Glen-L.com

okay, i have been working on my side and bottom planking. I have broken many drill bits, and stripped several screw heads. Not to mention the screws that are breaking in half when they are driven half way in. When it comes to the drill, i feel like i'm drilling in to cement!

Does anyone have any advice on:

Drilling holes (drill speed, type of bit, etc)

Driving screws (how to keep from stripping heads, driver speed, etc).

I'm having a reeeaalllly tough time with this.

_________________
Built the 17' Glen-L "Sea Knight"

Try using a bar of soap on the screw threads. Also, try doing your test fitting with stronger hardware store screws of the same size and threads. Then use the bronze only for the final fit and glue.

_________________
My Zip build log...
http://www.vupilot.blogspot.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/vupilot/Chr ... O0x7SvsQE#

"Nothing screams poor craftsmanship like wrinkles in your duct tape."

You can get tapered bits just for wood screws which help. I was surpirsed at how large the bit actuallly is for a #8 screw. Woodcraft carries them.

_________________
John Amundsen
Monte Carlo
Winter Haven, FL

Maybe it will be done by G6 and maybe not.

I'll second this. Woodcraft carries bits with built in countersinks that work perfect for this. Definitely saves time. You can get them as a single bit for a #8 screw or as a set.

These are what you need, stepped, not tapered, more details at these links...

http://davesboat.blogspot.com/2006/12/f ... -bits.html
http://davesboat.blogspot.com/2006/10/s ... -bits.html






However they do not bounce well, and you need to keep the drill striaght...

http://davesboat.blogspot.com/2009/05/b ... -bits.html

Hope this helps

_________________
Hey! I built a boat ! No Really, I did !
http://davesboat.blogspot.com/

Just a quick question.. are you using Frearson Screws (from Glen-L) with the proper Frearson Driver Bit?

A standard Phillips bit will not fit properly into a Frearson screw.. and with Bronze it will strip in a heartbeat.

A proper clutch setting on a cordless drill helps. Using a slightly larger pilot hole also helps, as long as it holds till the epoxy cures. Using cheapo carbon steel screws for temporary fit-ups will save you a lot of wastage.

Lubrication (soap) helps also.

I've started to use Robertson screw head Bronze screws (from my local boat building supplier) and my stripping issues have gone down quite a bit.

Remember to use a countersinker for the head.. and make sure you hold the drill true to the hole and not even at a slight angel... bronze is unforgiving with bends.

I've probably tossed out 100 screws in my build so far from stipped heads.. I know it can be terribly frustrating. Just experiment till you find something that works and get yourself a stripped-head screw remover bit set... you will probably need them!

_________________
Ian (aka Iggy)
My Malahini Build

Thanks for the advice. I have definitly wasted a ton of screws (and they always seem to strip just before the screw is in the counter-sink). I am also "NOT" using the Frearson bit that came with the screws (i know glen-l sent me one but i havent seen it since the day i opened the box!!) I will definitly see about getting the right bit before i continue.

_________________
Built the 17' Glen-L "Sea Knight"

If you are drilling white oak use the next size bigger bit than the one you would normally use. also if you are able get the parts as close as you can so the screws are not stressing pulling parts together.

_________________
) Champagne dreams and wishes are possible on a beer budget. Just build the boat.
Nice curves are easy on the eyes.
Go sell crazy somewhere else we're all stocked up here."As Good As It Gets" Jack Nicholson.

When it comes to driving screws, my world changed when I bought a cordless impact driver. A friend told me he used one at work and could believe how well it worked. His description was so compelling I had to give it a try. I was tired of stripping out heads and breaking screws. I'm sold! There will always be one of these in my shop. I now seldom ever drive a screw with a drill. I find myself walking across the shop to get it when the drill is sitting right there.

If you are not familiar with these they are not a hammer drill. They more or less ratchet with the same motion as an air impact. This action allows you to successfully and easily drive screws you would have broke off will drill. Honestly, it is hard to believe until you use one.

I have a Ryobi unit that has driven all the screws in my True Grit plus a bunch of other stuff - over 4000 screws in the TG alone. All the major manufactures have models available so the choice is yours. For me it it the most used tool in my shop.

_________________
So Many Rivers,
So Little Time....

1) Buy screw driver bits by the box and mercilessly bin them at the slightest sign of wear or damage. Worn or damaged ones will murder bronze screw heads.

2) If you use an impact driver

Wear Ear Protection
Remember bronze is not as strong as steel.


3) I often used steel screws first to pull things together - less breakage (dip em in oil so the epoxy won't stick to them)
Then once the glue sets, remove the steel and replace with bronze !

_________________
Hey! I built a boat ! No Really, I did !
http://davesboat.blogspot.com/

?

Not sure about other brands but my cordless impact is only slightly louder than my cordless drill. Never felt the need for hearing protection. Nothing like the noise from an air impact.

_________________
So Many Rivers,
So Little Time....

THAT IS A GREAT IDEA!! I will go from there and see how it goes. Thanks for the advice!!!

_________________
Built the 17' Glen-L "Sea Knight"

I love my new Milwaukee cordless impact screw gun

_________________
Boat building can best be defined as an endless series of
tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle, followed by a good bottle of beer.

Don't Dream Your Life, Live Your Dream

I noticed that soap as a screw lube is corrosive. I'll never use soap again for that.
If you are using a dense wood like Oak, you need to adjust the size of the pilot hole a bit larger so not to overtorque the screws going in.

_________________
God Bless our Troops; especially our Snipers

I am fastening the first layer of cold-molded plywood planking to my frame. I am using 8 x 3/4 square drive silicon bronze screws. I have been fitting the strips of plywood and pre-fastening with cheap steel phillips head wood screws then replacing them with the bronze screws as I glue up and adding additional bronze screws to batten lines, etc. I bought a drill-countersink bit which has a carbide countersink blade and replaced the drill with a tapered bit. I set the clutch on my driver-drill to drive the screws down tightly but not enough to twist them off. I have set 800 or so bronze screws so far without breakage and anticipate that the whole job will require 1500. Subsequent layers of planking will be fastened with Raptor nylon brads.

If a lubricant is needed one might try paraffin sold in grocery stores for canning jellies and jams. For larger/longer screws I haven't had a lot of success with it and wound up using a 1/64" larger body drill and making sure the shaft clearance pilot hole was long enough. Frearson bits are essential for Frearson screws and they come in sizes. #2 Frearson is right for #8 screws while the #3 bit is better for #14 screws.

_________________
Bill

Built a Monaco named: Princess