Quick pockethole screw question

[Fred Voorhees]

I never noticed this until tonight when I went to order a thousand Kreg screws. I have been getting low on 1 1/4" Kreg course washerhead pocket hole screws. I failed to pick them up last week at the Woodworking Show, so I pulled out the Rockler catalog tonight to order some using a Visa $100 debit card I won today at work. Anyway, the question - when looking at the screw selection in the catalog, I noticed that they have sizes 7 and 8. I assumed that 7 and 8 were size designations. Upon further examination, they don't have #7 in the 1 1/4" course variety. In fact, no #7 is available in the course format. So, is the #7 a fine thread and the #8 a course thread? Just when you think you know everything

[Joe Shinall]

No, it has something to do with the size. Not exactly sure what it is. But the reason I know is Woodcraft has #7 coarse thread kreg screws also. I'm sure it has something to do with shank or head thickness.

[Joe Shinall]

From what I just read, #8 is a slight thicker shank and head from #7. Was what I thought but didn't want to say for sure until I researched it.

[glenn bradley]

In general, coarse for softwoods and fine for hardwoods is the recommendation. McFeely's has quite a selection including Hi-Lo in #7 x 1-1/4"

[Ed Peters]

In general, coarse for softwoods and fine for hardwoods is the recommendation. McFeely's has quite a selection including Hi-Lo in #7 x 1-1/4"

Wanted to say that I have had a lot of bad luck with the Hi-Lo's. Threw them away after the first faceframe. #7 is a smaller body diameter than a #8. The smaller body size works great in hardwoods but can be easily stripped in softwoods, so....#7 for hardwoods and #8 for softwoods or plywwod.

Ed

[Bobby Thistle]

Quite a while back after just getting my pocket hole jig I discovered that I could get 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 screws for more than less than what Kreg wants for their screws - course thread. They are called partical board screws and are the same washer heads that Kreg sells. They work fantastic for soft wood and plywood and the price is right.

--Bobby

[glenn bradley]

Wanted to say that I have had a lot of bad luck with the Hi-Lo's. Threw them away after the first faceframe.

Uh, they're primarily for particle board. I wouldn't suggest them for hardwoods. If I was doing face frames I'd toss 'em too. ;-) The OP was bemoaning a lack of coarse thread options so I tossed that out there for him.