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Timber Lok screws

Started by DSam3, October 26, 2016, 04:58:39 PM

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DSam3

So, I've decided to use some Timber Loks to screw the rafters down onto the ridge beam of my house addition.  It's a short span and I'm concerned that small dimensional timbers might not stay in place in a strong up-lift and low dead load situation. 

The question is, can you use Timber Loks on hardwood without pre-drilling?  I know they are advertised as not needing pilot holes but....

If it matters, the rafters are 4x6 walnut, and the ridge beam is 3x5 white oak.  I milled them last winter, and they've been stacked out of the weather until going up on the frame.
Thanks for any info.

Justin Bailey

I used a similar type of GRK, 10" screw in SYP and pre drilled w/ a 1/8" bit just to be certain I can drive it all the way and also to get the best accuracy I wanted, because I had to hit a cumaru spline which is super hard wood to anchor it.  I also used 8" Headlok, screws and made a pre-drilling hole guide out of 4x4 on a drill press giving me 4" of square guide hole, removed it and continued the rest of the way with the drill, also because I wanted accurate placement.  I would definitely go with at least a 1/8" or probably 5/32" pilot hole in hardwood, It will make your driving of the screws easier because you don't have to worry about aiming them in combination with applying force to the screw with the bit.   Try a practice run through similar wood to a similar depth and see how you feel. 

If you've done nothing but run them through doug fir all day, then yeah probably a good sales pitch for that repetitive application not to need to pre drill, but grain direction and janka hardness of wood complicates it in my opinion beyond what they're saying you don't need to drill for.

Scratch that, if you are in Oak you may need 3/16 or 7/32" depending how deep you are going.

fishfighter

I say yes to a pilot hole for sure. I didn't use Timber Lok screws, but use some lag bolts on my build. Even with a impact, without drilling a pilot hole in oak, I would of never seated them in.

These were 12" long.



 

Yep, had to blow $25 for a 1/4" bit. :( But the lag bolts were free. ;D

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