What screws do you guys use to fasten 1x2 inch legs to an L-girder?
Edit: Maybe I should explain myself a little better. I don’t mean the braces now, I mean where the leg touch the L-girder. Can I use regular drywall screws or must I use heavier things like bolts?
You can get by with drywall screws as long as the legs are braced. Make sure not to get the drywall screws in the same grain or pilot drill them.
Yes the legs will be braced and I will drill pilot holes. How many drywall screws do you recommend? The L-girder is made of 1x4 inch with 1x2 on top.
On the corners, 2 from one side on from the other.
The legs on my benchwork are 1" X 4" from Seivers. It uses a carrage head bolt, 3/8" or 11mm, because that is what it came with. I also added four regular #8 wood screws for extra stability, but my legs are wider. Since your leg is so narrow, I would use a bolt, nut and washers. Regular screws might cause splitting of the leg while your working on the bracing.
I use nothing BUT drywall screws. I did make the leg stronger by making it L-shaped. Cut two strips of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood 3-3 1/2 inches wide. If you want them longer than 48", rip them out of a sheet of 4’x8’ plywood, then cut them to the length you want.
I clamp one into my bench vise narrow side up. Using small clamps, lay the other board along the edge of the one in the vise, lining up the edges. Drill small pilot holes through the top strip into the other one. This will prevent the strips from splitting when you put screws in them. Remove the top strip, then apply a bead of white or yellow carpenter’s glue. Reclamp the strips and screw some #6 or #8 drywall screws. Attach the legs to your L-girder. You can run diagonal braces from the legs to points on the L-girder, or to each other. I had some serious wobble in my legs until I used this method. I saw this construction method on one of the DREAM-PLAN-BUILD DVD series available from Model Railroader.
I agree that driving screws in such a thin section of wood is risky without drilling a pilot hole. As long as you’re drilling holes, why not just drill a 9/32" hole and use 1/4" carriage bolts? I used them on my all-2x benchwork and they’re plenty strong.
I use two 1/4" carriage bolts per leg and have never had a stability problem.
My layout is all put together with 1 1/4" drywall screws. Fast, hardly need a pilot hole and a lot cheaper than 1 1/4" #8 wood screws.
Jim
I would also agree with using carriage bolts. 1 1/4" DW screws piloted/ countersunk may be fine elsewhere where there is no sheer factor, but even on a braced leg, I wouldn’t rely on just the DW screws. You can temperarily set the leg w/ a couple screws then drill and install the carriage bolts. Just don’t place the screws where you need to drill for the bolts.
You may want to consider using at least 1x3 or 2x2, 1x2 is very flimsy unless your using doug. fir or hardwood. Even clear pine 1x2 won’t give the stability needed.
Bob K.
Here’s a couple of pics on how I put my together. I used drywall screws and drilled pilot holes. Hope this helps.
(click to enlarge)
Tom
I used 6X2 wood screws, all pilot drilled first, and only used carriage bolts to fasten the modules to each other…and boy is it solid! Only braces, no gussets.
EL, I ripped some 1X4 lengthwise, and used the two pieces, cut to the length of the legs I wanted, as small L-girders, too. So, in my case, I split the 12’ lengths, then cut the resulting two pieces into 47" lengths for my legs, but made them into L-girders. That way, they are very strong and will withstand lateral forces. However, as your question suggests, where they anchor to the frame corners, there isn’t much depth there, so not much strength. Two 2" screws at each corner, and then a diagonal brace of the same ripped 1X4 material, screwed with 2" screws where needed.
The pictures above are essentially it.
I’m one of those “where’s the drywall screws” kind of guys. I use drywall screws for almost everything and keep a supply of 1" to 3" in stock all the time. Except! for the legs on my L-Girders. For them I use 1/4" carriage bolts. (And for a few other things like fastening L-Girders to the wall directly, I use self drilling Lag bolts). Yes, be sure to pre-drill for the drywall screws. I use the screw set drills and use one just slightly shorter than the drywall screw I am using.
I have used drywall screws exclusively. I even recycle them. I use them as temporary clamps while I make the L girder. When the glue is dry, I take them out and reuse them. Also if I have to splice two pieces of L girder together, I use them on the splice until the glue dries. Then remove them and reuse them. I use carriage bolts in the bottom of each leg so I can level the bench work.
I used a bit better quality screw ’
just in case someone sliped and fell on the layout
drywall screws have weak sheer force
Mine are the conical profile that would be self-countersinking, and of the Robertson (square hole) type. I really like the action of the drywall screws, but I don’t think they are robust enough.
I like your pictures very much, thanks for posting them.
I can read in the book ‘how to build model railroad benchwork’ that bracing should be at 45 degrees angle. Is this very importent? Can I make the angle less then that and still get a stable leg?
You can make the braces at any angle but the closer you get to 45 degrees, the more stable the table will be.
Tom