Shopsmith Forums

easterngray wrote:JPG - In boat building you use bronze screws, not brass. Alec

Yeeeah! I missed that. They were right next to the 'brass' ones. Still I did not see ANY steel ones 'shaped' like what I/we are looking for! Only the brass and bronze ones were shaped like "FHWS"!:(

JPG40504 wrote:If NOT power tools, WHAT were they supposed to 'work' with?

Does that apply to ALL items in the 'power tool' department??:D

Sears is backing off the their once famous no questions asked guarantee program and I can understand why. I have seen tools brought back that were simply abused and Sears just handed them a new tool. I also know people that buy used junk Craftsman tools, take them to Sears get new tools and then sell them at flea markets as brand new tools. Basically people have learned they commit fraud at Sears expense and get away with it.

However it is now becoming a problem to people that were buying Craftsman tools because they knew they were good tools and if taken reasonable care of would last forever.

First Sears started using cheap material, I have a set of Sears cold chisels, pin pinch, pin drivers what were simply junk. They didn't harden the tools and they would simply bend. I took them back and complained and they explained that if they were hardened there was a chance they would shatter so they didn't harden them anymore so now they simply bend.

Then they clamped down on tape measures and I think there is only one product they replace all the rest if they break they break.

Now they are trying to enforce a rule if the product is made to use in a power tool, such as drill bit, bit holders, etc they aren't covered. I don't know the exact rule but they laid it on me and right before I was ready to blow up, another guy came over threw the replacement down on the counter and said it is only $4, do it rather than make the manager come down.

I have just about written Sears off. I have going to my local tool speciality store where they know me and I know them and they know if a bring a tool back it is because the tool failed and they make it right.

Ed in Tampa wrote:Sears is backing off the their once famous no questions asked guarantee program and I can understand why. I have seen tools brought back that were simply abused and Sears just handed them a new tool. I also know people that buy used junk Craftsman tools, take them to Sears get new tools and then sell them at flea markets as brand new tools. Basically people have learned they commit fraud at Sears expense and get away with it.

However it is now becoming a problem to people that were buying Craftsman tools because they knew they were good tools and if taken reasonable care of would last forever.

First Sears started using cheap material, I have a set of Sears cold chisels, pin pinch, pin drivers what were simply junk. They didn't harden the tools and they would simply bend. I took them back and complained and they explained that if they were hardened there was a chance they would shatter so they didn't harden them anymore so now they simply bend.

Then they clamped down on tape measures and I think there is only one product they replace all the rest if they break they break.

Now they are trying to enforce a rule if the product is made to use in a power tool, such as drill bit, bit holders, etc they aren't covered. I don't know the exact rule but they laid it on me and right before I was ready to blow up, another guy came over threw the replacement down on the counter and said it is only $4, do it rather than make the manager come down.

I have just about written Sears off. I have going to my local tool speciality store where they know me and I know them and they know if a bring a tool back it is because the tool failed and they make it right.

I bought a small air compressor a couple years back. When I went to put the crankcase oil in it I noticed aluminum chips in the bottom of the fill shaft.
I took it back and the dept manager grudgingly agreed to 'replace' it. He almost went ballistic when I insisted upon 'inspecting' the replacement one RIGHT THEN AND THERE!
It did NOT have the cap on the filler shaft! Soo he had to get a third one!

None of this experience did my confidence in Sears any good.

Another time I went in to purchase a small multi-function screwdriver. I knew it was supposed to have two bits included with it. The one I picked off the shelf did not have both bits when I looked for them at checkout(the second bit should have been stored inside the handle). The clerk tried to tell me it was only supposed to have one bit. He did NOT have an answer for WHY there were TWO holes for bits in the handle. I had to SHOW him in their catalog where it WAS supposed to have TWO bits. Only then did he go 'in the back', get another one(which DID have two bits) for me! The one I had picked up was the only one on display! Tell me that was NOT intentional!:rolleyes:

First, I will apologize! Not trying to get off of subject so will keep this short:

We are all victims of falling American standards of responsible behavior. I've personally watched this develop over the decades. It's nothing new - just growing!:(

Trying to keep more on subject - whenever I now buy a box of wood screws having a count of less than 100, I'll actually count them out on a counter or floor. There is so much pilfering in the stores, and so few store employees this has become necessary.

And a little more on subject: If you are snapping off wood screws, you are using a drill/driver at too high of a torque. If your drill/driver does not have a torque setting, stop the drill before the screw is set and finish tightening by hand.

drl's tip to use grinding compound is a good one. You can also use soap or beeswax on the screw. This eases the torque needed and doesn't affect holding ability. Yes, phillips bits wear out often. That's why they are sold in boxes of 10 to 20. Also a couple of GOOD hand held phillips screwdrivers are a must to have.

Buying things made in China sets me off; things sold by Sears seem to set Ed off. Sorry Ed, but hey; Makita seems to make one .

edit: I could knot find any on the Makita site, but I found this 3 piece set at Woodcraft: http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5519
These do knot cut the shoulder, just the threads and a countersink.

a1gutterman wrote:Buying things made in China sets me off]edit: I could knot find any on the Makita site, but I found this 3 piece set at Woodcraft: [/I]http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5519
These do knot cut the shoulder, just the threads and a countersink.

It has been my experience that buying things made in China and buying things from Sears are one synonymous.

However, enough of that. This thread is about Wood Screws.

dusty wrote:It has been my experience that buying things made in China and buying things from Sears are one synonymous.

Like most retailers, Sears does sell many things that are made in China. But, they do knot sell a 100% line of China made products, and many of their tools are still made in the US.

a1gutterman wrote:Like most retailers, Sears does sell many things that are made in China. But, they do knot sell a 100% line of China made products, and many of their tools are still made in the US.

I used to take that for granted but I think "that truth" is rapidly becoming a "myth".

dusty wrote:I used to take that for granted but I think "that truth" is rapidly becoming a "myth".

Blame it on K-Mart!:(

charlese wrote: And a little more on subject: If you are snapping off wood screws, you are using a drill/driver at too high of a torque. If your drill/driver does not have a torque setting, stop the drill before the screw is set and finish tightening by hand.

drl's tip to use grinding compound is a good one. You can also use soap or beeswax on the screw. This eases the torque needed and doesn't affect holding ability. Yes, phillips bits wear out often. That's why they are sold in boxes of 10 to 20. Also a couple of GOOD hand held phillips screwdrivers are a must to have.

Chuck
First let me say I have never snapped a screw off until about 5-10 years ago. If I'm driving the screws with a drill I make sure it has a clutch and I have it set to a low enough torgue. My complaint is that recently in the last two or three weeks I have snapped 3 screws using a screw driver. When the first one happened it surprised me, when the second and third one happened I pitched the box and asked the question.

As for stripping the heads I buy phillip driver bits in balk and have never had too much of a problem until real recent. Now it seems that every third or fourth screw gets the head stripped, even with a new driver bit. I have bought driver bits from various companies so I don't think it is the driver bits themselves.

Having studied the problem to some degree I have decided it is one or two problems or a combination of them both. First I believe the drills for the pilot holes aren't suitable for the screws being manufactured anymore. Second I believe to cut cost the screw manufacturing process has been changed. I know it is almost impossible to find a screw that has a shoulder the same diameter as the outside of the threads or is a cut screw versus a molded or cast screw.

I think it is these two conditions that is giving me problems hence my question to everyone. Where are you buying your screws? Are they have excellent quality? Have you found a manufacture that manufactures pilot drill bits that coincide with the screws?