C-Forum

I just finished replacing vinyl gunwales with ash on my Ocoee. Forging ahead without asking first, I used brass screws. Overall the job went well but I broke off at least 6 screws while driving them home. I think I pre-drilled appropriate pilot holes. I knew brass was soft but thought it was a good choice. Should I replace them with stainless or some other choice?? ...before more break during paddling?

I'd replace them with stainless. Hope you can get the broke-off screw ends out of the wood.

Being a mechanic I can tell you that you can remove those busted screws (very carefully) with a left-hand drill bit of the appropriate diameter. just drill into the brass very slowly until the bit bites and backs out the screw. then replace with stainless. good luck.

+1 on the SS. If you have to regunwale it, you'll be able to reuse the SS screws, the brass probably not (not hard enough to withstand the repeated use).

being a mechinic myself SS might have been a better choice but unless you just have a lot of time on your hands the brass will work and will look better. like the other guy said use a left hand drill bit to get the broke ones out. If you store the boat outside in relly cold weather and you loosen the screws up every winter you may want to change them out but if most are brass just replace the broke ones with other brass ones. what every you do don't go half and half that would look like a hogs butt sew up with a grape vine.

Hey Alan,

SS is the way to go.

JK

for sure.

Stainless, though certainly tougher than brass, will also ring off easier than you might think. Buy a 99-cent commode wax ring at the hardware store and stick all your little screws regardless of type in the ring just a little. When you remove them the small amount of bees wax on the end will prevent the screw from seizing up and snapping. It also makes for easier removal down the road and I think it helps weatherproof the pre-drilled hole.

Good idea. I drilled pilot holes/countersinks for all the screws and used a small brush to liberally fill the holes with teak oil - my goal was weather proofing, but may have had the same lubricating effect. Didn't have any issues snapping off screws or rounding out them out either (a new bit helps).

tennOC wrote: wax ring at the hardware store and stick all your little screws regardless of type in the ring just a little. When you remove them the small amount of bees wax on the end will prevent the screw from seizing up and snapping.

Gotta confession to make... I rub my screws a little on my nose or forehead before running them in to help with the same... no lie. Works like a charm, but wouldn't be something I'd recommend over using a little wax... merely a confession.

You might try Kreg brand pocket screws. Sizes are limited so you have to plan your countersink / wood thickness / hull thickness / wood thickness carefully to make it work.

They are available in a corrosion-resistant finish. The underside of the head is specifically designed to not act like a wedge in the wood. (Over time, particularly with repeated wettings, it seems most conventional countersink screw heads work their way through the gunnel or split it.) The square drive head doesn't strip as easily and the course thread really bites into the outer gunnel.

http://www.kregtool.com/products/spp/pr ... DUCT_ID=99

Big stores like Lowes will have a limited selection while a decent hardware store might do better.

I'm not a fan of stainless screws. The heads strip out easily, the ones I've seen really don't have a wood thread, they bend too easily, and they are kinda pricey. Brass machine screws work okay for those thwart-gunnel connections.

They claim you don't need to pre-drill for the self-tapping screws but I do it anyway. The Kreg countersink bit will charge aggressively into the ash so find a way to prevent it from going to deep -- either a stop collar or a drill press?

Ken Dubel

I know what you mean, I hate SS despite the good things about it. Brass aways looks best and you should keep a boat so long the secondary good quailities of SS come into play, if so you ain't boatin enought or not on hard enough stuff.

bambam wrote:I'm not a fan of stainless screws. The heads strip out easily, the ones I've seen really don't have a wood thread, they bend too easily, and they are kinda pricey.

Not all stainless screws are created equal. I have some that are on their 3rd-4th set of gunwales (another practice I'm not necessarily recommending... just making mention).

I've also had to return some brand new, 'cheaper', stainless screws because 3 out of 5 the heads would snap off.

I do like the square drive screws. Makes too much sense, which causes one to wonder... why in he!! are slotted screws still made???