The Timing of the Screw

[Jim Koepke]

A thought on how habitually clocking (timing) screws can pay off.

In many of my project where possible my preference is to align the screw heads so they all face the same way:

Timed It Is.jpg

Some think this odd. Though in many places where professional electricians take care of things it is common. One explanation is it lets the professionals know if an amateur has been mucking about.

This weekend it helped with my project of refinishing the handrails on both porches. With bifocal glasses it is difficult to see what is going on with a screwdriver on the underside of the rails. Clocking the screws made it much easier to get the screw driver in place without contorting my body:

The Timeing of the Screw.jpg

Didn't have to see the whole screw head to get the screwdriver aligned properly. It was easy to align the screwdriver viewing from the side.

jtk

[Tom M King]

A recent handrail job. I wanted them easily replaceable. Posts were already there on a rental house, so I used unseen aluminum blocks with threaded holes, lagged onto the posts.

[Jim Koepke]

A recent handrail job. I wanted them easily replaceable. Posts were already there on a rental house, so I used unseen aluminum blocks with threaded holes, lagged onto the posts.

That looks like a great idea for some of my future railing installation, thanks Tom.

jtk

[Tom M King]

I was using some years old really twisted treated posts to get the straight pieces out of. Being not sure at all if any would go wild, I wanted to be able to replace parts if needed. They've held good through the Summer, so far. Screws in the ends of the pieces, just to show the mortises, were just for support while spray painting.

[Jim Koepke]

Did you make the blocks or are they available commercially?

jtk

[Jim Barkelew]

I have been aligning electrical cover screws for a long time because I saw somebody do it. I threw away almost all my slotted wood screws a long time ago. Now I see I can align Phillips screws . I wonder if somebody can invent an impact driver that will stop at 90 deg increments for automatic clocking.

Jim

[Stan Calow]

I have two friends whose slotted screws on all electric outlets and switch plates are aligned. However, one does his vertical and the other horizontal. Now I can't decide which is right.

[Tom M King]

I made them. I bought 2 of these off ebay 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" ALUMINUM SQUARE 6061 T6511 SOLID FLAT BAR 12" long Mill Stock.

I really like those Spax lags for exterior use that use a T30 driver bit.

Not shown are the two threaded holes into the top. The screws are stainless machine screws.

[Jim Becker]

I also align screws, especially in electrical finish work and always vertical. I've done it on woodworking projects, too, especially when brass slotted screws were a necessary evil. I'm less fastidious about the square drive and torx screws I typically use for woodworking, however.

[Bill Dufour]

Some car nuts clock sparkplugs by stacking washers. In theory it makes a difference.
Bill D

[Scott Winners]

Whenever I have an electrical box open in my house I clock the screw (vertically) when it goes back together correctly.

If my next house has several of the electrical box cover screws clocked horizontally and some of them unclocked I would plan to open one of the unclocked ones to see how bad it is. If I found nice work in 2-3 of the horizontally clocked ones I would probably just handle the unclocked ones and see if there were any issues left to address.

[Myk Rian]

I vote for horizontal clocking on cover plates.

[Jim Koepke]

I vote for horizontal clocking on cover plates.

It could be different in different areas, around here it appears they are straight up at 12 o'clock.

jtk

[John K Jordan]

I vote for horizontal clocking on cover plates.

I vote for torx screws where possible. Those who care can use a magnifier to check the clock.

As for amateurs mucking with cover plates I don't know anyone who calls an electrician to professionally remove and replace plates when painting a room.

[Mel Fulks]

Yeah, straight up is the right way . Vertical is the eye catcher , The Washington Monument would not be nearly as impressive just flat on the
ground with people walkin’ on it, nor would the Empire State Building. And … has anyone here , while reading a story to a child, ever seen
a Grandfather Clock illustration with the hands at 9-15 ?
It is true that Frank Loyd Wright liked horizontal stuff . But ,remember, people like to walk through his ‘flat-irons’ ….but often say
“nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there”