My husband and I are making windows for our cottage. We would like to know if there is a paste or lubricant we can use for long wood screws that will allow them to thread easily and protect them from rust? Just in case 10 years from now the window needed to be replaced, so as not to break the screws off. – Lucinda
Tim Inman: A well-fitted pilot hole drill is your first best thing to do. Drill the pilot hole as deep as the screw so the threads don’t have to push or swell the wood as they go in deeper. Hard woods need a larger pilot hole, softer woods get a smaller diameter fit. I find that ordinary bar soap makes a great lube for screws. Beeswax works great, too. There are arguments for and against, but all in all, I use both and find nearly identical results. I’ve been restoring furniture for pay for 47 years now, and I have had occasion to refinish a piece or two the second time, after decades of service. The screws were not rusted, and they were holding tight when I removed them — again.
