Bright ideas for stripped threads in power socket mounting box

[Graham Dean]

Anybody have any bright ideas for stripped threads in a socket mounting box??

Graham

[Newshound]

Sometimes you can get away with a long thin self-tapper, the type of screw which is often used to hold things like radios together. I usually save them when I fail to do a successful repair.

[Brian Reay]

Use a ballpein hammer and lump of metal to pein the hole a tad smaller then rethread with a special gizmo for the job- about £2 from a good local electrical factor.

Drill out and epoxy a nut on the back.

Brian

[Graham Dean]

Good idea - I'll give it a try assuming I can find some suitable self-tappers...

Graham

[Graham Dean]

Good ideas - I suspect I may end up trying them all...

Graham

[John McLean]

Where do you get the 3.5mm nuts from? Jaymack

[david lang]

Yup!

(1) Remove socket mounting box.

(2) Throw away

(3) Buy new one for very small amount.

(4) Re fit.

Dave

[Andy Dingley]

M3.5 is a standard size form any vendor of small nuts. There aren't many fractional metric sizes, but 3.5 is common.

I'd go with the "peen and tap" option - done it plenty of times. If you can't find a rethreading tool, a standard M3.5 "second" tap with a blob of bodyfiller on the back will make you one.

[Bolted]

John McLean wrote: > Where do you get the 3.5mm nuts from?

A good hardware store, or online somewhere like this,

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Glue nuts on the back of the lugs.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

RS Components. The cost of buying just two might be prohibitive. ;-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Spending about £15 of diesel to the nearest place thats open on a Sunday.

[EricP]

Try an ordinary woodscrew. They work quite well.

[meow2222]

one last option, not especially recommended, but does work. If you have

2 or 3 machine screws with the same thread, you can force the first one in full depth and remove it, then you've got a workable thread for the 2nd screw.

If you then run a 2nd threading screw you';ll then have a perfect thread for the 3rd, rather than a stiff fit.

NT

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Hmmm! will they be open on christmas day?

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Pair of tin snips a piece of tin, cut tin to desired size, bend it over, drill tin right through with smaller drill than screwsize, prise apart the bent over tin, position over backbox lug then compress it over lug with pliers.

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[Graham Dean]

Now I have some of those!

Graham

[Graham Dean]

I wouldn't of thought of this - but, yes, I could see that potentially working...

Thanks everyone - I just need to do it now!!!

Graham

[Graham Dean]

:-) unfortunately, surrounded by plaster overskim and buggered screws - it may have had tocome to that tho!

Graham

[Graham Dean]

Again, good idea- indeed Ive used that option on other things in my past and works well!

Graham