re: Brass Screws

Good ideas,The one idea that can cause problems is soap,some soaps have chemicals that discolor the wood and or the screw, I would suggest paraffin as an alternative. A metal screw is what I like to use before installing brass screws,but if you can’t find the correct size for your brass screw the old fashion set of gimlets can get the job done too .

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/augergimletset.aspx