Tight Screws

[Leon]

One of the things that I detest is stitching out the router table plates on my router table. Bench Dog brand and a large Triton router hanging under it.

The plate that I use 95% of the time is some type plastic material not totally unlike a phenolic material. The router hangs by 4 flat head counter sunk screws that are tightened and loosened by a 4mm hex wrench.

The screws seem to naturally get tighter with time and it is a test of my nerves to loosen them. Using a 4mm Hex wrench with a 24" pry bar firmly attached I give the wrench a slow steady twist. I suppose the pry bar moves 45 degrees and then all of a sudden a loud POP and the screw is loose. I keep a rag over the wrench and screw for the time that the pop ends up being the wrench shattering. The head of the screw is wider than 1/2" so there is a lot of contact area with the router plate.

And my hex wrench now has a 30 degree twist through out the length of the short end.

So what to do. I wonder if an anti seize compound and or teflon tape under the head might be the answer.

[Meanie]

My first suggestion is the anti-seize. I think that would be your best option.

[Lew Hodgett]

----------------------------------------------------- Call Kano Labs in Nashville, they have an 800#, and talk to one of their application people.

These are the people who bring us Kroil.

Lew

[clare]

Wax.

[John Grossbohlin]

Does this appear to be a problem of the bolts sticking in the router or the bolt heads sticking to the table plate? If the former anti-seize would make sense. If the latter perhaps some paste wax or Breakfree would suffice.

John

[woodchucker]

Use an impact driver to loosen up the screws. I know you use that festool thing, but that's what the impacts are great at... banging it gently to loosen.

[Leon]

It is the screw head sticking to the plate. The bolt turns freely once the head is turned any amount at all. The wax is sounding like a reasonable solution. My fear then is that the screws might vibrate loose. LOL Well maybe wax on the head and LocTite on the threads.

[Leon]

I have two impacts but nothing to fit them and engage the 4mm hex socket head..

[Leon]

Thanks to everyone, I think wax is going to be the first thing I try. And then again in a couple of years I can see if that worked. LOL

[Larry W]

Why not try out the teflon tape? You have nothing to lose. I would hold off on trying the antiseize without knowing exactly what the plate is made of. Some varieties of polycarbonate can be weakened by certain solvents or petroleum products, or so I've heard.

[Leon]

I would not think wax would be a problem but teflon will be my second choice. Wax would be much easier to apply. The tape would have to be wrapped around the bottom of the head with nothing to really grab on to.

[clare]

If you use teflon, use teflon PASTE, not tape.

[whit3rd]

You might check the countersink ANGLE to see if it's a match to the screw head. There are 'standard' countersink angles of 60, 82, and 90 degrees; inch-size takes 82 degrees, but metric fasteners take 90 degree countersink.

[Leon]

I'm pretty sure the countersink angle is correct, it is quite wide, so to speak. And as tight as the screws fit I would think there wold be a ridge in the plate countersink hole, and with the screw sitting in the hole it will not wobble.