On 21 Jul 2003 00:26:21 GMT, (Fred McKenzie) wrote:

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.


Joel & Max-

I was about to reply with Max's suggestion when I read his. I did a search on
HeliCoil and came up with:

http://www.ersco-mi.com/helicoil1.html

http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.html

and

http://www.ezlok.com/

Of the first two, one may be the manufacturer and the other a distributor, but
that isn't clear. The third appears to be a similar competitor. I would start
by checking with a local hardware store to see if they have heard of HeliCoil
or EZ Lok.

These require the original threads to be in a somewhat thick piece of metal.
There is also a system for sheet metal I've seen used in Hewlett Packard and
other equipment. Something like a thick washer is threaded and pressed into a
hole in the sheet metal. I don't know if this is available for the repair
industry, or if it is custom made by the companies that use it.

73, Fred, K4DII

These are called PEM nuts (from Pennsylvania Engineering and
Manufacturing, the originator). This is a high-quality fastener that
is used universally for providing machine-screw threads in sheet
metal. Many different forms available.

They work very well. The hole should be accurately drilled to size...
this is important. And you should use the correct fastener for the
thickness of the sheet metal involved.

It takes a fair amount of force to install one, as it forms the
aluminum into the recesses of the fastener under pressure. But once
installed properly, the fastener is permanent and very reliable.


73 de Leigh W3NLB

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.


Joel & Max-

I was about to reply with Max's suggestion when I read his. I did a search on
HeliCoil and came up with:

http://www.ersco-mi.com/helicoil1.html

http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.html

and

http://www.ezlok.com/

Of the first two, one may be the manufacturer and the other a distributor, but
that isn't clear. The third appears to be a similar competitor. I would start
by checking with a local hardware store to see if they have heard of HeliCoil
or EZ Lok.

These require the original threads to be in a somewhat thick piece of metal.
There is also a system for sheet metal I've seen used in Hewlett Packard and
other equipment. Something like a thick washer is threaded and pressed into a
hole in the sheet metal. I don't know if this is available for the repair
industry, or if it is custom made by the companies that use it.

73, Fred, K4DII

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 21:16:35 +0200, Max wrote:

Hello Joel

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.

I've used HeliCoils in engine blocks, but is there a 4-40 Heli ??

Getting real, the thickness of the threaded part (sheet metal) may
only be 1/16 inch....three turns at the most.

Lock-Tite may be the best answer.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 04:06:51 GMT, "Phil Kane"
wrote:

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 21:16:35 +0200, Max wrote:

Hello Joel

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.

I've used HeliCoils in engine blocks, but is there a 4-40 Heli ??

Getting real, the thickness of the threaded part (sheet metal) may
only be 1/16 inch....three turns at the most.

Lock-Tite may be the best answer.

4-40 seems to be the smallest, although some charts show 2-56.

Three turns is a bare minimum.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 04:06:51 GMT, "Phil Kane"
wrote:

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 21:16:35 +0200, Max wrote:

Hello Joel

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.

I've used HeliCoils in engine blocks, but is there a 4-40 Heli ??

Getting real, the thickness of the threaded part (sheet metal) may
only be 1/16 inch....three turns at the most.

Lock-Tite may be the best answer.

4-40 seems to be the smallest, although some charts show 2-56.

Three turns is a bare minimum.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 21:16:35 +0200, Max wrote:

Hello Joel

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.

I've used HeliCoils in engine blocks, but is there a 4-40 Heli ??

Getting real, the thickness of the threaded part (sheet metal) may
only be 1/16 inch....three turns at the most.

Lock-Tite may be the best answer.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

Joe,

Go to a hardware store and ask. I can't remember the same, but there
is a commercial product, usually hanging on a peg at the end of an
isle, which looks like some small strips of aluminum foil. You push
one, or more, into the hole, insert the screw, and tear off the
excess. It molds itself to the hole and does not easily fall out,
though you can remove it if you want. I have used it for what you
want, and at least for me it worked fine. Works on much larger screws
as well.



--
Alan
WA4SCA

Hello Joel

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.

Regards Max

I just get a slightly larger screw.
Wood screws have a nice pitch to them. Bite real nice.

I work at a sheetmetal shop and use 2 very common fasteners....The
Pemnut which somone metioned and works excellent and the Rivnut which
you can lookup here http://www.bollhoff-rivnut.com/
Either one will solve your problem if you go that route......WZ1U


On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 18:33:09 GMT, "Joel" wrote:

I have a few nice rigs I come across at hamfests and they always have
missing screws because the threads are stripped. I was wondering if anyone
had any success in filling the holes with something. I'm have had limited
success with copper braid in the hole, but it's not permanent, and I hate
the thought of fine copper pieces floating around in the equipment. I was
more thinking of maybe something to fill the hold and then re-tap it. I
could re-tap the hold bigger but then it would look out of place and have to
re-tap them all. Mostly this is a cabinet where on piece of metal overlaps
the other and the back piece is taped.

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

Joe AG4QC