# Screwing into end grain



## topconker (22 May 2019)

I know it's not the best but here's my query.
I'm fitting a board to the bottom of the 4 legs of a stand made for my bandsaw.
This so I can fit 4 castors to the corners.
So all the weight will be pressing down on the legs so apart from moving the stand around there will be no shear force that could tear out the screws.
So I think it should be OK but thinking about using some screws from a flat pack that are used to screw into chipboard with a small allen key.
Do you think this should be ok or am I over thinking it?
TC


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## LancsRick (22 May 2019)

You can do it but use long screws. You will still find over time that they develop some lateral movement. Better would be to screw some blocks to the side of the legs and then through them at 90 degrees into the base - no end brain that way.


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## topconker (22 May 2019)

Thanks Rick, yep looks like that's what I should do, was just looking for and easy way out.


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## Eric The Viking (22 May 2019)

I often drill across and let in a bit of fattish dowel (and screw into that). It depends how tidy it needs to look and the strength required.


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## Hornbeam (22 May 2019)

Screwing into end grain always used to be a no no but that was with the older traditional style screws. Modern deep thread pozi drive screws will grip fine int end grain but you need very little or no pilot hole. 
I think the best way for your stand would be to attach 4 rails round at base height and then put a plywood base underneath screwed into the rails in to bolt your casters to
Ian


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## ED65 (22 May 2019)

Proper clearance holes in the board and well-sized pilots of sufficient depth (longer than the screws) and you should be fine. If you want to go belt and braces you can reinforce the wood in the pilot holes by dribbling in some glue.

Screwing into end grain isn't as weak as commonly held if it's done right. They are weaker, but that doesn't mean weak. Most of the horror stories are from someone doing it wrong or the wood being particularly weak, and then cautionary tales get extrapolated from there.

Longer screws as already mentioned by LancsRick do help in end grain but you definitely need to be careful about your pilots as the potential for splitting increases with screw length.


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## Steve Maskery (22 May 2019)

I made some dining chairs over 20 years ago. The back seat rail sits between the two side rails and there are two screws each side, though the side rails and into the endgrain of the back seat rail. There is NO play. The forces are simply not in that direction.*
For other applications I would insert a cross-dowel or a Domino. The screw would them actaully be biting into face grain.
All in all it can be done very successfully.
S
*If it was good enough for Sam Maloof it's good enough for me.


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## johnnyb (23 May 2019)

pick fancyish screws. bit longer than normal. by fancy i mean reisser or turbogold or spax. single thread piercing point. clearance through yes pilot not normally on soft wood. 
twin threads are bad generally.


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