How do I ensure the head of a screw is exactly 3/8 of an inch?

[shortylickens]

I need to replace a bunch of cheap, short screws in the hinges on my exterior doors. Probably need about 64 of them.
Took one out. It looks like an 8 x 3/4" and I want to use 1.25 or 1.5 inch screws as replacements, BUT in order to hold to the holes in the hinge plates, the heads need to be 3/8" and the head diameter is never listed on a box. I took the lone screw to the hardware store and tried to find an acceptable replacement. The only ones with the same size head are WAY too damn long.

Websites also do not list screws by head diameter. The only other options I see is different hinges with smaller holes so I can use one of the many screws I already own, or can find easily at the local hardware store.

 

[herm0016]

the head is as wide as the original screw is long? i find that hard to believe. it should be a #8. all the #8 flat heads should have about the same head shape and dia. just get a #8 screw that is longer. i put at least one 3 in screw in each hinge, usually a torx head construction screw, you just have to be careful not to over tighten and mess up the alignment. Many doors sag twords the latch side and this will prevent that.

 

[shortylickens]

OOPS! I meant 3/8ths!!!

Sorry!

 

[Rifter]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/500-3-8-x1...=item339e3d2e1c:g:CB4AAOSwZjJU6lvA:rk:46:pf:0

 

[herm0016]

3/8 is the root diameter of that screw not the head, and hinge screws are flat head.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/500-3-8-x1...=item339e3d2e1c:g:CB4AAOSwZjJU6lvA:rk:46:pf:0

good lord, is getting the correct fastener for the job at hand really beyond peoples comprehension and knowledge now?

take off the center hinge and bring it with you if you want to double check that the screw fits. if the holes are stripped out, i like to use a bamboo skewer from the kitchen and a little wood glue to fill them, then you can pre drill or not and reinstall the screw. the long fibers of the bamboo seem to work better than small dowels for me.

 

[BoomerD]

3/8 is the root diameter of that screw not the head, and hinge screws are flat head.





good lord, is getting the correct fastener for the job at hand really beyond peoples comprehension and knowledge now?

take off the center hinge and bring it with you if you want to double check that the screw fits. if the holes are stripped out, i like to use a bamboo skewer from the kitchen and a little wood glue to fill them, then you can pre drill or not and reinstall the screw. the long fibers of the bamboo seem to work better than small dowels for me.

A #8 screw isn’t 3/8” diameter. MAYBE 3/16”. He’s wanting a #8 screw that’s longer than what he has. SHOULD be simple as hell to find at Home Depot, Lowes, or any decent hardware store. I agree about filling the holes with glue and wood. I’ve used toothpicks for years. They’re generally made of hardwood and hold pretty well once the glue sets.

Shorty, be careful with longer screws though. If there’s nothing solid behind the jamb where the hinge is, the longer screw will pull the jamb toward the door framing and away from the door.

 

[Humpy]

What you need is a butt screw. The head of a butt screw tends to be a little bigger than your usual screw so it matches better with the chamfer of the hole. Listen to BoomerD about proper butt screw length and filling holes, he knows.

Google it first but Amazon or Ace hardware will have them, preferably brass. National Hardware is a good brand.

 

[Greenman]

This is basic handyman 101. Use any screw that won't pull through the hole in the hinge. These things aren't holding down the heads on a diesel engine.
If you use longer screws be careful that you don't rack the jamb. That's all there is to it, it's an hour job for all 64 of them.

 

[Sukhoi]

If you want to get all nerdy go to mcmaster.com as they generally have CAD drawings of all their fasteners. Also ship to your job if possible as their commercial address shipping cost seems to be much lower than residential.

 

[herm0016]

A #8 screw isn’t 3/8” diameter. MAYBE 3/16”. He’s wanting a #8 screw that’s longer than what he has. SHOULD be simple as hell to find at Home Depot, Lowes, or any decent hardware store. I agree about filling the holes with glue and wood. I’ve used toothpicks for years. They’re generally made of hardwood and hold pretty well once the glue sets.

Shorty, be careful with longer screws though. If there’s nothing solid behind the jamb where the hinge is, the longer screw will pull the jamb toward the door framing and away from the door.

i ws replying to link.

 

[mindless1]

What you need is a butt screw.

That's what she said.

#8 isn't nearly as common as #9 for hinge screws, are you sure you can't use #9?

Also 3/4" and 1" are pretty typical for going through the jamb but longer 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" are fairly rare for hinge screws, the common longer lengths are longer still to get enough length to bite into the frame good, using a shim if needed to not collapse the gap. I'd go with #9 x 1", and coat the holes with a sawdust/glue mix and let it set up for a few hours first.

IIRC I've seen some on Amazon but don't recall where at the moment.

 

[Humpy]

That's what she said.

#8 isn't nearly as common as #9 for hinge screws, are you sure you can't use #9?

Also 3/4" and 1" are pretty typical for going through the jamb but longer 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" are fairly rare for hinge screws, the common longer lengths are longer still to get enough length to bite into the frame good, using a shim if needed to not collapse the gap. I'd go with #9 x 1", and coat the holes with a sawdust/glue mix and let it set up for a few hours first.

IIRC I've seen some on Amazon but don't recall where at the moment.

Yepper, #9 is the size for nearly every residential door hinge in America.

Little expensive:

https://smile.amazon.com/National-H...549503776&sr=8-20&keywords=#9+wood+screw&th=1

A stupid story about door hinge screws, at one point in life I was installing truckloads of doors in large apartment complexes for beer money. A supplier sent out 4 or 5 loads with 1 1/2" hinge screws that were long enough that the doors wouldn't fit into the openings. Everything about those jobs is about cutting costs so instead of swapping or cutting off screws the GC had a drunken laborer bash at them all with a hammer until they were bent over enough to fit.

I still have a bit of a giggle thinking about the poor maintenance guy in that complex who has to deal with permanent hinges when ever some teenager has a door slamming tantrum that needs repair.

 

[jmagg]

If the screw heads aren't fubar, I would remove a screw, fill the hole with a wooden skewer or toothpicks etc, and rescrew. Repete 63 x. Cant see smearing the hole with glue and sawdust. The skewer may benefit slightly with some wood glue at the cost of a mess.

 

[mindless1]

Cant see smearing the hole with glue and sawdust. The skewer may benefit slightly with some wood glue at the cost of a mess.

Try it before you knock it. Has worked fine for me for decades and the mess is minimal, and rebuilds the hole rather than some loose piece of shim material that's fiddly and may just be ejected out the back of the hole.

You don't "smear the hole", you mix glue and a small amount of sawdust in a small container (I have one sitting around already mixed, lasts for years) and just stuff it in the hole with a toothpick.

Granted, this is doing it right and that takes longer. Using a shim piece does not provide the same amount of anchoring. Shim piece may or may not be enough, but considering the original hole wasn't enough, a resulting weaker hole than the original is not really a complete repair, just a fast repair.

 

[skull]

If the screw heads aren't fubar, I would remove a screw, fill the hole with a wooden skewer or toothpicks etc, and rescrew. Repete 63 x. Cant see smearing the hole with glue and sawdust. The skewer may benefit slightly with some wood glue at the cost of a mess.

I tend to grab sticks from outside or splinter up whatever wood is within reach and don't mess with glue. Making the piece big and ramming it in tight with a hammer works the best.

One day I had soft brick and blew out a bunch of holes. I had a 2 x 4 and hammer by me. Start attacking the 2 x 4 with the claw end of the hammer just as the GC walks in. "What in the hell are you doing son? You own a saw don't you?" Don't mind me just making some plugs for my blown out holes.

On that note door hinges seem to accept anything that looks like a drywall screw...