I agree with Hank. The screws have plenty of shear strength and you really don't want too much adhesion to the boat should the mast drop. That happened to me and the damage to the boat and mast foot was minimal. Whether the difference in strength between similar sized bolts and screws is really all that much, however, is something I can't even gesstimate. I suspect that it really doesn't make much difference. Just keep in mind that in this case you want the foot to be able to pull free.
Graham

On Friday, September 1, 2023 11:24:58 AM (-04:00), Hank wrote:

> I question whether you want it to be stronger.  The screws are to keep the
> mast step from sliding around when raising the mast.  The should pull out
> fairly easily in the case where the mast drops by accident and applies a
> lever force to the mast step so that you minimize any damage to the deck.
> Once the mast is up and the shrouds are tightened, the step isn't going
> anywhere and the screws really have no function.
> 
> Hank
> 
> On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 11:15 AM DAVID BERG via Rhodes22-list <
> rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org> wrote:
> 
> > Peter,
> >
> >
> >
> > The guy from West System said that you could get it out if you heat up the
> > screw head with a soldering iron, as Graham Stewart also noted.
> >
> >
> >
> > Graham, I wondered why one wouldn’t use wood screws, but I think I saw a
> > rationale in one of the West System guides. I think they tested and machine
> > screws were stronger. That doesn’t exactly make sense to me.
> >
> >
> >
> > I did the West Systems method last night with the 1” machine screws and
> > put some gaffer tape and weighted screw heads with bricks for the belt and
> > suspender approach.
> >
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > On Aug 31, 2023, at 3:46 PM, Peter Nyberg <peter at sunnybeeches.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > David,
> >
> > I was halfway through your post when I started thinking that I needed to
> > reply recommending _against_ toothpicks and/or wood shavings.  Having
> > finished the post, I'll just vote in favor of doing what the West Systems
> > guys suggested.  I've never known a project that went far off track by
> > following a manufacturer's recommendations.
> >
> > That said, I'm curious as to what the expectation is about the possibility
> > of non-destructively removing the mast step at some point in the future.
> >
> > Peter Nyberg
> > Coventry, CT
> > s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)
> >
> >
> >
> > I used wood screws rather than machine screws and inserted them when the
> > epoxy had set but before it cured.  At this stage the epoxy feels firm but
> > you can still mark it with your fingernail. You can also tighten the screw
> > down firmly but don't tighten it so much that you tear out the epoxy. If
> > the wood core is solid and you have the depth, you can use screws that are
> > longer than the hole so that the end grabs into the core material. I would
> > be a bit concerned that without being able to fasten the bolt down and
> > relying only on tape to hold it in place against the hydraulic pressure,
> > the plate might not be held securely.
> >
> >
> >
> > Depending on how hot it is the epoxy usually reaches the solid stage in a
> > few hours. I would not go beyond 24 hours if you can avoid it. If you wait
> > until the epoxy is cured it can be difficult to drill the pilot hole
> > without the bit wandering into the softer core material. However, If you
> > wait too long and need to drill into cured epoxy use a brad point bit to
> > keep the bit aligned. There is no hydraulic pressure to contend with using
> > this method. I don't think that there is any advantage to using machine
> > screws rather than regular screws in this situation.
> >
> >
> >
> > In any event, the worst that can happen is that you just drill it out and
> > try again so I wouldn't worry about it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Sometimes it can be very difficult to remove a screw once the epoxy has
> > set and it is quite possible to break the screw or strip the head. The
> > solution is to heat the screw with a soldering iron before backing it out.
> >
> >
> >
> > Graham Stewart
> >
> > Rhodes 76
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 

-- 
Graham Stewart
gstewart.gm at gmail.com