The forgotten history of wood screws
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ต.ค. 2021
- How advances in screw technology have failed to replace the nail, and other interesting stuff!
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Video about nails you should really watch: • A forgotten technology...
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Video about nails you should really watch: th-cam.com/video/7rwcGXIORro/w-d-xo.html
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*Please help support us by using the link above for a quick look around!*
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★SOME OF MY FAVORITE CHEAP TOOLS★
-123 Blocks: lddy.no/vpij
-Mechanical Pencils: amzn.to/2PA7bwK
-Lumber pencil: amzn.to/2QtwZjv
-Pocket Measuring Tape: amzn.to/2kNTlI9
-Irwin Drill Bit Gauge: amzn.to/2AwTkQg
-Nut/Bolt/Screw Gauge: amzn.to/2CuvxSK
-Self-Centering Punch: amzn.to/2QvbcrC
-Self-Centering Bits: amzn.to/2xs71UW
-Angle Cube: lddy.no/10nam
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-Digital depth gauge: amzn.to/3mwRf2x
-Wood Glue: amzn.to/3mqek6M
-Spade Bits: amzn.to/3j8XPtD
★SOME OF MY FAVORITE HAND TOOLS★
-Digital Caliper: amzn.to/384H1Or
-Marking Gauge: lddy.no/10muz
-Marking knife: lddy.no/10mv0
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SQUARESSSSSS!!!
you're not missing any fingers.. you take this show from your dad or grandpa?
Stumpy, I just discovered your channel about a year ago and I have to tell you how much I enjoy it. I am 79 and I just sold my home and I am renting so my woodworking and household repair days are over. I just wish all of these wonderful channels were available 60 years ago. Thank you. Norm
Welcome aboard!
@Norm475 I don't know where you live, but you might want to research if there is a community maker or hack space. Those are non-profit organizations who maintain communal wood or metal shop facilities, and or electronics or 3D printing, depending on the membership's capabilities.
Your woodworking days are not necessarily over.
@@fredericapanon207 great point. They also may have clubs or groups so you can talk/collaborate with other local like-minded people
Hey Norm I am a 24 year old with a dream to have a profitable wood shop of my own one day and as much as I use TH-cam as a tool to learn, I also have a bookshelf full of vintage DIY books, that are chalk full of useful knowledge. At the end of the day Nothing beats learning a new skill from someone who has mastered it over the years.
If you lived near me you'd be welcome in my shop..... I'm sure there's someone near you who shares the same sentiment!
Best sponsor ad ever. Totally squared my brain.
Agreed!
Square square, square squaring square square square. Square square!
I’m not even a woodworker. I was just randomly fixated about how ancient people made screws. You explained with so much passion and insight that I now have newfound respect for woodworkers.
Every time I watch a Stumpy video, I learn something new. Well done.
I used to make screws for architectural and plumbing applications, and even wood screws for piers, it’s still a pain. We would use Landis threading machines from the 70’s. It’s amazing how accurate those machines can be.
+1 for the sponsor script, kept me listening instead of bailing.
Videos such as this one is what sets you apart, in my opinion. Lots of good info, history, and visual. Thanks for educating us. Take care and have a good one, Adios! 🖐
Thank you, I'm a woodworker and a antique dealer. I have a mystery old brass and wood calendar, I've always wondered it's age and now I know the screws are hand filed I can date it to before 1760. You just got subbed
What great content you post!
I recently discovered a screw with an offset slot. It was used to fasten a window pulley sash in a 110 year old house. I decided to keep it in place because I thought it was quirky. It never occurred to me that it might be a hand-made screw or a partially hand-made screw that might pre-date 1860. While I wont' ever know the history of that screw, I am really glad I kept it when refurbishing that window.
That's awesome
Dense and accurate information conveyed in a direct, clear, cohesive (and still interesting!) fashion. Lovely.
Hi! Think Im really going to enjoy your channel. I am a journeymen Cabinetmaker, who's currently training to work as a high school wood shop teacher(better pension lol.) And your delivery was awesome. Thank you!
Wow, I actually watched the advertisement. As a toolmaker for 30 years I have become fond of squareness.
YHANK YOU FOR THE HISTORY AND EXPLAINING THE USE OF SCREWS AND NAILS
Hex for large bolts, torx for small bolts and screws, flathead for fine finish pieces or decorative applications, nails for everything else
Bridge City: That is the best damn TH-cam commercial I've ever seen.
All hail the Robertson screw! As a Canadian Electrician, I love the robertson screw, as it does not strip out so easy like the phillips screw. You also don't need a magnetic bit to hold the screw to the driver and the colour coded sizes (yellow, green, red and black) makes it simple to grab the proper size driver.
James I would like to commend you, an American, for actually recognizing the Robertson screw and calling it by its proper name, and not simply calling it a "Square" screw. And your history of the robertson screw was spot on! Keep up the great work.
There is an excellent book called “One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw”.
I had no idea how interesting nails and screws could be….you are an incredible font of knowledge, Mr. Nubs! My woodworking skills are limited primarily to restoring interesting pieces of furniture. My current project is a 1920s(?) mission-style armchair made by the Stratford Chair Company, of Ontario, Canada. It has those Robinson “square head” screws holding the seat base corner blocks….and when I saw them, I was puzzled. Now, I’m glad to see that they are correct for the period! I’ve watched your chisel steel video, the screw video….Your nail video is next!
I love the curious bits of wisdom you're forever injecting 'back' into the craft. Today we learnt that the idea of thinking a screw is an improvenment on the, humble nail, is an erroneous assumption. Horses for courses as we say in the UK. Cheers Jim.
Another nice addition to your information.
In the Middle Ages, we used phalanges instead of wooden plugs.
Phalanges are more resistant to moisture in medieval buildings.
Greetings from Belgium.
I wanted to thank you for your TH-cam posts, I have learned more from you than any other woodworker including Norm Abram and I didn’t miss one episode! You are a master of the masters, again, thank you!
Thank you youtube for reccomending me a video about screws. And thank you stumpy Nubs for it... it was really interessting!
I've worked in construction, and in a hardware store, this video taught me more about screws and nails than all my years experience in both. Great video! Cheers from the home of the Roberston!
I’ve been watching your videos for a couple years. I’m always turning yours on to see all the new information and history. I’m 70 and like to craft items for my wife’s craft shows. I repurpose lots of wood for a sign or a trivet. Thank you for all that you do. Your time is valuable and you do a most excellent job of conveying your message.
Besides the (always) interesting content itself, I like the squares ad at the end.
Love the history lesson, so those irregular screws I found were not cheap they were antiques. Also love the practical lesson on where a nail and a screw work best. Also that we have one more thing to thank Henry Ford for, I always wondered why they looked at me funny in Canada when I asked for a phillip's head screwdriver. Never fail to learn something from your videos.
Now THIS was your best documentary yet.
Had to watch twice due to the shear amount of puns hammering my thoughts & screwing with my focus. This really was fasten ating & nailed points of the history I didn't know. The second watch was really clenching my attention and tightened my focus.
You are pretty sharp!
That's some well done copy for that ad! Stumpy Seuss Squares!
re: small nails being easier to hide in e.g. moulding around skirting boards: you're underestimating what we're prepared to do with filler in residential construction! :p
The history of the screw is a subject which could easily fill a dozen videos.
And every single one of them, would be fascinating!
Another interesting, informative and educational video on things I'd never even considered before. Thank you.
Amazing to be able to nerd out on screws and nails!
Thank you from the bottom of my tool box! I totally needed this and your screw test video . If I were ask, you are in my top 5 favorite subscriptions!
Awesome advert poem at the end! The video was spot on too!
Your clips are wonderful. Short and compact with useful information. Thanks
Used to hate Torx screws until I started making my own desks, so much better if you need to refinish/replace something on it.
Hey Stumpy, it looks like a great example of a poor photo of a blunderbuss. Thanks for the informational video on a debated topic in my house. Looks like my point is proven. Nails still matter.
Your videos just keep getting better and better.
“Ugly as butt” - LOL! I actually think they’re nice-looking. Great topic, Stumpy. I enjoyed learning about early screw development.
On first glance, I thought the thumbnail was a corkscrew with a nail puller attachment.
You are a great woodworking teacher. Love your videos.
I love learning new stuff about old professions, especially those that I thought I already knew a lot about. Like ones that I grew up with, because my grandfather was a master cabinet maker, and I was always helping my dad build sets for stage productions.
Well, these things are new to me.
And I also live learning about less well known makers of good tools in these spaces, so I’m really glad that you focus on sponsors of tools that you actually use, and that produce a quality product - but maybe aren’t as well known.
Thank you for everything you do!
You're Amazing James and so informative. I always enjoy! Peace and thank you!
You nailed it Mr. Nubs!
Yeah, sometimes I'll surf around other channels so I can get good and confused....but when I want straight facts and learn a little something I always come here to see what's what
I'm a Phillips screw user from way back. It's is, or rather was, the screw of choice in Australia. When I moved here to Canada in 2004, I was horrified, horrified I say, to discover that ridiculous square-headed thing! ... but I grew up with nails, so they're my sentimental favourite. :)
Quality informative content, no annoying loud music, clear audio.
Subscribed
A nice historical piece about screwing.
Hi everyone😊. I hope there are a lot of young wood craftsmen who follow the videos. You get a whole lot of stories and things evolve. Thank you so much for the amazing videos 👍🇺🇸🇩🇰. Lars from Denmark. PS Google Translate.
I recently gutted a piano from the 1880s (don't worry, I reused the wood for other projects) and kept some of the screws because they had some of the characteristics you described.
Fascinating. I love history videos. I’d enjoy more “history of” woodworking videos.
Check out rex krueger. He's into historic woodworking and plays CSI with old junk cabinets :)
Fastenating!
Great job on the square ad. And thanks for the lowdown I screws.
I really like how informative your channel is!
Don't agree with them often, but Canada was right on the Robertson screw.
The phillips head screw is perfect...for a specific application at a specific point in time - mechanical drivers without torque limiters. Somehow it took hold as a generalized "universal" screw head. That was always a mistake from day one. Why it is still used is just market inertia and ubiquity - for most purposes it's a horrible design, but here we are.
Agreed. A Phillips head is almost useless. The Robertson is far more effective.
@@indalcecio The power of the mighty USA over Canada. USA was and is a global force. It overtook the UK in 1900 they set the standards.
@@jamese9283 enough to hate Phillips. Everyone who uses mechanical drivers learns to hate phillips. And it's not habit it's the same reason hospitals and the military uses computer software that's 20 years old, which is NOT because it's the best thing for the task. Also it's well in the process of being replaced by better designs and has been for the past couple decades at least
One advantage of the original Slotted head is that you can easily remove them even when they are damaged or rusty. It prevents more damage than necessary to restore antique furniture (or weapons as shown in this vid).
Loved the poem! It had a little Dr. Seuss feel to it.
Your history buffness is showing
New merch idea. We need a Stumpy Nubs T-shirt or hat that says: I prefer Torx head screws, even if they're ugly as butt.
Love the channel and use your tips often in my own shop!
Fox in Socks has sold me on those squares.
wow you actually made me watch an ad. good job that's tough.
On your recommendation I recently purchased a (ridiculously) expensive (in NZD) Bridge City MT-2 layout tool, and I have to say it is the most gorgeously manufactured tool I own. Its smoothness of operation, and its extremely fine tolerances make it an absolute joy to hold, and use. This will be a tool handed down through generations.
You nailed it Jim.
You sure know your screws ! Thank you for all of the research you do..
I'm here because I commented on the other video about nails and Stumpy's only response was a link to this video. The best "you are welcome" I have gotten on TH-cam. Very interesting and I agree torx are "ugly as butt", but I use them for everything. Thanks again.
Learned a lot of new information in this one short video. Very informative. Thanks for all the great videos.
I learned some important info here - I had no idea that nails were superior to screws in construction applications.
Hot damn, you have the some of the best content out there. Thank you and your crew for all that you do!
I found a handful of these in the attic of a college building during a job, Pretty amazing!
One trick I learned as a kid was to use soap on a screw when it was hard to screw it in. So if you really have to use a lot of force which results in damaging the screw, try soap on the thread as it functions like grease on a bolt and works much easier.
Love your videos and the knowledge. Thanks!
Nice to see Robertson front and centre. Worth noting that Robertson wouldn't license his screws to Ford because the first time he licensed out the design, he got ripped off. Also I seem to remember something about the camming-out properties of Philips head screws being desirable in an era before adjustable torque drivers.
I enjoyed this history of screws. Thanks.
As one of the OG woodworking channels, been watching for a long time (thanks!). The quality of information and presentation has vastly improved from the very early days. Looks like you've mastered it!
I just put up cement board siding that required expensive stainless, Robertson screws for the particulars of my application.
Despite being on brand Simpson fasteners, the head had a few thousands of offset leading to really bad runout at the tip of the screw. Never thought that was important, but man did it make installing the screws difficult!
you've GOT To Respect a shop guy, whose still got all his fingers.
he KNOWS what he's talking about!
(lookin' at YOU, kohutynski...)
I really like these history / trivia lesson episodes. So much fascinating backstory & nuance to things I had been taking for granted.
Nicely done!
Watched a great video about standardisation many years ago..
Focused on engineering, but incredible how much this changed the world.
Personally I find the Robertson screw head to be the superior design, especially with the tapered bits that fit more than one size. But the wide availability of torx makes it more commonly used for me. I don't understand why Philips still exists
Torx is nice, unless you work in a machine shop where several people don't understand there's a torx and a torx plus
I think,,that the NZ screw of choice is the square head screw...maybe professional builders may prefer the Torx, but I have never used one. Can't say I am at all a fan of Phillips screws, for the advantage/disadvantage that the driver slips out too easily. Don't mention slotted screws in polite company.
I'm a new fan of yours and new subscriber being on the Spectrum there's always a part of me always nagging inside of my head for details and information. Hou explain things in ways 8 can follow along with and understand. Thank you so much for being here. This is my ASMR for sleep, you are godsent sir.
It's good to learn! Thank you for your expertise and knowledge.
You are one of the best presenters on TH-cam. Thanks for another interesting video.
The roberson style does get stuck on the driver bit alot. Great info
I have to remove a lot of screws in my job and yes, they do sometimes get stuck a bit. I either unscrew them most of the way, pull out the driver, then finish removing them, or end up rapping them sideways against something to knock them off.
I do love Torx head screws, the one problem is in decks where the head fills with crud and you find it difficult to insert the bit to remove the screw when you are replacing a board.
That's the reason why I prefer Allen screws or hexagonal screwheads.
With a good well made Torx screw and modern power tools you can drive the screw right though the board. Can not do that with Philips.
I have built many decks using Torx screws. Pre drilled and countersunk. I agree they do fill with crud right away. However I have never come across a screw head so full a awl or a razor knife can't clean out what needs to be cleaned as to a bit successfully achieving removal.. Do you folks walk in wet concrete?! Haha
@@svenben9868 Sven I never said you can't clean them, a pressure washer does a pretty good job. But, without a pressure washer it is a pain. I found the square head screws are the all-around best for inserting and removing.
Lol ya silly bugga lol, I love your new Bridge City Tools ad at the end, really neat mate lol. The rest of your vid was as good and informative as usual but that one caught me by surprise and gave me a nice grin so thanks James, excellent work again, 11 out of 10 👍😎
I never knew that info about nails. Well that has explained a lot about some of problems iv had because iv used screws instead of nails. Thanks again
You have increased my knowledge and understanding of fasteners. Also, your square poem was magnificent. Bravo Brother! Thank you.
Nicely done James, though this information was not new to me, it gives me a video to show folks who are obsessed with a "screw only" fastener mindset. As a bit of trivia info, I read a study years ago in the Journal of Light Construction. A publication written by builders for builders. It showed that the average force to run in a Phillips head screw required 12lbs of pushing force to resist cam-out, a Robertson head was 8lbs, then the winner, your favorite and mine, the Torx head is 5lbs.. Really nice when running in a lot of screws. Handy when reaching up and screwing in a arms length, it applies equally well in removing them. Far too often I see homeowners and a few contractors use drywall screws, both phosphate and E.G., to attach joist hangers. They just can't believe they will fail in time, which I've witnessed. The good news for these guys is Simpson Strong Tie now produces and shows specs for screws designed for hangers. Excellent info as usual, James.
An interesting test was done on the nails vs. screws topic, and I am now a believer in screws - even in vertical strain applications. A test was done using 2x lumber fastened together in a few different ways and in each case, one used screws and the other used nails. Pressure was applied to the boards using a hydraulic press that monitored pressure as it was applied. One example that I can remember was a board was run horizontally attached to vertical studs. Downward pressure was applied to the horizontal board using the hydraulic press. This is a case where I thought for sure the nail would dominate but that's not what happened. Either the nail would give and it would pull the nail out (i think they simply called that "pull out") of the wood or the other case was what they called "tear out" meaning the fastener literally cut through the wood and tore out of the thickness edge of the board. The screw dominated at every single test. Literally every single one. What it concluded is although a nail does technically have more sheer strength, when you apply strain to it its either going to pull out of the wood or its going to tear through the wood long before it reaches that point. The screw dominated in the tests that it should have dominated (like the force it takes to seperate 2 pieces of wood - 1 fastened by screws and the other fastened by nails). The screw also dominated in the cases where the nail should have dominated but thats because the nail could not hold the pieces together before it reached its snapping point. I think nails are preferred by homebuilders b/c they are much cheaper and faster to use than nails but after seeing that test I now know a house frame assembled with screws is actually a lot stronger.
Kept my attention the whole video, great job man
Very informative on when to use each.
Appreciate your channel... Been a stagehand and theatrical carpenter part time my whole life, with some contractor level remodel carpentry as a kid... finally have a full wood and metal shop at my disposal, and find my work edging up to actual woodworking... thanks for sharing your experience in such a clear, concise manner.
Wow. Nicely done. Congratulations.
This video was amazing. The poetry at the end was so good!
Great information. Thank you for taking the time to share!
Hail Herr Professor! Always like going back to school with you, the best
Very interesting video, really enjoying your channel, always useful and interesting subjects extremely well presented.
Great history, always interesting. Thanks
Just found your channel and the very first video I learned something valuable, and it was very interesting. Thank you!. That's a sub earned.
Fascinating Fastening Fasteners
Thanks for sharing with us and reminding us about the uses of nails and screws. Great information James ! Stay safe and keep up the good work and videos. 🙏🏻🙏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻✋🏻✋🏻