Problem screw

Fairly common I believe. Sheds have them.

'ere

I would hazard a guess that the reason the threads stripped is that the screws have got the wrong threads for the back boxes. How old are the boxes? The standard changed from - was it 2BA to 3.5mm - or something like that, 2 or 3 decades ago - but there's still a lot of old boxes around. As others have said, you can buy long screws from the sheds - but they'll be to the current standard. Mind you, the threads in the boxes are probably shot as well. You really need new long screws and a long tap to re-make the threads in the boxes - or better still, replace the boxes and then repair the plasterwork around them.

Set Square wrote on Tuesday (13/01/2004) :

They were 4BA. Usually it is the thread in the boxes which strips. One dodge which might work is to bend the threaded metal tabs at a bit of an angle to the screws, so that they gain a little grip. Another way which might help is to pinch some tabs from another metal box, most 13 amp sockets have a couple unused. Araldite these in place behind the existing tabs.

can we have a quiz who knows what BA stands for ;)_

I use woodscrews - works fine

British Association...

I donated your prize to charity ;)

LOL!

Get new screws of the same size but with nuts. Ensure lengths are sufficient to accommodate new additional nut widths behind box lugs, Drill clearance holes in the box lugs. Use araldite on nut faces and "glue" to back of lugs using temporary shorter screws to "clamp" into position. when araldite is beginning to harden, remove the temporary screws and leave until the araldite is reasonably hardened then screw in the new final screws.

Jaymack

A common problem for decorators I think. Often those bloody things will just not go back. I would have thought the little threaded things in the box could be replaced but I've never seen them.

Electrical screws of the long variety are available at most places that sell electricial bits.

If you have stripped the tin box, replace it.

And even B&Q etc.

Rather a lot of work if it's buried in decorated plaster?

Drilling out the remains of the thread and glueing on a back nut is the easy solution - although finding 3.5mm nuts isn't easy. Maplin stock them, though.

yeah but what size? I dont have anything 2 to 3" long in such a narrow width.

Regards, NT

Ah, mystery solved. Its an old box.

Thanks, NT

On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 10:29:08 -0000, "stuart noble"

Ive used boxes where the bit the screw fits in to could be removed-it was helld by two lugs so it could move up and down but other boxes only have one fixed and one moveable Stuart

though doing so without glueing up the thread of th enut (or the thread of the screw holding it) isn't trivial.

And CPC, Farnell and RS (aka TLC :-) IIRC

What would be useful is M3.5 threaded pillars or stud pillars (not sure if these are the correct names: I mean a piece of hex section brass with a female thread through it, or a female thread at one end and a male thread at the other). I'm sure they must be available somewhere - anyone know where?

-- John Stumbles

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-+ 1. There's no such thing as a free lunch. 2. The more something seems like a free lunch the more expensive it is.

PVC and Brass spacers

exactly.

Presumably it wouldnt need to be 3.5mm, just anything that fits.

I use something like clear bostik it doesn't have to do anything more than hold the nut in place. A lick of grease on the thread should stop it sticking, but on the few occasions I've done this it's been ok without.

Just such a thing - a pillar with a male thread at one end, both 3.5, used to be available from MK. Haven't seen them around recently, though.