What is the proper sized wood screw I should be using to anchor a standard-sized terminal strip?
Um... whatever fits? Some sort of pan or flat head, at a guess I'd say about a #4 or #6 should work. Just take the thing down to your local hardware store and try various screws. Most stores have a bin of loose screws.
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
A #4 X 1" round head Philips head wood or sheet metal screw is what I use, but I use the European style barrier strips. Come in different sizes and no wrapping the wire around the screw.
That's called a barrier strip, not a terminal strip. And there is no standard size. I know that they come as #5, #6, #8 and #10, at a minimum. Those numbers reference the machine screw sizes.
The size of wood screw to use is, indeed, the size that fits. Since it does not appear that you know what size you are talking about, I recommend you transport the barrier strip of concern to a nearby hardware store, and consult an expert.
If such a hardware store is, unfortunately, not available, you may determine the nominal screw size by inserting different sized drill bits into the mounting holes until you find one that is just slightly loose. This will give you the maximum body size of the screw. You may then consult screw charts to determine the size screw that will fit. Length is determined, generally, by adding the thickness of the barrier strip to the thickness of the wood you are mounting the strip to. The screw length will usually be a standard length that is shorter than that distance. It is likely that a good length will be twice the thickness of the bakelite that forms the barrier strip. Or, perhaps, a bit longer. You will almost surely be best served by either a round or a pan head. On the screw.
If you have any further questions, I hope you will feel free to bring them up here on this forum.
Ed
Whatever size you pick, make sure its a phillips head. Much easier to install when working under a layout.
Jim
EXPENSIVE...
Method of LION is much cheaper, especially when you consider that LION has about a thousand such binding points on the layout of him.
Oh, Sorry... Question was about Wood Screws. You should have a box of several size wood screws in the house, just pick something. Better yet would be pan head sheet metal screws. You should keep several sizes of these too in the house. Philips head is better than straight slot, hex drive is a good choice too.
DO NOT USE A FLAT HEAD SCREW... This will break the plastic strip if you try to tighten it. LION knows, do not ask how LION knows, but we will say him has lots of experience breaking things with flat head screws.
ROAR
PS... House wiring before codes were invented...
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
That looks to be the size of the ones I used on my DCC board. I have a box of #4 screws that were used to fasten the terminal strips to the board.
http://www.readingeastpenn.com/images/construction2/dccboard3.jpg
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I use 1 1/4 coarse thread drywall screws. We buy them in 35 lb. boxes at work so there are always some laying around.
Martin Myers
I also use drywall screws, preferably 1 inch or even 7/8. I like them because they have very sharp points, so they don't need pre-drilling for pine benchwork, and the coarse threads mean it only takes a few turns of the screwdriver to get them fully seated. Most are Phillips heads, too, so it's easier to seat the screwdriver when crawling awkwardly under the layout.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
BroadwayLion PS... House wiring before codes were invented...
Dear Mr. Lion,
That wiring appears to be a bit "grander" than wiring in a typical house. But it appears to me to have been wired to the electical code that was likely in force at the time. While I don't know the age of the building, I do know the first electrical code (US) was from 1897. And, even if the building was not inspected by an "authority" at the time; and since the jolly workers had to choose SOME method to do the work, why not follow the code?
And that type of wiring (knob and tube) still appears in the electrical code today in Article 394 (2011 Edition). Of note is that using knob and tube today is allowed only to extend existing circuits. When I was taking classes in the field years ago, the lecturer at the time said that it was "legal" to wire an entire house in knob and tube, as long as there was a ground. That, I guess, was found unacceptable. Too bad, as I thought it might be great fun to do just that. Once I found a well-heeled victim. Uh, customer.
Anyway, I will note that there does appear to be a code violation with the diagonal cable in the lower right. It is likely a later addition. And also one of the wires appears to be loose from a knob.
While the job was likely legal and approved when built, and thus NOT subject to the following, I will note that NEC 2011 states in Article 394.30(A)(2) that wire shall be supported "at intervals not exceeding 1.4m (4 1/2 ft.)."
7j43kThat wiring appears to be a bit "grander" than wiring in a typical house. But it appears to me to have been wired to the electical code that was likely in force at the time.
The building is more than 100 years old. It is a church building. That stray wire was probably a thermostat, doorbell or intercom. I do not think that North Dakota had a wiring code as early as that, but in that time frame we were also the power generator for the town, and so it was originally a DC system. All of that wire is now gone.
New wiring:
Computer controlled lighting system.
Hey, there's no WIRE in yer wiring!
Nice looking work--it must have been fun.
I'll note that my house, too, is over 100 years old. By a couple of years. Pretty good, for California. There's still some knob and tube inside, doing its job nicely.
Knob and tube, if in good condition, is actually quite safe. There are never multiple conductirs in contact, such that if the insualtion should wear away, a short would occur. The wire is always in free air, or else insulated from combustible materials by the ceramic tube for pentrating studs and partitions. There's pretty much no chance of someone putting sheathing over the joists and then nailing into a wire. It might NOT be so safe for someoone crawling around in the attic who might accidently come in contact with a wire that has degraded insulation, but from a "burn down the house" aspect it's not so bad.
I use 3/4" #6 phillips head wood screws in those terminal strips as I have over 50 of them on my layout for wiring. Easy to use and install. I buy them in a pack of 100 as that's the cheapest way for me.
Neal
7j43k I'll note that my house, too, is over 100 years old. By a couple of years. Pretty good, for California. There's still some knob and tube inside, doing its job nicely.
NP
nealknows I use 3/4" #6 phillips head wood screws in those terminal strips as I have over 50 of them on my layout for wiring. Easy to use and install. I buy them in a pack of 100 as that's the cheapest way for me
I use 3/4" #6 phillips head wood screws in those terminal strips as I have over 50 of them on my layout for wiring. Easy to use and install. I buy them in a pack of 100 as that's the cheapest way for me
NP.
NP01I do exactly the same ... #6 Philips (machine screw)
I don't know how you get a machine screw to fasten into a piece of wood, which I presume was what the OP wanted to do.
NP01 Cool! I too have a 101 year old house in Palo Alto, California. Complete with knob and tube that is actually in good condition. NP
Cool! I too have a 101 year old house in Palo Alto, California. Complete with knob and tube that is actually in good condition.
I hate it when my knob isn't in good condition.
maxman NP01 I do exactly the same ... #6 Philips (machine screw) I don't know how you get a machine screw to fasten into a piece of wood, which I presume was what the OP wanted to do.
NP01 I do exactly the same ... #6 Philips (machine screw)
He might have meant "sheet metal screw," the points of which are definitely sharp enough to bite into soft pine benchwork.