How to fix screws spinning inside metal wall stud?

chumchurrum

Hi, I've just installed this instrument holder but the screws are spinning around and not fully tightening.

Here is what I did:

• Used a stud finder to mark the wall in the correct place.
• Used the smallest drill bit (shown below) to make two pilot holes. It was narrower than the threads of the screws.
• I know it went through the stud because I felt the drill go through the drywall quickly, then hit something hard. I looked inside the hole and could see metal. It then took about a minute of drilling to break through the stud.
• Screwed in the instrument holder with the drill, then went to hand tighten with a screwdriver but they just kept spinning.

Should I have used an even narrower drill bit? I wasn't sure if the ones labelled Black Oxide were suitable for metal.

Thanks!

MitchellMc

Hi @chumchurrum,

Can you tell me what type of screws you used to attach the holder? From the looks of it, I suspect the screws that came with the kit, or the ones you’ve used, are timber screws designed for fixing into a timber stud. When you pre-drill through a metal stud and try to use a timber screw, it won’t be able to grip properly because the threads are too coarse for the thin metal. That’s why they’re just spinning around instead of tightening.

What you really need are self-tapping metal screws. These have much finer threads and a sharp, self-cutting tip that allows them to bite into the thin metal without the need for pre-drilling. You simply place the screw through the bracket and drive it straight into the stud. They’re often gold-coloured, so if you want them to match your existing black screws, you could touch up the heads afterwards. We are currently adjusting our range of screws in-store, so they are not all available for me to link to online at this moment. I've attached a picture of the type of screw you need.

You could shift your bracket slightly, about 10mm up or down (but still covering the previous holes), and reattach it using proper self-tapping metal screws. That will give you a solid hold into the stud and stop the spinning issue. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell