fasten planks to frame

Carriage Bolts, hot galvanized. If you are looking for self-tapping
screws you obviously don't want to do as much work as carriage bolts
will involve, but they do the job quite well.

For something you can install/remove from the topside only, I think I
have seen large flatheads used on some trailer decks. Probably these:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#tapping-screws/=i9w201

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In article


Well that was useless - darned websites that don't use real pages.

Look at triangular shank wood-to-metal thread-forming screws.

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On 7/5/2012 5:42 AM, Karl Townsend wrote:
...


I shot powder-actuated twisted-shank fasteners (obtained from the local
truck grain bed manufacturer).  They're the cat's meow...

I'm not sure if they were Hilti or some other variety.  I don't think
the BORGS w/ all their propensity for Remington stuff have anything like
'em; at least I've not seen them (altho it's probably been 20 years
since I did this; who knows what they've got in stock or Remington makes
now).

I've used a knurled fastener w/ a threaded back end to mount clips to
the booms on the sprayer to avoid major dismantling where couldn't stand
the heat of a weld otherwise owing to all the tubing, control wiring,
etc.  It's a mild steel structural channel so they'll go w/ the right
charge.

--

They make a screw specifically for mounting 2 by deck boards to truck and
trailer beds.  Its drill point with a couple ears that make a larger hole
through the wood then break off when they hit the metal so the screw can
thread in.  I have a half box of them ont eh shelf.

 

On 7/5/2012 10:39 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
...


Those don't have enough drill to them to make it into a regular
structural channel flange, though, will they?  IIUC, Karl's replaced at
least most of the original rolled steel supports w/ channel...

I tried at least a variant of that before shooting the old truck bed
here and didn't have much (as in any) joy.  It is a 38-series grain bed
with rails which were also rolled but somewhat heavier than a factory
pickup support rail.

There's undoubtedly one that will work but the ones I got which were
supposed to be able to do the job weren't up to the specific task at hand.

--

I used them to do a boat trailer I converted to flat bed and added several
pieces of C channel cross members, but I cheated.  I predrilled all the
holes.  When I redid the boards on my dad's flatbed I just shot them
straight in though.

Bob La Londe wrote:

Pre-drilling the holes and then following up with the self threading
fasteners is likely the best option. Load up two drills with the
appropriate pilot drill and driver bit and it should go reasonably
quickly. Unlike the power-actuated option the fasteners will still be
removable.

On 7/5/2012 1:34 PM, Pete C. wrote:
...


I don't _want_ them to be removable... :)

If I'm still around by the time this bed rots out again, I'm sure it'll
be unlikely I'll be more than a relic in the nursing home at best... :(

Altho I'd expect if it's long enough any bed in question is gone the
amount of rust on the fasteners by then will pretty much make removing
them intact a moot question, anyway.  One can undoubtedly cut them off
w/ the angle grinder far quicker.

--

My home converted flatbed is 5 or 6 years, carries 1.5 ton scissor lifts
regularly, and has been overloaded a couple times with a 3 tons of
equipment.  None of the screws are loose.

(I actually walked outside and double checked before hitting send).  They
are trailer bed screws.