Tamper-resistant sheet metal screws (Pin type)

[Phil Again]

McMaster-Carr, MSC, and Grainger industrial supply houses have sheet metal screws that go by the name of "pin-in-hex", "pin-in-torx", "tamperproof", or just plain "security sheet metal screws"

Basically, these sheet metal screws are hex-key (or torx) button (pan?) head screws but in the center of the hex key is a hardened pin. Takes a special hex key or torx drive to install or remove. (I presume here that any interested reader can do their own search of the above Industrial supply houses for detailed sketches of what the heck I am talking about.)

There are other "security" sheet metal screws, like "spanner", "One-way" and so forth. But I want to concentrate on Hex or Torx.

I am looking for a tamper-resistant sheet metal screw; i.e. I can take on and off, but not unauthorized.

So the question, how common is the hex key with the pin hole, or the torx with the pin hole? If every Uncle Bob has one of those, then I need to try again. But if it is mostly uncommon, I will feel OK.

Tamper-resistant is not thief-proof nor vandalism-proof, I am looking for casual nosy curiosity resistance. Make them take time to search for a removal tool.

Any opinions on how commom the tamper-resistance hex key and torx key tools are?

TIA Phil

[Ed Pawlowski]

The keep 10 year old girls from taking things apart, but anyone that can order a tool can remove them too. Welding is the only secure way.

[Phil Again]

Not looking for security, only looking for tamper-resistance. Yes, anyone can purchase the tool, but the effort to purchase the tool is enough in my case. Determined bad guys could always use crow-bar with pipe extension and not worry about screws, rivets, or welding at all. However, if everyone has the tool already, and the effort to purchase isn't there, then I will go with a spanner type sheet metal screw. But I would rather go with a pin-in.

[Limp Arbor]

It is very uncommon for a run-of-the-mill person to have them but they are easy enough to get.

[Pete C.]

A full security bit set is available from numerous sources for $5-10. If you want any sort of security or even tamper resistance you really need to look at something beyond the screws.

[KC]

Harbor Freight has a set of bits for around $8 to fit every security screw you mentioned, including spanners. So yeah, they're very easy to get. The only one I didn't find in the set was a 5 sided w/pin for the screw that holds the handle on a propane tank. KC

[mm]

They seem pretty uncommon to me. I've bought sets of special tips, in red vinyl bricks, maybe 3 x 2 x 2 inches. They contained torx, but not pin-in iirc. I've only seen them at hamfests and iirc harborfreight.

I have another set in a baby blue hard plastic box, with hinges at one end and a handle at the other, and it has pin in. Sold at the smae places. Right, it was not expensive, but I bet less than 1/2 a percent have them.

[mm]

I looked at the ad, and it itemizes the tips, but doesn't mention pin-in. The kind with the hole in the tip.

[mm]

I looked at the ad, and it itemizes the tips, but doesn't mention pin-in. The kind with the hole in the tip.

[Joe]

Torx are far less common than hex in the market currently. Choose that for your project and take advantage of the better drive characteristics of the Torx heads. Torx drive surpasses even square drive construction screws on commercial jobs. Try them yourself with an impact driver and be convinced. I don't know if they are in the market yet, but if you can find screws that take a Torx socket (female) there just isn't anybody carrying anything like that around in their pocket. Bolts in that pattern are showing up in automotive. Good luck.

Joe

[Doug Miller]

In article , Phil Again wrote: [...]

In stock at most Ace Hardware stores, in my experience.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/11/2009 8:03 PM mm spake thus:

I have a set of those bits from Harbor Freight, and I'm pretty sure it includes those ones with the holes for pins.

[KC]

Click on either of the 'related items' in the ad and you will see a blownup pic of the bits.

[Pete C.]

You need to look at your set closer. The little red brick contains pin-torx, pin-allen and pin-spanner as well as several other less common varieties.

[Pete C.]

You didn't read it very well, in the list are:

9 hollow tip torque 6 hollow metric hex 6 hollow SAE hex

"Hollow" is just another description for the pin-in, pin center style. They can also be clearly seen in the pictures.

[Pete C.]

You didn't read it very well, in the list are:

9 hollow tip torque 6 hollow metric hex 6 hollow SAE hex

"Hollow" is just another description for the pin-in, pin center style. They can also be clearly seen in the pictures.

[Stormin Mormon]

My 100 piece HF set didn't help me take apart my cell phone. I'm also not sure it had the proper tip to dissemble Leatherman tools. Five lobe pin torx, or some strange setup.

[Stormin Mormon]

What is your application? What are you trying to do?

The "drilled torx" or drilled hex screws will make it obvious that you don't want others to dissemble your device. How effective is this? No way to know, from here.

[catguy]

You could use 5 point torx plus security screws and bits. That's if you can find someone to sell them to you.....Paul

[mm]

Why does this say torque and not torx? But regardless, you're right.

You're right about hollow.

Just 2 days ago I got an add-on for Firefox, Image Zoom**, and this is first time I had a real use fo rit, and you're right. Enlarged I could see that it was torx.

So it's easy to get, but I still th>Tamper-resistant is not thief-proof nor vandalism-proof, I am looking for

I'll bet most nosy people and teen-age vandals (the most common age) have been to or even heard of Harbor Freight.

**