I am hanging a new door and was told to use brass screws to attach the hinges.
When I drive the screw with a mechanical driver, the brass screws sometimes snap (head snaps off the shank), or strip. The frame is 70-year old redwood, and is quite hard.
What am I doing wrong? Are brass screws inherently brittle? Did I buy cheap brass screws?
Best Answer
Brass screws are soft. You can easily twist the heads right off. This means you MUST be careful.
Pre-drill pilot holes for the screws.
Lubricate the screws. I use a stick of beeswax that I keep on hand. Just draw the threads across the stick to get a bit on them. You will be ASTOUNDED how easily a lubed screw drives. Some use soap on screws, which is probably ok for brass. It is bad for steel screws as it can cause them to rust.
Use a drill-driver that will allow you to limit the torque applied to the screw.