Woodworking Fasteners And Hardware 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the main advantage of pocket screw joinery in cabinet and furniture construction?
- It creates the strongest possible joint
- It allows fast assembly with fasteners hidden from the face surface (Correct answer)
- It eliminates the need for wood glue entirely
- It is stronger than a mortise and tenon joint
Correct answer: It allows fast assembly with fasteners hidden from the face surface
Pocket screws are driven at an angle through a pre-drilled angled pocket, hiding the fastener inside the joint where it cannot be seen from the finished face.
Question 2: Which type of hinge leaves no visible hardware on the outside of a closed cabinet door?
- Butt hinge
- Piano hinge
- European cup (concealed) hinge (Correct answer)
- Barrel hinge
Correct answer: European cup (concealed) hinge
European cup hinges mount in a drilled cup hole inside the door and attach to a plate inside the cabinet, making them completely invisible when the door is closed.
Question 3: What does the traditional 'penny' (d) system describe when labeling nail sizes?
- The cost per 100 nails
- The gauge (diameter) of the nail
- The length of the nail (Correct answer)
- The type of steel alloy used
Correct answer: The length of the nail
The penny system (abbreviated 'd') is a historical measure of nail length — for example, a 16d nail is 3.5 inches long and an 8d nail is 2.5 inches long.
Question 4: Which type of washer creates spring tension to prevent a nut from loosening due to vibration?
- Flat washer
- Fender washer
- Split lock washer (Correct answer)
- Finishing washer
Correct answer: Split lock washer
Split lock washers have an intentional gap that creates spring pressure when the nut is tightened, causing the washer to bite into both the nut and the surface and resist loosening.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a 'knock-down' (KD) fitting in furniture design?
- To permanently reinforce corner joints with maximum strength
- To allow furniture to be disassembled and reassembled (Correct answer)
- To hide screw heads flush with the wood surface
- To connect metal legs to wood tabletops
Correct answer: To allow furniture to be disassembled and reassembled
Knock-down fittings are hardware fasteners designed to allow furniture to be assembled and disassembled multiple times, as commonly seen in flat-pack furniture.
Question 6: When is a coarse-thread screw preferred over a fine-thread screw in woodworking?
- When joining metal brackets to wood
- When fastening into softwood or sheet goods like plywood (Correct answer)
- When the screw must be removed and reinstalled frequently
- When fastening into very dense tropical hardwood
Correct answer: When fastening into softwood or sheet goods like plywood
Coarse threads have a wider pitch that better engages the larger, less dense fibers of softwoods and the composition of sheet goods like plywood and MDF.
Question 7: What is a confirmat screw (Euroscrew) specifically designed to join?
- Solid hardwood chair legs to aprons
- Particleboard and MDF in flat-pack furniture (Correct answer)
- Hardwood flooring to subfloor
- Deck boards to pressure-treated joists
Correct answer: Particleboard and MDF in flat-pack furniture
Confirmat screws have a specialized thread profile engineered to grip particleboard and MDF panel materials securely, making them the standard fastener in European flat-pack furniture manufacturing.
Woodworking Fasteners And Hardware 2
What is the main advantage of pocket screw joinery in cabinet and furniture construction?