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Q I’m in the middle of restoring the cabinetry on my sailboat, which happens to be my home at the moment. Because of the caustic sea air, I’m building with rot-resistant teak and brass screws. I carefully drill the proper-sized pilot holes before inserting the screws, but half the time, the Phillips head slots strip out before I get the screw seated tightly. Backing out stripped screws with a Vise-Grips pliers is getting old. Do you have any suggestions?
A Stow the pliers down in the hold, set a course up the wharf past Barnacle Bill’s Grog Shoppe, then steer starboard into the ship’s store and procure some standard steel screws. Get ’em exactly the same length, gauge and thread type as the brass ones. After drilling your pilot hole, run home a steel screw (squaredrive heads are the easiest to drive) to carve out some initial threads for the brass ones you’re fond of. Back out the steel screw, slather a bit o’ candle wax on the threads of the brass screw and run it home. Now set a course for dry dock, slip into a berth at Barnacle Bill’s and take shore leave.
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