installing screw eyes

[John H]

I started out "setting" the screw eye into a hardwood frame pushing and turning it with a pair of pliers; and then ran it the rest of the way in with an electric screw driver with a magnetic nut driver bit. As you can imagine, the screw eye flops around inside the bit.
Is there a special tool for installing screw eyes or do you have any tips on how to do this more efficiently? Do you drill a pilot hole first?
There must be a better way. :)

[funkie]

I am having difficulty imagining what you are describing but in answer to your other question, yes, I always predrill hardwoods. Any other frame I only use an ice pick to push in a pilot hole. Mags

[Carrie]

I generaly Start with a little pilot hole. You open it up a little with an awl but don'e force it. Take your screw eye and put just a little vaseline on the threads. Twist with your fingers as long as you can then use the awl like a fulcrum and turn it the rest of the way into your frame.

[colin]

Hi John,
Heres a neat little tool for screw eyes . It rides on a bearing inside the handle - and the point is good for starting holes too . You can get them pretty cheap from framers supply house like United Manufacturers . I think its called a "twirler " . ( imaginative name , huh ? )

I dont bother with a pilot hole until the frame size gets so big that the larger screw eye size might split it ( but anyhow I gave up on screw eyes and use D-Rings now with regular woodscrews )

Vaseline is good, also the old carpenters trick -- just lightly rub the screw threads alongside your nose or across your forehead .

C

[Helen Zapata]

If the wood is soft, I just push them to start. But if it's hard I first hammer a nail slightly into the wood. Then I take out the nail, and turn the screweye with my fingers for as long as I can. Then I finish up by slipping a small screwdriver through the eye and using that to turn it.

Helen

[Enchanted]

I always drill a pilot hole first. Makes it so much easier.

BUT... I don't put the screw eyes into the frame if I'm framing stretched canvas. I put the screw eyes into the stretcher strips instead. That way I can change out frames without having to repeat the wiring process. I often frame my finished works "temporarily" for displaying my paintings, but the frames come off before storing the stretched canvases. That way I only need as many frames at one time as I have canvases to be displayed.

[John H]

Pilot holes and twirlers - OK. I will definately look into these options. Thanks, everyone, for your helpful replies. I think I'll also look into drills that are small enough to work with minature drill bits. I noticed that the smallest bit in the hardware stores seems to be 1/16 and that's too big for some of the screw eyes.

BTW, I just bought a point-setter... http://www.dickblick.com/zz171/29/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=1109
It's fantastic. It beats hammering tacks into the fame to hold the picture in!

[ArtMarkie]

Hello there,

I always touch the tips of my screw-eyes with super glue or
crazy glue or something like that. It prevents them from
twisting out on their own.

[Laura Shelley]

I've given up screw eyes in favor of D-rings. They lie flat and don't mar the wall.

[JamieWG]

Like Colin and Madame Manga, I use D rings instead of screw eyes. They are sturdier, hold better, lie flatter, swivel....too many advantages to pass up. I always drill pilot holes.

Jamie