When driving a wood screw into wood without a pilot hole, I like to wax my screws to help prevent splitting. I found it time consuming to sit and rub bee’s wax or candle wax on each screw, so I came up with this idea.
Take a toilet seal wax ring (around $2.00 at any hardware store) and melt it into an empty small dog/cat food can. This way, all you have to do is dip the screw into the wax and pull it out. The threads hold on to the soft wax for a perfect coating.
When the wax gets full of holes, I just set the can in my coffee cup warmer for a while and the wax melts down to a nice and flat surface for the next use. You can purchase cup warmers or candle warmers at just about any craft store.I use a plastic can lid to keep the wax from getting on anything else when I need to carry it in my toolbox.
Tip and Photos By Dan Reczek, a registered member of the WWGOA.
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WOW Great Tip!
You might find that crayons work well too. Softer than some candles and easy clean-up. I think the use of grease and oil based products can be problematic when finishes are applied.
Will coating wood screws in this fashion to ease installation reduce the long term holding strength of the screw?
Hi Steve. Definitely a good question. I’ve never had any problems with that. When you install them this way, they do not feel loose at all.
Thanks
Paul-Woodworkers Guild of America
Wax and soap works, but you can also buy coated screws, I know McFeeleys has them, Rockler might also. Avoid big box stores hardware if you are using hardwoods.
I use Vaseline petroleum jelly (to coat the screw threads that is)
I use the wax rings too but I add some paraffin so it isn’t sticky. I think it was about 50%. A full wax ring will go a long way. I melt 1/2 a ring and keep adding paraffin and trying it. If it gets too hard add a little more wax ring. Then I pore it into old Rx pill bottles.
I never used soap but like Howard I have been told it will cause rust and interfere with some finishes.
I use a 1” dia. glue stick from the office store.
I always have a stick of Chap Stick in my tool apron or tool belt. Works great for coating screws, is easy, always convenient. Also works for your dry lips on a hot day ! Matt
I wish I would have done this for some Ipe flower boxes I made. Even though I predrilled pilot holes and used self taping screws, the wood still split after a month or so. Maybe, this trick would have helped. I will try this next time and when I repair the current flower boxes. Thanks for the tip
I use a small drop of light machine oil (‘Three-in-One’ brand in the UK), or axle grease if leaching into the wood doesn’t matter too much. It also helps preserve the screw and allows it to be withdrawn years later without breaking.
I use old candles and melt them then dip the screws in the melted wax.
There is always the end of those big pillar candles left over after the holidays.
These lubricate screws beautifully.
To clean the cloth backed sanding belts for your drum sander, soak them in Simple Green it will remove all the embedded Resin and Pitch, soak a few hours or days, Brush and rinse with a Brass brush, & dry
a bar of soap works good too !
I’ve always used a can of car wax, works great and smells nice. It works nice for driving those long screws win assembling cabinets. I like the idea of the mug warmer to flatten it out again👍
Paraffin wax works better than soap for lubricating wood drawers with wooden limit slides.
WOW!!! How ingenious. I work with thin plywood for crafts. I do drill starter hoes, but this really will help.
Thank You
Soap also works. I keep a bar of soap in the shop. I use it even with pilot holes, especially in hard woods. If all else fails, spray some WD-40 on the screws. Not dso much to reduce spiting but to prevent the screw fro breaking off.
That’s brilliant, thank you.
Do not use soap as it attracts moisture and will cause your screws to rust over time.
Thanks Howard, I’ve used soap but wasn’t real sure about it. And it’s very time consuming.
You can also use a microwave on reduced power.
But would not the metal food can containing the wax be a problem in a microwave?
How, exactly, does waxing prevent splitting? I use wax because it prevents grabbing and seals.
Hi Dave. Putting wax, or soap, on a screw is mostly about lubricating the screw so it drives easier. Because it drives easier, it may also help prevent splitting. But if there’s any question it’s still best to predrill.
Thanks
Paul-Woodworkers Guild of America
Crafty idea for pocket hole screws, whose self-drilling feature for preventing wood splitting is vastly overrated.
when building decks with pressure treated wood and deck screws to secure mitred corners I simply put my impact driver in reverse and with some added pressure produce a pilot hole
seconds later I throw my drill into forward and sink my screw without any splitting
This is a excellent technique. I learned about this idea years ago but forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder.
A bar of soap in a travel case works well too.
If I may, soap contains moisture that can eventualy make screws to rust and wood to stain. I prefer wax for that reason. Just my two cents.