Stainless steel screws with oak

[Woodmonkey]

I've nearly finished making an oak table for my garden, will stainless steel screws be ok for attaching the top or will they cause blackening?

 

[Steve Maskery]

SS or brass will be fine, they don't react with the tannic acid in the oak.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Great cheers, that's what I thought

 

[AndyT]

I used cheap stainless steel screws from Screwfix on my oak garden chair 5 years ago and they are still shiny.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/garden-chair-in-oak-t43584.html

 

[Woodmonkey]

Nice chair Andy, that will be next on my list once the table is done

 

[scgwhite]

Bear in mind that SS screws are weak tortionally - or whatever the word is. They must have a pilot hole and countersink, and I'd advise greasing the threads as well. They are very easy to strip heads or snap off.

 

[RossJarvis]

Bear in mind that SS screws are weak tortionally - or whatever the word is. They must have a pilot hole and countersink, and I'd advise greasing the threads as well. They are very easy to strip heads or snap off.

Recently I've found most screws snap in oak without good pilot holes, though stainless is the most brittle, I'm wondering if the cores are getting thinner. I rub a candle over the threads, it makes it a lot easier to get them in.