Why chipboard screws have a coarse thread

Nov 13, 2025

The Material Science: Understanding the Substrate

  • Composite Structure: Materials like particle board has loose construction. They lack consistent structure in grain wood that has inherent tensile strength.

  • It’s Soft and Crumbly: The inside is weak and can easily be torn apart. A dainty screw thread just doesn't have enough to grab and will strip out under pressure.

The Simple Genius of Big, Chunky Threads

The coarse thread is the perfect solution for a crumbly material. Here’s how it works:

  • More Bite, More Grip: Those big, wide threads act like cleats on a football shoe. They sink deep into the material and grab a huge amount of particles, creating a super-strong hold that resists being pulled straight out.

  • It’s All About Space: The deep grooves between the threads act like little conveyor belts. when using the screw, they make the saw out of the hole. This keeps the material from getting packed too tight and cracking—a common problem with fine-threaded screws.

Coarse vs. Fine Threads: It’s No Contest

Still not convinced? Here’s the simple breakdown:

 
 
Feature Coarse Thread (The Champ) Fine Thread (The Runner-up)
Best For Particle board, MDF, melamine. Solid, natural wood only.
Holding Power Incredibly strong in "flaky" materials. Tends to strip out easily.
Risk of Splitting Much lower. Much higher.
Ease of Use Drives in smoothly and holds tight. Fights you every step of the way.

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The Whole Package: How the Thread Works with Other Features

The awesome thread doesn’t work alone. It’s part of a dream team:

  • A using Tip: There is a visiable tip in many type of chipboard screws  ( Type 17 point). This easily drill the hole so the coarse threads can lcok in without loosly.

  • Full-Length Grip: This threads run throughout the groove, so you get a strong, consistent hold from top to bottom.