3 inch or 2.5 inch screw? Help.

[heidiklum]

I'm trying to make a workbench and it specifies that I need a 2x4" screw ut we all know it's not really 2 inches by 4 inches, instead it's 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches like there is a 0.5 inch difference. Anyway if you're putting both on top of each other then that makes 3 inches, so you might think 4 inches screw should work. But then again if you push a little more, it leaves no wiggle room. The end of the screw is gonna be there bulging on the other side. So I decided I would consider a 2.5 inch screw. But isn't that much worse because it's not all the way through? What to pick & what's a solution for this?

 

[thekidisnotmyson]

I'm trying to make a workbench and it specifies that I need a 2x4" screw ut we all know it's not really 2 inches by 4 inches, instead it's 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches like there is a 0.5 inch difference. Anyway if you're putting both on top of each other then that makes 3 inches, so you might think 4 inches screw should work. But then again if you push a little more, it leaves no wiggle room. The end of the screw is gonna be there bulging on the other side. So I decided I would consider a 2.5 inch screw. But isn't that much worse because it's not all the way through? What to pick & what's a solution for this?

For me, it's gonna be better if you're gonna do two 2.5 inch screws pushed in on the opposite sides. Do you get what I mean? It's going to make sure both sides are solidly joined. But then again, you can always do 3 at an angle, so it doesn't push through.