Hand made wood screws

[blacksmithman64]

I have gone through all of my blacksmithin books and checked around on the web,but can't find out HOW to make a screw.I know it was done, I know what they look like, but nothing can tell me HOW! Common sense tells me to use a triangular file to cut the thread onto a tapered shank, any ideas?

 

[djnye]

i think you just answered your own question!!!!!!

take care, daniel

 

[Ephraim]

first make a swagblock with square hole. take your stock taper it square put in the block form the head with a hammer small one just tap lightly to form the head in the counter sink.
cut the grove in the head clamp the taper tip in your vice heat red and twist. if i could post pics. i would show you it is simple just sounds hard. it will twist off and give you a screw takes a little practice but you can do it.


ephraim

 

[blacksmithman64]

Ephriam thats what I started to do but some "professional" smith told me that screws weren't twisted and dressed up. Sure makes sense to me though! Sometimes I think "professionals" have too much book learnin' and not enough "experience" :hmm:

 

[Ephraim]

Burt Berry was the man i larned gun making from.
and i asked him how it was done and that is the way he showed me. A then told me i could buy them from dixy gun works it would save time and they would be better made :rotf: he didn't git it that i wanten to try to do it all the old way,and i some times still make a few but it is hard to get thrm the same. it mipresses people at the history talks and dimos. i give. i hope that helps some try it and have fun that's what this is all about anyway.

Epherarm

 

[J.D.]

I posed this question to the folks in the Williamsburg gunshop and they said most wood screws used in gunmaking were commercially made, using dies.

However, they did say that many old guns contain a mix of commercial screws and hand filed wood screws.

It's my understanding that twisted wood screws do not hold well, and according to those who study those things, it does appear that shop made wood screws used in gunmaking were filed.

J.D.

 

[Ephraim]

I have an old tenn. rifle that has twisted screws holding the trigger gard on there are no file marks on the screws, what came first the chicken or the egg the screw or the file?

Ephraim

 

[ameling]

You can twist, you can twist then file, and you can file. They all work. The all filed screws get you the best and/or most consistant theads. A friend even went so far as to make a tapered "threading die", but never got good results out of it.

In the video Gunsmith at Williamsburg, Walace Gussler is shown filing wood screws for the gun he is building. He forged a rounded taper on the end of a rod, clamped it in the vise, and then filed in his threads. He then cut off the screw from the rod and finished the head. It's much easier to file those threads when you have a good "handle" on it to hold it in the vise. It's only a few seconds in the video, but check it out if you get a chance. Mr. Gussler does a lot of "forging" in the video, besides all the filing, scraping, sanding, drilling, etc.

Just my humble thoughts to share. Take them as such.

Mike Ameling

 

[J.D.]

You can twist, you can twist then file, and you can file. They all work. The all filed screws get you the best and/or most consistant theads.

I suppose it would depend on when and where the gun was made and the skill and training of the gunmaker as to what kind of screws one would use. Notice I said it would appear that shop made scews were filed. I learned long ago to never say never.

In the video Gunsmith at Williamsburg, Walace Gussler is shown filing wood screws for the gun he is building. He forged a rounded taper on the end of a rod, clamped it in the vise, and then filed in his threads. He then cut off the screw from the rod and finished the head. It's much easier to file those threads when you have a good "handle" on it to hold it in the vise.
Mike Ameling

Thanks for the reminder of the Williamsburg video. I saw part of it many years ago, but don't remember seeing the screws made.

I gotta get that video. Assuming it's still in production.

J.D.

 

[Ephraim]

In 1770 English instrument maker Jesse Ramsden (1735-1800) Invented the first screw-cutting lathe. Historians do not know when or how the first screws were invented this is what I found on the enter net under history of the wood screw. It just said the first ones were forged. That is all I can find on wood screws the first ones were made of wood and used for presses. Wine and hides so that would put them early in history it would be a kick to find out when the first iron wood screw came along. Some twisted black smith I bet :rotf:

Ephraim