"Hanz" wrote in message
. ..
Has anyone try to put s/s self tapping screws into fiberglass and have the
screw break.. :-( Can a put liquid soap or grease/oil on the screw
before screwing it in to the fiberglass??



Any ideas??


Hanz


It's largely a bad idea. The threads on self-tapping screws are very course
and highly-pitched. They offer very little "bite" into the fiberglass, and
are quite destructive to it, causing it to crack and delaminate. Regular
machine screws with their finer threads will do a much better job -- but you
should never rely upon the thread contact between the fiberglass and the
fastener for a secure fastening. Always back up the screw with a nut and
washer -- the larger the better, to distribute the load. And ideally there
should be very little, if any, direct contact between the threads and the
glass -- but I have good success with drilling a hole that the threads can
*just* catch.