Screws are usually made of mild steel, but hardened steel, stainless steel, solid brass and steel plated with chromium or brass are also available, as are galvanised rust-proof screws for outdoor use. Anatomy of a screw Steel nails come in all shapes and sizes. Outdoors, always use zinc-plated galvanised nails - they help to delay rusting. Clout nail You should only use a wall plug when attempting to add weight to a wall or ceiling that you feel will not support an object. Measure and mark the centre point of your batten around 30mm in from either end, drill out two small pilot holes and then countersink them ( see our guide here on pilot holes and countersinking for more information).

Has a square or hexagonal head that's driven in with a spanner. Gives a very strong, heavy-duty fixing. Countersunk woodscrew A screw has a head, a shank and a thread. Its length is measured from the pointed tip of the thread to the part of the head lying flush with the surface it's screwed into. The gauge is the diameter of the shank. Raised-head screws have heads that sit above the surface, countersunk screws have heads that are flush with or sink below the surface. Screws can have slotted or crossed heads - cross-headed screws being easier to drive in than slot-headed ones, especially with a power screwdriver. Screw gaugesSometimes the above step is easier if you push the screw all the way through the item and then you’ll easily get the pointy end of the screw into the plug, sliding the item down the screw until it meets the wall. Reusing old wallplugs after extraction is not recommended in general. Rawl plugs’ structural integrity and efficiency can deteriorate over time. Choosing new rawl plugs ensures a secure and dependable connection and is always advisable when learning how to remove rawl plugs Should The Rawl Plug Be Bigger Than The Screw? By coincidence, the size of an imperial screw head also roughly equates to the gauge. For example an 8-gauge screw has an 8mm wide head…..handy huh? This could be because you’re adding weight to plasterboard, which is notoriously unsuitable for large amounts of weight, or because the wall/ceiling area in question is brittle or unstable.

I definitely agree with you re the larger screws, I’ve got nothing over a 10g x 100mm in my box for sure. Bolts or frame fixings for me at and above that. I don’t have too much problem getting the bigger gauges in, as I use a pretty powerful drill driver, but yes, you can’t stop and they need lots of ‘feed’ or you’ll get into trouble. You’d struggle getting them in by hand I do agree. How deep does a wall plug need to be? I talked about this a lot on another post, here’s the link: How to Properly Use Wall Plugs One major fastener supplier actually used to supply a rebranded pump like that with some of their drill sets. p.s. if you’re worried out the sharp edges of the cut out area, it’s easy to shield them by making a ‘grommet’ out of some thin plastic tubing cut on one side. I have access to lots of ‘hospital drip’ tubing (wifes a nurse you see) which is about 3 or 4mm tube, perfect when cut down one side with some tiny scissors (also ‘single use’ from the hospital lol!). Wall plugs are brilliant little things that can be used whenever you need to attach something to your walls, but can you use them for wood? What is a plastic wall plug?Small, slim nail that's easily punched in and used for attaching, mouldings, joinery and general carpentry. If there aren’t any holes already in the hanging rail you will need to measure and mark centre points and then drill them out.