I installed two exterior electrical boxes and I tried to install the plates but the screws stripped out on both holes.
On the first hole I thought I might have over torqued the screw. So I cut, drilled, and tapped a backing plate for the hole.
But on the second attempt I stripped the second hole and I was driving the screw by hand this time.
Do I have to cut, drill, and tap three more back up plates for these boxes?
Any other solutions for this? I have the boxes installed and I don’t want to change them out.
Edited 2/24/2009 9:01 pm ET by popawheelie
Replies
is this an aluminium bell box???
or PVC???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Edited 2/24/2009 9:06 pm by IMERC
It's a brown aluminum box. Everything has gone fine until this.
look closely...
screw too long...
no treads in the box...
metric to SAE threads or vise versa...
pre chase the threads...
cat's meow....
http://www.kleintools.com/ToolCatalog/index.html
or use a 6-32 tap mounted in yur cordless...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
I have the 6-32 tap. I used a piece of steel about an 1/8' thick for the first one.
Tomorrow I think I'll use some thick plastic so it won't corrode.
These boxes are junk.
why not chase the exixting hole with the tap???....
ummmmmmmmm.......
are you using the right holes???
are you trying to squeeze an 8-32 screw into a 6-32 hole???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
Klien makes tapping tool that is stepped. Great for situations like this. I think you can move up three screw sizes or more. Fine threads on one end and flip it over to coarse threads on the other.
yup....
that was in the link...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
When I used your link it whent to the home page. Then I had to search the tool catalog to find it.
I tried a link to the specific page, but couldn't get it work. There got to be a way,.. I just don't know it.
try this...
http://www.kleintools.com/
look under screwdrivers and nut drivers...
then go to tapping tools...
the only link I could get to come up is this...
javascript:CatLnk('Tapping Tools, Awls and Spring Tool');
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
I'm not sure we are on the same page. I was mostly just venting on the (what I think is) lousy product.
I was hoping for an easier fix but I can't see one.
I went out and took a few pictures.
The plate in the box that the screws go through is aluminum. This plate is to thin so the screw doesn't have enough meat.
If you make it out of a softer material like aluminum, make it thicker.
You can see the steel plate I cut, drilled, tapped, and put behind the one hole.
I will pull it out a replace it with something that won't rust. I'm thinking some thick plastic will work. I have some schedule 40 plastic pipe.
I was taught that when you are screwing into aluminum you want about twice as many threads engaged as steel. Kind of hard to do when the plate is that thin.
I get the screws holding receptacles good and tight. Plugging cords in and pulling them out will knock thing out of whack if it isn't strong. I didn't over torque them in my opinion.
I'm going to go fix it now. Like I said, mostly venting.
vent... nothing wrong with that....
now the pic tells all....
this is the fix I use for that...
it's a forever fix...
bazillion other uses too... does aluminium and steel nutserts...
http://www.clipsandfasteners.com/Nutsert_Tool_Kit_p/a11806.htm
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
That would do it. I have some nut-zerts or something like those around somewhere, but they are metric.
install an M3,5 and a 6-32 won't know the difference...
or...
or tap the 6-32 for a M4,0
did I get that backwards...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
Edited 3/4/2009 12:12 pm by IMERC
Easy fix - use Piffin screws !!!
got them in stainless....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
The best thing for that box is nut certs. http://www.mcmaster.com/#nut-certs/=urabm.Buy the tool too if you get them.
And for the cheaper version:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=1210
I think I got it for $9.99, already had a set but had lost the 1/4-20 arborFor those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Are you putting #6 screws into #8 holes? Are the screws too long?
Look at the first picture. The plate with the threaded hole is maybe 1/16" thick.
If it was steel it would be fine. But it's aluminum. To thin. Needs thicker.
The threads pulled right out of the hole.
Was the box made in China? Then that's probably normal. (Or maybe it's metric?)
you know those clips on nuts for sheet metal...
the automotive industry uses them a lot.. the can be had to accept sheet metal screws or threaded fasteners...
the exact name escapes me but you might get the idea... "J" and "U" nuts comes to mind...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
duh....
http://www.northlandfasteners.com/catalog/db6.html
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Thank you. That is a good idea. If I take it apart again I will do just that. I ended up using a couple of stainless steel wood thread screws.
The problem was that the screws were doing double duty. They had to pull in the receptacle and the cover as well. The type of cover I used is held on with those same two screws.
On the second box I used a cover that uses one screw in the middle that threads into the receptacle. It went right together without a hitch.
Everything is in and buried. I'm on to more rock walls. I have to get this ready for plants this spring before it gets to hot.
They aren't on the plan but I've taken on more than the plan calls for. Nether were the two water spigots and the two receptacles.
holy smoely....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
consider a type F in a #8 also...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
BTW....
I trust you blunted the tips on those screws....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
We called those "Tinnerman Nuts" when I was kid. Dad had a briefcase size box full of them.
My job was to sort them back out after he dropped the box and the fasteners all ended up in a heap on the floor. I hated those things!
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
that's the name...
thanks...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"