Flathead #10 wood screws with smaller head?


ajkezele

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Does anyone know if they exist and/or where I can find them? I need a flush mount with some hardware and these protrude a little bit.  Unfortunately I already pre-drilled all the holes so I can't go down to #8.

 

Figured I'd throw this out there before I start filing down the heads that are causing me problems.

 

Thanks in advance.

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Chuck a screw in a drill, and spin it while you grind the diameter of the head down.  You can use a bench grinder, or even a hand held 4-1/2" grinder.  I've done it with TORX drive lag screws, so I'm sure it would also work with a #10.  Of course, you'll need to countersink a little deeper.  If you have enough wood, I'd go deep enough to plug the hole.

 

Otherwise, the dowel and redrill is a good plan.

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Thanks everyone...the hardware actually will not show as it is bed post hardware that I'm using to put together a crib.  The hardware has male and female pieces which will hold the two side panels to the front and back. 

 

Unfortunately the little the screws are protruding from the hardware is making it difficult to assemble in a way where the panels are flush with each other.  Luckily I noticed this after dry fitting one side and switched to #8 screws which worked much better on the other side.  As it stands right now I can still get it all together but I'm worried that once I apply the finish the fit will become even tighter and at that point I won't be able to pound it into submission without damaging the final product.

 

The plug and dowel could work but I think if I go that route then filing the heads down a bit will probably end up being faster anyways.  I've done it to one or two screws and there is still plenty of slot left for the screwdriver to grab onto to drive it in.

 

All that said, is it safe to assume that no one knows of any "shallow" flat head #10 screws that would essentially be the same thing as filing them down a bit?

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Trim screws almost always exclude a countersink bevel at the number ten size. Again I state my opinion, when screwing into hardware, re-drill the hardware or use the correct screw.

 

I wasn't aware of that but I did some poking around and (as you already knew) you're certainly right. Thanks for pointing that out.

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This an obsessive trait that I have learned to follow after experiencing severe setbacks. Early on in the project I will recommend checking the screw bevel in the countersink. I have had door manufacturers ship screws that did not seat properly in their strike plates. For this I drilled the strike plates because the screw finish matched the plate finish. To the OP, if your screw is hidden go ahead and grind it. Just be careful like has already been mentioned to not lose the ability to drive or remove the screw. To phinds, my hasty comment from before reads as more snarky than I intended. I apologize.

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If you have a Tormek, you can skip the worry about grinding down.  I'm not going to recommend a $300 tool for a $0.50 fix, though.  I've gone the route of the skewers, toothpicks, and really fine dowels.  It held for a while, but I found the best approach (for my need, which is not yours) was to drill out and dowel.  Again, my need is not yours.  I had a lot more weight on the screws than you will have on that crib... child included.

 

You can find a lifetime supply of skewers in the kitchen.... assuming someone doesn't think they're cooking supplies first.

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Depends somewhat on how easily you want to be able to remove the screw. The problem is that glue deep down in a small diameter hole dries at the top easily but can stay uncured for longer down lower so if you screw it in too quickly, you may get glue adhering to the bottom of the screw & making it harder to remove the screw.

 

I'm basing that on my experience w/ plain old yellow glue. Other glues may cure more readily down lower in the hole.

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Perfect...overnight I can certainly do and even if it isn't dry completely I doubt I will be needing to remove the screws once it is fully assembled. 

 

Would plugging the #10 holes with a very thin dowel or a skewer be sufficient or should I drill it out and put in an oversized dowel so that I have more actual wood to drill into?  I think I know what would be better but would the former option do the same thing?

 

Thanks again to everyone for the help

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Oversize too much and you are just screwing into end grain which may or may not be ok for your application. I try to keep it small enough that the threads are catching the glue saturated wood.

 

Good point...I didn't really think about the fact that the dowels would just be end grain.  Small dowels it is.  I think I originally used 3/4" #10 screws but the piece could easily handle 1" screws so I may go that route with the #8's just for some added strength.

 

Thanks again to all.

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Sorry to keep coming back to this issue but would DAP's plastic wood work for plugging the holes more completely/flush before redrilling?  I looked it up on Amazon and it seems to have good reviews so I was wondering if this would be a cleaner/easier fix than having to cut/trim dowels and set with glue.  Any experience with this product?  Again everything will be covered with hardware and eventually painted so the overall aesthetic of the fix isn't much of an issue.

 

Thanks

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