using the head diameter to
get the screw size (or "number")?

In fact, I still want to use the size of the head in choosing a
woodscrew because I find I often have to consider it on account of
what is on the surface. IYSWIM.

Is there a chart which shows the head diameter for given shaft
sizes of metric woodscrews?

IME the head varies with source - I have screws of the same nominal size
but with 1mm or so difference in head dia. Can be useful at times.
--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.