In a message dated 06/09/02 8:50:27 AM, elian_degen@cantv.net writes: << when I take it to my shop first thing I do is get the humidity level on what I know is the lower in the area I work. After hundreds of works I always noticed the same simptoms, and it always worked right >> Elian....first pin blocks and plain wood operate differently so lets separate the two and just talk about plain wood......... a screw in wood will get looser as wood dries but not because the hole is getting larger...more likely because the taper of the screw has less wood to hold on to as the thickness of the wood decreases......also as wood dries hole shapes change from round to more oval shaped thereby presenting less surface for the screw to grip. We force moisture laden wood to compress with our screws and as the wood dries the screw dimensions don't change with the change of dimensions in the wood....also the position of the screw does not change with the change in dimensions of the wood...ergo we have what we 'call' loose screws. You are correct in your procedure of tightening screws, but you are also perpetuating the next cycle of 'loose screws' with a supposed symptom of holes getting larger as they dry....... :-) Jim Bryant (FL)
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