Bees waxed screws??

[LehighBrad]

When assembling a rifle I read somewhere that some builders rub bees wax on the threads of the screws and around the heads of the screws before installing them. What is the purpose for this?? Weather proofing? Locks the screws into the wood more securely?? Makes removal of the screws easier if need be?? What?

[Jim Kibler]

Makes screw go in easier and minimizes chance of twisting screw off.

[Curtis]

What Jim said +1.  It really makes a difference.  Candle wax or paraffin also work but beeswax is probably the best.

Curtis

[BJH]

Soap works well too. BJH

[James Wilson Everett]

It is even more important, an absolute necessity, for 18th c wood screws.  I often apply bees wax several times to wood screws before they get fully seated.

Jim

[cmac]

Toilet ring seal... Makes a screw holder and is a bit stickier than plain wax

[SuperCracker]

I rolled up a peice of waxed paper so I had a tube about 1/2" wide and 6" long then filled it with melted beeswax (actually a very slightly thinned BW & lard mix). When it cooled you can tear off a little bit of the wax paper to expose the lube stick. It's like a big crayon to screw lube. Easier to use for me and it won't pick up dust and such like a plain stick of BW will.

I intend to try it next with a tube of chapstick when I use up my crayon.

[greybeard]

The only thing I have ever used is paste floor wax on screws.   Works good on browned barrels too. My tin looks to be older than me!!
 
Apply to a warm barrel.

Bob

[Long Ears]

i learned this when I was a small boy. My grandfather was a wood boat builder. All of them built from hardwood. It really helped driving those old slotted wood screws by hand with a old Yankee screwdriver. Bob

[Jackie Brown]

I keep a lump of beeswax on my work bench all the time.  Every screw gets pulled across it.

[KLMoors]

Dittos!

[mattdog]

I use old scented candles.   There are two or three of them variously about the shop.    I rub screws on them and run drill bits into them when drilling by hand.  If using multiple long wood screws I put a high concentration of dish soap 50-50 with water in a paper cup, dip the threads, run 'em in.  Simple, cheap, if you spill it no big deal.

[curly]

I heat my screws up a bit with a propane torch and melt the threads into bees wax.
Curly

[Birddog6]

Basically lubricates the screw & lets it go In & Out easier, less chance of buggering up the screw slot & less chance of twisting off the screw. I like to use Kiwi Past Shoe polish in dark brown for dark stocks, neutral for the light stocks.  I keep a lil Exacto blade in it, scrape the wax with the tip of the blade & put that lil dab in the screw hole, rub the screw across the wax & put the crew in.
But have used beeswax & soap as well.  All seem to work well.

 

[JoeG]

All the above works well
It will also allow you to get that extra 1/4 turn so all your screw slots line up