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Problem with a K3 screw

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cheng076

Problem with a K3 screw

As long as we are talking screws I thought I'd mention a situation that occurred last night. While moving my K3 to get at the rear panel I noticed that one of the acorn nuts from one of the fans had fallen off. In checking the rest of them I found them in various stages of looseness. I suspect that the minor fan vibration caused them to loosen. I retightened them and plan on adding a bit of locktight in the next few days. Just a heads up.

PJ, N7PXY
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Bayard Coolidge, N1HO

Re: Problem with a K3 screw

Wow, that was interesting about the Locktite. I mentioned the issue
to my XYL to see if she'd seen any black fingernail polish, and she
wondered why clear polish (e.g., Sally's Beauty Supply "Hard As Nails")
wouldn't be more feasible/desireable...

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Scott Monks

Re: Problem with a K3 screw

In reply to this post by cheng076

I have used teflon tape (type for plumbing) for this. It is thin so a few turns around a screw don't put much pressure on small parts but, even though it is slippery, it fills in microscopic imperfections so parts don't loosen by vibration.
Scott AA0AA

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 28, 2012, at 12:08, "Ron D'Eau Claire" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Be careful with locktight. It v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y dissolves many plastics.
>
> Some years ago I applied some to a screw securing a plastic part and over the next six months the plastic gradually disintegrated starting from the point where I applied the Locktight. !
>
> I now consider it for use ONLY on metal parts.
>
> Instead I borrow a trick from my post WWII aircraft service days: paint. A drop of fingernail polish between the nut what it tightens against works very well. If you don't want it visible, paint the threads with some and then put the nut on over it, or paint the face of the nut that presses against the fan with black fingernail polish (a common color nowadays :-) and screw it in place before it dries.
>
> It's not so strong that you can't remove the nut, but it should prevent loosening due to fan vibration.
>
> And then there's always lock washers.
>
> 73, Ron AC7AC
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of P.J.Hicks
> Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 9:19 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] Problem with a K3 screw
>
>
>
> As long as we are talking screws I thought I'd mention a situation that occurred last night. While moving my K3 to get at the rear panel I noticed that one of the acorn nuts from one of the fans had fallen off. In checking the rest of them I found them in various stages of looseness. I suspect that the minor fan vibration caused them to loosen. I retightened them and plan on adding a bit of locktight in the next few days. Just a heads up.
>
>
>
> PJ, N7PXY
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
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>
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mcduffie

Re: Problem with a K3 screw

In reply to this post by Bayard Coolidge, N1HO

On Fri, 28 Dec 2012 11:51:52 -0800 (PST), Bayard Coolidge wrote:

> I mentioned the issue
> to my XYL to see if she'd seen any black fingernail polish, and she
> wondered why clear polish (e.g., Sally's Beauty Supply "Hard As Nails")
> wouldn't be more feasible/desireable...

I've used clear for decades. Helps keep things where you put them. Most
all military stuff I used to work on had red or Glyptal on threads to
keep them tight.

Gary
--
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Phil Kane-2

Re: Problem with a K3 screw

In reply to this post by cheng076

On 12/28/2012 11:08 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> Instead I borrow a trick from my post WWII aircraft service days:
> paint. A drop of fingernail polish between the nut what it tightens
> against works very well. If you don't want it visible, paint the
> threads with some and then put the nut on over it, or paint the face
> of the nut that presses against the fan with black fingernail polish
> (a common color nowadays :-) and screw it in place before it dries.
>
> It's not so strong that you can't remove the nut, but it should
> prevent loosening due to fan vibration.
>
> And then there's always lock washers.

How much and what type of solvent does the fingernail polish carry as
compared to LockTite?

My preferred solution is to use nylon-insert stop nuts, which I learned
about when I worked at the Douglas Airplane Works for a brief time. The
local ACE Hardware outlet carries them in all sizes.

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon
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k6dgw

Re: Problem with a K3 screw

Fingernail polish smells like acetone, don't know about LockTite.
Acetone and some plastics make a fairly big and unwelcome mess.

On 12/28/2012 3:41 PM, Phil Kane wrote:

> How much and what type of solvent does the fingernail polish carry as
> compared to LockTite?

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Bill K9YEQ

Re: Problem with a K3 screw

In reply to this post by cheng076

Ron,

Great advice... Thank You!!!

73,
Bill
K9YEQ
K2 FT, KX1 FT, KX3 FT, KAT500 FT

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 1:09 PM
To: 'P.J.Hicks'; [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Problem with a K3 screw

Be careful with locktight. It v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y dissolves many
plastics.

Some years ago I applied some to a screw securing a plastic part and over
the next six months the plastic gradually disintegrated starting from the
point where I applied the Locktight. !
I now consider it for use ONLY on metal parts.
Instead I borrow a trick from my post WWII aircraft service days: paint. A
drop of fingernail polish between the nut what it tightens against works
very well. If you don't want it visible, paint the threads with some and
then put the nut on over it, or paint the face of the nut that presses
against the fan with black fingernail polish (a common color nowadays :-)
and screw it in place before it dries.
It's not so strong that you can't remove the nut, but it should prevent
loosening due to fan vibration.
And then there's always lock washers.
73, Ron AC7AC
-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of P.J.Hicks

As long as we are talking screws I thought I'd mention a situation that
occurred last night. While moving my K3 to get at the rear panel I noticed
that one of the acorn nuts from one of the fans had fallen off. In checking
the rest of them I found them in various stages of looseness. I suspect that
the minor fan vibration caused them to loosen. I retightened them and plan
on adding a bit of locktight in the next few days. Just a heads up.

PJ, N7PXY

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Fred Townsend-2

Re: Problem with a K3 screw

In reply to this post by Phil Kane-2

Gentlemen:
I have my doubts about acetone being used in nail polish but it's possible
some manufacturers are using it to cheapen their products. It's a poor
solvent for this purpose. However there is no doubt acetone is used in
almost every nail polish remover. I keep some in the medical cabinet to
unstick fingers bonded together with crazy glue. That being said acetone
should never be anywhere near any electronics. I have shut down production
lines because someone snuck acetone onto the line for cleaning. It doesn't
have to come in contact to damage plastics and other encapsulating materials
used for electronic parts. The vapors are enough to cause latent defects
that may take years to mature. It particularly damages polystyrene used in
some high stability capacitors. Wonder why your VFO drifts? It may be
because someone used acetone on it years before. If you must use a solvent
for cleaning, say flux, use isopropyl alcohol.

Loctite is corrosive. Read the label. It is not recommended for some metals
or plastics. If you most use Loctite in electronics use the blue (mild)
colored product. Some Loctite is used for chemical welding and can never be
undone.

Glyptal is the favorite of the military, Collins, and FAA. However xylene
has been banned in electronics in many countries. Ever heard of glue
sniffing zombies? It does brain damage and it's a mild carcinogen. There may
be a xylene free Glyptal out there; I don't know. My bottle is 50 years old.
A little dab will do you if you keep the cap on tight.

None chemical means such as the formally mentioned Nyloc nuts or mechanical
locking hardware is the preferred technic for locking parts and they don't
void your warranty. (See Eric's earlier post on corrosionX.)
73
Fred, AE6QL

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 5:37 PM
To: [hidden email]; 'Elecraft'
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Problem with a K3 screw

Fingernail polish uses acetone which, of course, will soften *some*
plastics, but unlike the solvent in Loctite, acetone evaporates completely
and the end result is quick-drying, chemically stable coating.

Of course there is always Glyptal which uses xylene for its solvent. That,
too, will soften some plastics. But it, too, dries to a chemically stable
state, unlike Loctite.

I don't know what Loctite uses.

73 Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Phil Kane
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 3:42 PM
To: Elecraft
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Problem with a K3 screw

On 12/28/2012 11:08 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

How much and what type of solvent does the fingernail polish carry as
compared to LockTite?

My preferred solution is to use nylon-insert stop nuts, which I learned
about when I worked at the Douglas Airplane Works for a brief time. The
local ACE Hardware outlet carries them in all sizes.

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402

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Vic Rosenthal

Re: Problem with a K3 screw

This is soooo off topic, but I once worked in a carpentry shop where acetone was used to
clean contact cement from veneer. On my first day at work, I sat down to eat lunch with my
co-workers. After a few seconds, I suddenly felt like my butt was on fire! I jumped up to
roars of laughter to find that one of the guys had put a rag that had traces of acetone on
it on my chair.
I wonder if there are "latent defects" after all these years?

On 12/29/2012 11:16 AM, Fred Townsend wrote:
> I have shut down production
> lines because someone snuck acetone onto the line for cleaning. It doesn't
> have to come in contact to damage plastics and other encapsulating materials
> used for electronic parts. The vapors are enough to cause latent defects
> that may take years to mature.

--
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/

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