Interior fitout - do I need stainless screws?

[Fr8dog61]

Janice,


Put a dab of toothpaste on the tip of your screwdriver and the grit in it keeps the bit from slipping. So, you can apply more pressure.


There's commercial products that do the same, but toothpaste is a lot cheaper and often handy.

I use valve grinding paste. It doesn’t tast as good as Crest though.

 

[tribologist]

Take a look at screw prices at Merton’s Fiberglass. I got most of their sizes in 100/size for about $110

 

[Brooksie]

I put the interior in my downeast boat in 1976 using common plated woodscrews and they are not rusted and have been easy to remove when the occasion has arisen. My Willard was assembled in 1962 with galvanized screws in and out and I have found none rusted b/c the hot dipped galvanized screws of yesteryear are generally harder to remove anyway due to slots w/ zinc in them and greater holding power, they would not be my choice. I have used rust proof deck screws in recent years for interior work and stainless for exterior work specifying 316 for screws that show and will weep rust.

 

[JOHN CLAYMAN]

When building interiors for yachts we generally use silicone bronze. If the heads will not be countersunk & bunged, oval heads will not be objectional particularly if disassembly might ever be required.

 

[CarlF]

Spend the small amount extra to get 316 stainless screws. And buy through a trusted supplier. There's a lot of Asian counterfeit. A boatbuilder I know carries a magnet in his pocket to check the screws (real stainless isn't magnetic). He often finds 6 or 8 screws in a box that are not stainless.

Here's a good source for 316 that I've used for years. Buy a few or a hundred. Prices are good.

https://www.boltdepot.com

 

[Tiffany]

I agree with Dave. There is a wide variety of SS screws available these days and worth the premium to never have a problem.
I would recommend the square drive (forget the name?) vs Phillips. SS is soft and Phillips have a tendency to slip in some cases, especially if you ever need to remove any.

The Robertson drive screw is far superior to Philips head and a curse on anyone who used a slotted screw on my boat!



Using a steel, or even cadmium-plated screw for anything not requiring specific strength/torque/loading on a boat is a big mistake. Eventually they will rust due to the humidity, regardless of not coming in direct contact with water.

 

[GoneDiving]

For the joinery, I will opt for as many stainless screws as I can find. Most of the joinery will have melamine internal carcasses with a v-board plywood face - all painted in white.

Ill keep you updated with photos!

Following, as I'm also an Aussie intending to use melamine and ply

What's "v-board"?

Awaiting photos. ?

 

[Circumnavigator]

I have had some Fastenal screws in the past -- didn't like the quality. I use McMaster-Carr for all my fastenings and much else -- they stock 40,000 different fastenings, ship same day for any order placed before 6:30 and have made only three errors in 4,000 line items over 18 years. When their New Jersey warehouse is out of stock, they ship overnight from Chicago at their expense, so either way I get the order the next day. mcmaster.com



Torx are nice, but add simply another layer of complication. I use mostly Robertson SS and brass inside where I want the color. I like the taper in the Robertson which tends to hold the screw on the driver when you need to put it in a hard to reach place.


Jim

 

[diver dave]

The thing I like about euro sources, metric hardware is the head marking. Both alloy and strength. Most times imperial hw has 316 marked.

 

[rgano]

second the T series. They drive wonderfully, compared to Phillips.
I redid my dock last year, used a zillion square head SS screws thru PCV cellular decking into PT pine. I did strip out the heads on several. Philiips would have been a disaster.

FWIW; i find the SS phillips also tends to leave sharp burs on the head if being worked hard, another disadvantage.

Just had a bit of deck work necessary while replacing four pilings on the pier, and the guys who do this work every day looked at the square-drive screws they needed to remove and groaned. They HATE SDs and LOVE the T-25 drive. Just sayin'.

 

[ProMaritime]

Absolutely.

 

[lghawk]

Hey GoneDiving!

V-Board (or VJ Board) is the effect I am going for for the faces of all of the joinery, and much of the interior lining. It is to create the same effect as "shiplap". I have achieved it before using plywood and simply CNCing a groove every 75-100mm. It just creates a different aesthetic to having a plain front on the joinery and the wall linings

 

[GoneDiving]

Hey GoneDiving!

V-Board (or VJ Board) is the effect I am going for for the faces of all of the joinery, and much of the interior lining. It is to create the same effect as "shiplap". I have achieved it before using plywood and simply CNCing a groove every 75-100mm. It just creates a different aesthetic to having a plain front on the joinery and the wall linings

Thanks. I guess you know that Bunnings sell both products: two 140mm shiplaps and a 9mm ply sheet with manufactured grooves. The shiplap comes in upto 5.4m lengths and is primed on both sides so it can be seen as a regular grooved surface or long flat planks.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/selex-2400-x-140-x-12mm-pine-primed-shiplap-lining-board_p0021273?store=8471&gclid=CjwKCAjwq7aGBhADEiwA6uGZpx-DNiap7kop49a4BWU9OhSHMTvpHQxRfzLjEgZwgjeMvZsk5H49mRoCTxoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.bunnings.com.au/2400-x-1200-x-9mm-internal-v-grooved-project-panel_p0390169

 

[lghawk]

Thanks. I guess you know that Bunnings sell both products: two 140mm shiplaps and a 9mm ply sheet with manufactured grooves. The shiplap comes in upto 5.4m lengths and is primed on both sides so it can be seen as a regular grooved surface or long flat planks.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/selex-2...jEgZwgjeMvZsk5H49mRoCTxoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.bunnings.com.au/2400-x-1200-x-9mm-internal-v-grooved-project-panel_p0390169

Many thanks mate! Yep Bunnings sell the product but I normally buy from Harper Timber in Sydney, or similar timber yards - generally cheaper at trade prices

 

[GoneDiving]

Many thanks mate! Yep Bunnings sell the product but I normally buy from Harper Timber in Sydney, or similar timber yards - generally cheaper at trade prices

Lucky you. My timber yards are more expensive, unprimed and only 4.8m lengths.

I like the idea of the slotted ply. I wouldn't get it below decks but for the salon it may be an option.

 

[Juggerknot]

If you need a lot try fastenal.com, good prices and selection...

 

[C lectric]

A Robertson, "Robbie", and a Square Drive are NOT the same.
A Robbie has a taper, similar to that of a Jacobs chuck taper. This includes both the screw recess AND the screwdriver.
A Square Drive will fall off a Robbie screwdriver. A real Robbie screw on a decent Robbie screwdriver will STICK so you can fiddle around and the screw will stay on the screwdriver.
I tap the screw on a metal plate while holding it to the screwdriver and it stays stuck, sometimes needing a bit of discussion to get it off.

The patent on that taper died Eons ago so why mfgrs. can,t get it right , who knows. Just lazy or don't care.
It is getting harder to get real Robbies.

A good Robbie screwdriver will last and last.

Rant done.