Ways to hold screws the other side of a panel

One of the many types of captive nuts - often used on cars. The issue you'll have is how to secure it on the blind side . . .

If the screw is long enough you could fit the nut by hand and then grip the end of the screw with a mole grip while tightening the nut with an open-ended spanner. John

Yes, I remember doing this before when faced with similar problems, thanks for reminding me of this. :-)

Are you intending to tighten it up with the Allen key on the screw side or a spanner on the nut side?

Depending on whether or not you want to remove the fixing at some time, you could try a tiny spot of superglue to hold the screw in place if tightening using the nut, or nut in place if tightening with the screw. In any case, I very much doubt that a spot of superglue would resist breaking using an Allen key or spanner to turn whatever it was holding. If you don't intend to remove the fixing you could use epoxy to hold the screw or nut on.

If the panels are to be secured permanently then use pop rivets. If the idea is that the panels are to be removable then use self tapping screws. Other alternatives are Riv nuts. If the panels do not have the holes already drilled, use nuts superglued onto the back, drill through the nut and panel with an appropriate tapping size drill and finishing off the thread with a tap from the nut side. Any loose nut and bolt solution will give the same problems undoing as you are having tightening up.

Richard

A nicer way of obtaining the same result is to spin the fixing nut on as far as you can, then at the open end of the thread spin on two more nuts and tighten them together. You can then hold the screw from turning by means of a spanner on one of the locked nuts, while tightening the fixing nut with a second spanner. Use the two spanners to unlock the two nuts, and spin them off the thread. Job done.

I hate mole grips…

Rather than drill a clearance hole in the panel, why not drill a slightly smaller hole and tap a thread in it to suit the screw you are using? You can then screw in the screw from the blind side so that it says put when fitting the nut. Unlike solutions with superglue, it can later be dismantled if necessary.

That would avoid chewing up the threads with the mole grip.

At M4, you might be able to saw a slot in the screw end and use a screwdriver to hold it for the final tightening.

Yes, as you say one way would be to fix the head 'permanently' somehow, it feels as if fixing the head rather than the nut would be easier. I think this might well be a good way to do this, thank you.

Clever!

Lots of ideas suggested but might it not be easier to find a helper for a few minutes. The helper doesn't have to be a rocket scientist. :)

Clinch nuts or hank bushes?

Sometimes, yes, a helper is the obvious approach but I'm sometimes alone and quite isolated when working on this.

Could use a suction cup instead of a magnet, depends what's available.

I was thinking the same. An excuse to purchase a set of taps if you don't have any.

I got line from Lidl. They come round occasionally.