How to Avoid Problems When Using Imported Specialty Woodworking Hardware

With an increasing number of specialty woodworking hardware items now being manufactured by unidentified offshore sources and then repackaged by traditional well-known domestic suppliers of such merchandise, much of the built-in design safety factors previously assumed present, based upon long-term satisfactory experience, is no longer available. This situation therefore requires additional caution in the selection and use of such hardware. This is NOT to say that everything within this category is defective, but rather that the Quality Assurance of many past years is simply no longer evident.
The following suggestions are therefore justified and offered for your consideration.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Appropriate Hardware kit
• Drill with the proper diameter bit.
• Hand and powered screwdrivers
• Wood screw lubricant

1. Consider selecting slightly larger hardware component sizes whenever possible to offset any potential loss of strength based on potential compromised quality made for profitability management. If a larger size cannot be used, you may be wise to consider the use of domestically produced hardware offered by a competing manufacturer, particularly if it is made by a company you have successfully used in the past.

2. Read, understand, and execute all recommendations for the optimum accommodation and use of the hardware items selected to obtain the highest level of performance possible. Be sure to provide pilot holes of the proper diameter for all the wood screws to be driven into the wood members of your projects. Also, make sure that the drilled hole match the EXACT center of the holes in the metal hardware used.

3. Closely inspect every item included within the hardware package to assure there are no visible defects which will prevent the hardware from performing as claimed and expected. Don't be afraid to use a magnifying glass to closely examine all critical areas that you can anticipate will become highly stressed during the application and following service of the hardware.

4. Make sure that when affixing the hardware to your wood projects, that the tools used will not subject it to any higher stress than absolutely necessary to properly seat the fasteners. That means that while electrical or pneumatic drivers can be beneficially used to fasten the metal screws to the wood elements of your projects, you should stop short of the final seating action and switch to a hand-held tool in order to provide the final seating torque needed to properly seat them.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider the use of a small amount of appropriate stain-free lubricant when affixing the fasteners used with these hardware items. Doing so will ease the effort needed and minimize any tendency to over-stressing them.
• Alternately, consider also the possibility of using a lubricant that will also provide additional adhesion between the metal of the fasteners and the wood in which they are driven.
• All of the above cautions are completely justified, particularly when you find yourself restricted to branded merchandise you have never used before. I do NOT recommend your automatic rejection of, or suspicion of, products manufactured in any particular nation. Experience has shown that outstanding products have been created in every nation supplying items on a global basis. Experience has also shown that no particular nation has been entirely faultless either.
• (c) 2009 Jerry Buerge

[sonni57]

on 7/30/2009 Good advice for those who do woodworking sounds like you're been there and done that.

[tachic]

on 7/14/2009 Great woodmaking article.