Aluminum set screws....

there are several dozen resin formulations all under the general category of "nylon". Each one has different physical characteristics. Without knowing the exact type of Nylon you are buying, anything can happen.

Paul

What about brass ones (eg. from InStock) ?

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They're not particularly cheap.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

One thing is f'sure: I'da been much better off with *slotted* nylon set screws, rather than socket. I should have anticipated that. Mebbe that's in fact the way to go, if alum/brass are unavailable or outtasight $-wise.

Have you been using coolant on that table? The nylon will absorb water and expand. It may absorb oil too, I do not know.

If you want to stick with plastic, you might be able to find some Delrin screws.

Yup, water soluble oil. That would indeed explain the difficulty in removal!! I had no idea nylon would absorb water!! Heh, reminds me of my ordeal with zinc chloride flux..... lol

"Existential Angst" wrote in news:51a2aaae$0$20197$ snipped-for-privacy@cv.net:

Also, with the socket head in soft material, if it sticks, the camming action of the hex key will expand the "head" of the screw, making it even tighter.

Doug White

That's why I regret not having gotten them slotted.... proly woulda been cheaper, as well. Socket nylon is proly not a good idea in general.

Why not nylon-tipped set screws, or something-else-tipped? It seems like if you dig hard enough you can get regular old steel set screws tipped with spherical or cylindrical slugs of just about anything you can imagine that's softer and more pliable than steel (well, any engineering material -- I have yet to see chicken-liver-tipped set screws).

The purpose of these setscrews is simply one of hygiene, to keep crap out of

650+ tapped holes on a large milling bed. The holes are tapped 1" deep, the setscrews are only 1/4 long -- 3/16 woulda done. SS would do, but I'm not lookin to spend. If worse comes to worse, black ox steel, or brass will do. Or, mebbe just slotted nylon set screws.

Unfort'ly, the slot here is reduced diam, not ideal from a torque pov, given my existing swelling/jamming problems.

Suggest just drill them out whenever the need arises...

--beings you drilled them, you should know precisely where they are located in the machine coordinate system.

If you only want to plug the holes then make or by rubber/plastic plugs.

To plug 1/4-20 tapped hole, less than $.01 each for a bag of 500 and they are reusable.

Set screws, socket head or slotted will still collect chips. So, if you want to use set screws then I recommend you buy brass (if you use like metals then there is a tendency to gall) then make or buy button covers for them. Here is an example of a decorative button cover but it fully illustrates the idea.

And if needs be c-bore your tapped holes to accommodate them.

Tom

given

Spray cold water on them.

If what you want to do is fill the holes-

cover the bottom of the holes with masking tape, melt some wax, fill the holes, scrape top surface clean with razor blade. If you need a hole, poke out the wax with a dowel and go to it.

Kevin Gallimore

If what you want to do is fill the holes-

cover the bottom of the holes with masking tape, melt some wax, fill the holes, scrape top surface clean with razor blade. If you need a hole, poke out the wax with a dowel and go to it.

Kevin Gallimore

Seems like a reasonable suggestion, although not so great as to be worth three identical posts about it.

My take on "tapped 1" deep" is that the holes are blind, which makes it difficult to "poke out the wax with a dowel". It might take something like a hollow screw (ie a screw with a hole down the center, or a threaded cylinder), to force the wax out hydraulically.

EA, McMaster Carr has brass set screws:

Pricey, but they are available

Best, Steve

Heat the Allen wrench enough to melt the wax and push it through the wax. The excess wax will come out with the screw. A thin film will be left on the threads, but not enough to cause problems.