LED SWITCH THREAD REPAIR ?

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com has brought this to us :

Wots Yur REAL Problem?

Please try and write a little story about whot your are asking about. :-?

You have two. One is a spare.

Most electrical/electronic switch nuts are fairly common and easy to replace. Just look in any junk box full of old switches and potentiometers. However, the plastic switches use a somewhat coarser thread pitch. I'm not sure how well standardized those are.

If you're desperate, wrap some baling around the threads a few times and twist tight. If it holds, you can leave it alone. If not, loosen slightly and screw the wire until it's tight onto the mounting plate. I've done this a few times in situations where things just have to work, not look good.

If that's not good enough, duct tape.

AE6KS

awwwww Lieb that is soooo sloppy.

isn't there a fine thread die abt .5 inch or 7/16th's in your drawers ?

incroyable ! never rethreaded a switch bolt ? XXXXX the bolts are just waiting there for rethreading....

Get this...there are 7 here nutless. Collected them this afternoon. 3 are hella's for expletive deleted.

there is a question of fine thread nylon nuts but I'll look now....wait one....

asks more questions....Hella would be metric, I assume not proprietary as that would be a potential loser. I could ask but Hella is short handed.....wuhwuhwuh

I can ask Practical Machinist

I'll drag one down to the Universal Hardware Store n ask the Wizard.

nnnnnnnnnnnn

switch bolts here measure abt .5 inch fine thread....how does this translate into a metric sizing ?

Yep. Think of it as a temporary fix until you can find the proper nut.

Wrap the threads in electrical tape and secure the switch with a small hose clamp?

Sugru? Make you own plastic nuts?

Measure again. I don't think there are any switches with a 0.5 inch pitch diameter.

Nope. At a former employer, I got fed up with looking for spare nuts of the variety of pots and switches. So, I ordered about 1000 each of various sizes that we commonly used including the decorative nuts. When I left about 9 years later, the bins were about half full. That's about 50 nuts lost each year, which isn't too horrible.

Hint: To get maximum strength from the nut or bolt, you'll need at least 3 or 4 mating threads. If you rethread it with something too coarse, it will probably strip out because of the lack of mating threads.

Got a thread gauge? If not, go shopping.

Identify the switch maker and model number. Identify the threads. Then go Googling for replacements.

The only difference between coarse, fine, US standard, metric, and various proprietary plastic thread standards is how much force you need apply to make it fit.

He'll say use the baling wire.

Wizard? Anyone that knows what they're doing is not doing retail customer support. You're more likely to get some clueless part time high skool graduate with zero experience. Have him figure out the thread size and get out of there before he sells you something.

Well, you can order seven new switches, they'll come with the hardware. And you can start collecting these parts from all the discarded appliances you see.

Or you can ask an elderly coworker if he/she has a jar of these at home.

Some (not all) might be available commercially; mcmaster.com calls them 'panel nuts' but I see only inch sizes and threads.

no gauge as yet....I'm planning finding an SAE fine die will butcher a metr ic into submission for a EUREKA !!! a panel nut.

One of the years great terminology locations...ace Dude .

As it worked in, the current project required 2 switches and there were 2 n uts.

so far right....with few threads. 3 layer plywood panel. Maybe use aluminum ...

No, the Hardware Wizard is alive and .....at work here in S. Florida with a reservoir of Liebermenn and Muzi's on hand supplementing SSA. Experts stan ding around bored waiting for Gyro's arrival with a puzzle.

The project is a success. Next hooking in a LED flasher relay to the Mother Ship LED installation on the roof rack side's n rear. complete with a Span ish rendition of: El Coache is backing up...and a standard truck beep beepe r for exits from Mac's parking lot..

But great relief app roaching the Standard Western Interstate 3 Mile Stalle d traffic Lineup at 75 mph ...just over the rise. The one past O'Neils gold mine hole ....road where the ambulance crew is onsite.

the 550 mounted low as designed with 10 ga wiring from batt does the job Le Mans style. One 550. The 550 pair was meant for lighting the right berm as the 550 has a tight narrow beam.

Roof mounted 550's suffer the same problem as corn grown in winter.

See al the roof mounted macho lighting setups right ? I dunno. I have't fou nd a light ...not looking in off road tho...that flacks BEAM DESIGNED FOR R OOF MOUNTS..

Clearly the 550 was designed as a bumper level mount.

Hella fogs were tired from the roof n that was a complete loss. No go there at all.

Roof mounted 550's suffer the same problem as corn grown in winter. all.

the opposite.