How do you index wood screws ?
 

Hi
I'm installing the trigger guard on my new home made stock, I say that because I'm dealing with a new installation and new holes.
My problem is if I tighten the screw and when tight it lands a half a degree past a perfect line up I'm looking at another half turn.
Needless to say this just happened. I started to take a little off the back of the head and due to the coarse thread of a wood screw it will sink in quite a bit for a half a turn, as opposed to a machine screw.
I shaved off as much as I dared and the best I could get is a quarter turn and the head now sits lower than it should.
As a last resort I welded up the head and cut a new slot in the correct orientation. It's done but far from perfect, it's hard to weld the very edges of the old slot without melting the whole head off.
There must be an easier way but I can't figure it out.
I have no interest in using washers so that's out.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Tom

Tom, This might not work for you but I have done this in the past to time screws in old wood, just put a sliver of a wood splinter in the screw hole then see if you can get the screw to line up Gary

Maybe just using plumbers Teflon tape to increase size of the threads, pending the length & size of threads.
Rufus

Tom,
All the trigger guard screws I've played with would need a full turn to orient correctly due to the irregular shape of the top surface from its original fitting. If the alignment were only slightly off you could make a washer/shim from thin gauge shim stock for under the screw head or add/weld material under the head and refit.

Here is where I get lost, if the screw requires a full or almost full turn due to head configuration, how do you handle that without washers ?
If the trigger guard is against the wood, and the screw head is against the trigger guard tight yet an almost full turn will draw that screw down quite far. It does seem you would almost have to re inlet the guard, but that only helps the first screw you would still have one to go.
I'm not trying to be a pest, just trying to learn to do it right. If you take apart a nice factory gun all lined up your probrably not going to find washers, so there must be a simple way.
Thanks for all the replys, Tom

The fact of the matter is that the screws were all fitted individually when new at the factory with screws that had high heads and were then dressed down after the slot was timed. So, if you are re installing the same screw in a replacement stock, it may not line up perfectly or it may take some trial and error to get there.

The position of the screw when you start threading it in and even the angle of the new hole can effect now the head of the screw seats. You may need to plug, re-drill and try again if it is not working out for you. Or fit a new screw.

Tom,
You can't go a full turn, the point there is that the screws usually only sit flush with the metal in one orientation as that is how they were originally regulated. You said your screws were only off a half a degree which I would guess is not quite accurate as most people could not see one half degree. The point is a thin spacer under the screw head could be a quick, cosmetic fix for a minor adjustment where as adding material to the under side of the screw head via welding and reregulating would be a more appropriate, permanent fix.

Thanks Brian,
Clear and to the point.

Ok thanks guys
I learnt something today.
Tom

That's what I often do, and I use a small wooden match stick.
Sometimes a layer or two of masking tape under the trigger guard is enough to raise it up to get a tight screw, and then compress it down till the screw is north south,

Thanks
I do like the masking tape idea, next time this comes up I'm going to give that a shot.
Tom