Types and features of self-tapping screws for furniture assembly
The assembly of cabinet furniture is a very demanding process. And for its high-quality completion, the use of reliable fasteners is necessary. To understand the many types of furniture fixtures and their features is offered below.
What is a self-tapping screw and its purpose
A self-tapping screw is a particular type of a metal screw; in relation to wood, such a fastener is an element with a wider pitch of turns and a flat or sharp end.
In furniture stores, you can find connectors with straight, cross or hex head. To screw them in, you need screwdrivers with the appropriate type of bit.
Advantages and disadvantages
One of the main advantages of using a special fastening is the eccentric tie, which provides, on the one hand, a reliable fastening, and on the other, it can be easily hidden from view.
Of the shortcomings, a hexagonal head is most often noted, for which it is necessary to purchase an appropriate tool. And this is almost the only minus that can be found.
Varieties of furniture connections
Two types of fastening can be used to assemble furniture:
- furniture screws;
- confirmations.
The self-tapping screw has a sharp end and a small thread pitch, while the confirmat has a wider pitch and a larger diameter of the rod. The first type is most often used when collecting interior items from solid wood, plain and laminated chipboard, MDF.
The confirmat has recently been more widely used, it differs from the self-tapping screw first of all by the expansion after the end of the thread during the transition to the part with the fastening head. In such a simple way, a higher quality of the screed is achieved.
If the self-tapping screw can be screwed into the panel with a regular screwdriver without previously prepared holes, this will not work with the confirmation.
Universal screws
Screws for furniture allow you to get an acceptable quality of the screed and a neat connection, but when working with this type, you cannot make mistakes. A slight misalignment when fixing such fasteners - and both fastened elements can be damaged.
Self-tapping screws do not withstand repeated unscrewing from the same hole, therefore, if an error is made at the preparation stage, you will have to drill a place for the fastening element again.
Also, most often, the diameter of the self-tapping screw is inferior to the confirmation, therefore, the equally reliable and durable tightening of the parts together is not achieved.
Depending on the material, the screw can be metallic, black or gold. Thanks to this, such fasteners can be easily masked without additional elements, only due to their own color.
Confirmates
As already mentioned, confirmations are able to provide a higher quality of the screed. A rather significant drawback of this type of fastener is the impossibility of using it with a material of small depth. It is this factor that limits the use of confirmation, however, in most cases, they are used for cabinets, tables, headsets and countless other types of interior items.
Note! If you plan to use fasteners in aggressive conditions, especially with high humidity, the confirmation must have anti-corrosion protection.
The shape of the confirmation head is selected according to individual preferences. The only caveat is that if you plan to cover the surface of the cap, you should select the elements corresponding to its shape.
How to choose the right screw
First of all, in this matter, we proceed from the material that needs to be fastened. For a thin sheet of solid wood plywood, the use of confirmations is not possible. The main criterion for choosing self-tapping screws is their availability.
For the lion's share of furniture assembly work, especially when working on a voluminous project, the confirmat is the best hidden fasteners for chipboard furniture.
Having chosen with our help the most suitable fasteners for your furniture. You can be completely confident in the quality and durability of such an attachment.
Video: a comparative review of self-tapping screws and confirmations