Using Sheet Metal Screws In Wood

You need a socket hex head screwdriver to fasten wood to metal with this type of screw.

Using sheet metal screws in wood.

A sheet metal screw is similar to a wood screw but has a pan head. They are easier to drive into metal and will offer a greater level of strength and security. When you re drilling into harder material such as sheet metal you need to drill a pilot hole in advance. Think of heating ducts for instance.

For a continuous pin hinge like a piano hinge i would set only a couple of screws on each leaf to check the fit of the hinge before punching and drilling all the holes. They usually have pan heads and will probably work as a wood screw if you need a substitute. When installing screws use a cordless drill on slow speed. Usually sheet metal screws are tiny with a sharp point intended for piercing and driving into sheet metal.

The advantage of the flat tipped screw is that it won t get stuck in the material and break off. Sheet metal screws were originally designed for metal like for use in a b vent pipe but can be used for a number of other applications too. The sharp tipped screws are designed for drilling their own hole into softer materials such as wood and plastic so they don t need a pilot hole. It may help to install one screw in each leaf and check the alignment before installing the rest of the screws.

In a bind if you re short of the right available screws you can use a sheet metal screw on wood. Regardless of the material the driving point needs to be larger than the depth of the material being driven into. They can be used with plastics rubber or plywood. In short wood screws are designed to be driven into wood materials while metal screws are designed to be driven into metal materials hence the names.

However the opposite is not the case. If you re attempting to attach sheet metal you should choose metal screws. While a sheet metal screw can be used to securely fasten wooden pieces a wood screw with a smooth shank portion won t create a tight joint in sheet metal and fully threaded wood screws may hold poorly. Sheet metal screws are designed to fasten metal sheets to other items.