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simpson screws

drbgwood | Posted in General Discussion on March 27, 2006 06:10am

What kind of driver do you need to install those simpson 1/4″ x 1 1/2″ galvanized HDG screws?

The problem I ran into with them the other day was that the galvanization on the heads seamed to be so thick, none of my driver bits would fit.  A rather frustrating part of the day.

Perhaps a metric driver bit would be off just enough to work?

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  1. davidmeiland | Mar 27, 2006 06:32am | #1

    Hmmm... my Simpson catalog, '06, pg. 20, only shows one that might match what you're saying, the SD8x1.25. It doesn't show the head but I assume that's Phillips. They are shown as being EG, not HDG.

    Anyway, I hate to say it but with difficult screws, a cordless impact driver works way better than a screwgun or a drill. WAY better.

    Maybe they've come out with something that's not in the catalog. What are you using them for, and/or what hardware item are they supplied with?

    1. User avater
      IMERC | Mar 27, 2006 06:37am | #2

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    2. drbgwood | Mar 27, 2006 03:32pm | #3

      HDG, or HGD... I was remembering the model #, may have been a little off.  They are hex head screws, I think with 1/4" shafts, about 1 1/2" long.   They always have them around the simpson strong tie stuf at lowe's or home dep.

      I was using them to connect some angle brackets under a deck.

      1. davidmeiland | Mar 27, 2006 03:56pm | #4

        If they are hex head, then use a nut driver instead of a phillips drive tip, and a right-angle drill if you have one.

        1. KirkG | Mar 27, 2006 07:25pm | #5

          The point being ignored or missed is that the Galvinzed coating is so poorly applied that it clumps and makes a normally fitting nut driver, not fit. The ARE a pain in the a**. I just grab another and when I have a moment of down time, I file/sand or grind off depending on how much and what tool is nearby.

          1. DanH | Mar 27, 2006 11:32pm | #6

            Unless it's really bad, usually a couple of whacks with a hammer on the socket will seat a socket on a galv bolt head.Of course, getting it off is a different matter.

            If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people

            happy?

          2. davidmeiland | Mar 28, 2006 03:35am | #7

            I've only used the SDS screws, didn't realize that the others are so bad. I haven't seen any hardware used with them yet.... just the usual PHD stuff.

  2. ohmyohmy | Mar 28, 2006 05:28am | #8

    I used the ungalv. without problems for a long time, then picked up a box of the galv. and had the same problems.

    SO I called the 800 number and complained.

    The guy claimed it must have been my nut driver, never mind it was a new driver and I coould see the galv was too much on about a third of them.

    SO I emailed a complaint, and Simpson sent a zone rep (from two states away) to check it out. He agreed with me, said it was the first time he had seen a Simpson product defect on that scale as opposed to improper intsallation being the issue.

    Got some new screws. Was so impressed with the rep, I posted on this site about it.

    1. User avater
      xxPaulCPxx | Mar 28, 2006 05:32am | #9

      Sweet!Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA

      Also a CRX fanatic!

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