McFeely's 2022 Catalog - Catalog - Page 5
Fastener Materials
Fastener Finishes
It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that there is no single best material for making screws, just
as there is no single best fishing lure or garden fertilizer. It all depends upon the application.
Of course, hardened-steel screws are the workhorse for many situations but are entirely
unsuitable for most exterior applications unless properly coated or plated. The following
overview shows what materials are available.
Selecting the proper finish for your screws is a new experience for many woodworkers. After
all, most of the time you don’t have a choice! If you don’t like bright zinc, or it isn’t suitable,
it’s just tough luck. We offer a wide variety of finishes and materials to make sure you have
the most appropriate fastener for your task! The index at right identifies which screw types
are available in selected finishes.
Unplated Hardened-Steel screws are the most popular.
Black screws have a dull, graying black appearance. It
They will not be visible or exposed to corrosive
conditions. Their Color variations from almost pure
black to bronze to silvery gray does not affect quality.
It is simply a result of pross variable interaction as
simple as the screw’s location on the heat treated
furnace conveyer belt. All McFeely’s® unplated screws
receive a dry lube coating , which reduces driving
torque requirements but provides virtually no corrosionresisitance. Hardened steel screws are the base stock
for all of our plated screws.
Unplated Hardened Steel
Statuary Bronze
Yellow Zinc resembles bright brass plating but appears
Stainless Steel (305)
Solid Brass screws are also very soft and virtually
demand a carefully sized pilot hole to eliminate
installation breakage. (Pre-threading the hole with
a steel screw helps minimize this problem). A Square
recess really makes a difference with these screws.
The softness of the brass greatly increases cam-out
problems with most other driver types, a situation
neatly overcome by the Square recess.
Bright Brass is a purely decorative finish designed to
generally match the color of most cabinet hardware. It
provides little corrosion-resistance. Although in highly
acidic woods like Red Oak, it can prevent the dark blue
stains that sometimes form around an unplated screw.
Solid Brass
Bright Brass
Clear Zinc is another largely decorative plating,
“Oxidized”
“Fresh”
Silicon Bronze
LEAST
Corrosion Resistance
MOST
Fastener Plating vs. Corrosion Resistance
316 Stainless Steel
305 Stainless Steel
304/500 Stainless Steel
Silicon Bronze
400 Stainless Steel
Solid Brass
NoCoRode® Plus Plating
SPAX® High-Corrosion Resistant
Blue-Kote™ Plating
Yellow-Zinc Plating
Nickel Plating
Clear-Zinc Plating
Black-Oxide Plating w/ Lacquer
Statuary Bronze Plating
Brass Plating
more iridescent. It offers a modest amount of corrosionresistance (approximately 100 hours’ salt spray to 10%
red rust). It is basically a secondary “colored” plating
that is plated on top of a clear zinc base, hence the
additional corrosion protection.
Yellow Zinc
Silicon Bronze screws are primarily used for marine
boat building, although many people have used them
to build decks made of Western Red Cedar or Redwood
because the screws will eventually blend into the
color of the wood. As pictured, screws right off the
production line are generally the color of a fresh penny.
After they’ve been around awhile, they oxidize and
darken.
Black
Statuary Bronze is also a decorative finish designed to
match the antique appearance of old cabinet hardware.
It’s primarily, dark bronze with highlights of copper.
Highlights increase on screws exposed to wear or
abrasion.
Stainless Steel provides the ultimate corrosion-
resistance for most woodworking projects. They are
softer than our hardened-steel screws because stainless
steel is not generally heat-treatable − the wire must be
soft enough to be formed yet hard enough to provide
the desired strength. We carry stainless steel in a
variety of grades. Note that not all grades are designed
to be completely “stainless!”
is a common surface preparation for further coating
or painting. It is porous with excellent adhesion and
the standard finish for drywall screws. This coating is
stronger than the oxide, so the screws do not rust on
the 3–4-week boat ride but it does not have the same
shinny finish.
although it does offer a salt spray rating of 10% red
rust to about 50 hours. A good choice for interior
applications when working with acidic woods like Red/
White Oak or when the screw will be countersunk
and plugged. It is a poor choice for most exterior
applications.
Clear Zinc
NoCoRode Plus is one of the more corrosion-resistant
plating we offer. In manufacturer conducted, salt-spray
testing, it has exceeded 1,800 hours. Thus, making it
almost 20 times more corrosion-resistant than standard
yellow zinc plating. ... stainless! Unlike the plating on
hot, dipped galvanized screws, NoCoRode Plus doesn’t
chip. You won’t find the recesses full of plating material
that makes the fasteners useless. Best of all, the plating
is tan colored, so it “blends” with many pressure-treated
materials.
“
NoCoRode Plus
I thought I could make up any shortage by buying similar
screws at the local home-improvement store. Driving 3”
screws is no fun when they are too soft or the recess
doesn’t fit tight enough, even with the bit shipped with
the screws. Don’t know what the difference actually is, but
McFeely’s hardware just works better.
Questions? Email us at tech@McFeelys.com | Need more info? Call us at 1-800-443-7937.
“
Dubya, Claremore, OK
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