Joe,

Go to a hardware store and ask. I can't remember the same, but there
is a commercial product, usually hanging on a peg at the end of an
isle, which looks like some small strips of aluminum foil. You push
one, or more, into the hole, insert the screw, and tear off the
excess. It molds itself to the hole and does not easily fall out,
though you can remove it if you want. I have used it for what you
want, and at least for me it worked fine. Works on much larger screws
as well.



--
Alan
WA4SCA

Joe,

Go to a hardware store and ask. I can't remember the same, but there
is a commercial product, usually hanging on a peg at the end of an
isle, which looks like some small strips of aluminum foil. You push
one, or more, into the hole, insert the screw, and tear off the
excess. It molds itself to the hole and does not easily fall out,
though you can remove it if you want. I have used it for what you
want, and at least for me it worked fine. Works on much larger screws
as well.



--
Alan
WA4SCA

Hello Joel

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.

Regards Max

Hello Joel

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.

Regards Max

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.


Joel & Max-

I was about to reply with Max's suggestion when I read his. I did a search on
HeliCoil and came up with:

http://www.ersco-mi.com/helicoil1.html

http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.html

and

http://www.ezlok.com/

Of the first two, one may be the manufacturer and the other a distributor, but
that isn't clear. The third appears to be a similar competitor. I would start
by checking with a local hardware store to see if they have heard of HeliCoil
or EZ Lok.

These require the original threads to be in a somewhat thick piece of metal.
There is also a system for sheet metal I've seen used in Hewlett Packard and
other equipment. Something like a thick washer is threaded and pressed into a
hole in the sheet metal. I don't know if this is available for the repair
industry, or if it is custom made by the companies that use it.

73, Fred, K4DII

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.


Joel & Max-

I was about to reply with Max's suggestion when I read his. I did a search on
HeliCoil and came up with:

http://www.ersco-mi.com/helicoil1.html

http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.html

and

http://www.ezlok.com/

Of the first two, one may be the manufacturer and the other a distributor, but
that isn't clear. The third appears to be a similar competitor. I would start
by checking with a local hardware store to see if they have heard of HeliCoil
or EZ Lok.

These require the original threads to be in a somewhat thick piece of metal.
There is also a system for sheet metal I've seen used in Hewlett Packard and
other equipment. Something like a thick washer is threaded and pressed into a
hole in the sheet metal. I don't know if this is available for the repair
industry, or if it is custom made by the companies that use it.

73, Fred, K4DII

HeliCoils are great and I have used them on cars over the years. But the
cabinets on most gear is sheet metal, and I doubt this would be the answer.
But thinking about it, I know I have run into little 'U' shaped pieces of
metal that slide over a hole and are taped. Maybe I can find something like
that at a hardware store. That's if I knew what they were called...

..
"Fred McKenzie" wrote in message
...
Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.


Joel & Max-

I was about to reply with Max's suggestion when I read his. I did a
search on
HeliCoil and came up with:

http://www.ersco-mi.com/helicoil1.html

http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.html

and

http://www.ezlok.com/

Of the first two, one may be the manufacturer and the other a distributor,
but
that isn't clear. The third appears to be a similar competitor. I would
start
by checking with a local hardware store to see if they have heard of
HeliCoil
or EZ Lok.

These require the original threads to be in a somewhat thick piece of
metal.
There is also a system for sheet metal I've seen used in Hewlett Packard
and
other equipment. Something like a thick washer is threaded and pressed
into a
hole in the sheet metal. I don't know if this is available for the repair
industry, or if it is custom made by the companies that use it.

73, Fred, K4DII

HeliCoils are great and I have used them on cars over the years. But the
cabinets on most gear is sheet metal, and I doubt this would be the answer.
But thinking about it, I know I have run into little 'U' shaped pieces of
metal that slide over a hole and are taped. Maybe I can find something like
that at a hardware store. That's if I knew what they were called...

..
"Fred McKenzie" wrote in message
...
Anyone have any words of wisdom?

The word of wisdom here is HeliCoil.


Joel & Max-

I was about to reply with Max's suggestion when I read his. I did a
search on
HeliCoil and came up with:

http://www.ersco-mi.com/helicoil1.html

http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.html

and

http://www.ezlok.com/

Of the first two, one may be the manufacturer and the other a distributor,
but
that isn't clear. The third appears to be a similar competitor. I would
start
by checking with a local hardware store to see if they have heard of
HeliCoil
or EZ Lok.

These require the original threads to be in a somewhat thick piece of
metal.
There is also a system for sheet metal I've seen used in Hewlett Packard
and
other equipment. Something like a thick washer is threaded and pressed
into a
hole in the sheet metal. I don't know if this is available for the repair
industry, or if it is custom made by the companies that use it.

73, Fred, K4DII

"Joel" wrote in message
...
I have a few nice rigs I come across at hamfests and they always have
missing screws because the threads are stripped. I was wondering if
anyone
had any success in filling the holes with something. I'm have had limited

I use a pop-rivet type tool that installs a threaded insert into the
aluminum or sheet steel housing. I don't know the brand of insert that I
use but there is a similar type shown here at
http://www.rivetsplus.com/manufactur.../dl_insert.asp

The HeliCoil works really great for stripped threaded inserts in block
aluminum or steel but don't seem to do much good at all when it is just a
casing screw in a sheet metal box that is stripped. Often when I come
across one stripped hole I will drill them all out and replace the entire
set. Hope this helps.

Michael Beaveridge
VE7YXX

"Joel" wrote in message
...
I have a few nice rigs I come across at hamfests and they always have
missing screws because the threads are stripped. I was wondering if
anyone
had any success in filling the holes with something. I'm have had limited

I use a pop-rivet type tool that installs a threaded insert into the
aluminum or sheet steel housing. I don't know the brand of insert that I
use but there is a similar type shown here at
http://www.rivetsplus.com/manufactur.../dl_insert.asp

The HeliCoil works really great for stripped threaded inserts in block
aluminum or steel but don't seem to do much good at all when it is just a
casing screw in a sheet metal box that is stripped. Often when I come
across one stripped hole I will drill them all out and replace the entire
set. Hope this helps.

Michael Beaveridge
VE7YXX