Fastener Supplier?

[Mr168]

I suspect I already know the answer, but is anyone aware of a supplier who manufactures an allen/hex drive button head sheet metal screw in stainless steel?

I have found a single supplier for the RC car/plane industry, but they were available in black oxide finish only. I have located the security/tamper resistant drive, square drive, and torx drive variants, but not a standard allen drive. Everything I've found with a allen drive has been a socket head cap screw configuration.

This is a very limited quantity (<100 pcs) racing application for ease of maintenance/service, where the sheet metal screws are preferred over nut/nutsert and bolt applications, and the allen/hex drive for sake of consistency with the other fasteners on the vehicle exterior.

 

[drawoh]

Mr168,

What size? Stainless steel Hex socket button head screws seem to be standard on bicycles nowadays, probably in M5. I would be paranoid about sockets stripping in any smaller size.

--
JHG

 

[Mr168]

Finding them as machine screws is easy, finding them as a sheet metal screw (pointed/self tapping with coarser thread) has proven much more difficult. Something comparable to a #10 would work for me. Thanks!

 

[MintJulep]

This may be the closest you will find
From Fastenal

 

[DBronson]

Mr168:

Have you tried McMaster-Carr? Lots of variations and available in small quantities.

Link

Regards,

DB

 

[XL83NL]

Where are you located? Whats your budget? I have some options in the EU if money isnt that much of a matter.

 

[Mr168]

DBronson - First place I looked, no luck. It is definitely not a typical catalog item.

XL83NL - In the US, and very small (this is a hobby project). If you know of some manufacturers who do make them, I could always try to find a US distributor for that manufacturer. Thanks!

 

[SnTMan]

Maybe you need to go at it the other way. Select a sheet metal screw and head style, change your other fasteners to match. If feasible?

Regards,

Mike

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[Mr168]

SnTMan - not at this point. The car is about 98% assembled, and the button head fasteners were chosen for their low profile and the fact that everyone standing around has a set of allen wrenches.

 

[SnTMan]

Well, sounds like either the black oxide you mentioned, or you get the hex tamperproof and remove the tamper-proofing.

Yuk.

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[ornerynorsk]

These guys are not showing exactly what you are looking for, but they do carry a lot of unusual stuff and might be able to help.

http://www.fastener-express.com/button-head-sheet-metal-screws-alloy-steel.aspx

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[Screwman1]

How about using a J-nut or a nut plate so that you won't be using a sheet metal screw thread profile. Frankly; I would never allow the use of tapping screws on any of the race cars that I worked on- they generate pretty much 0 clamp load and are prone to loosening. For quick action it has always been 1/4 turn fasteners and socket button heads for none structural attachment of the various bits.

 

[Mr168]

Screwman - The holes are not near an edge, and there is no access to the backside for nuts or quarter turn springs. Otherwise, I'd be using button heads and nylocks as I do everywhere else. Some of the mating surfaces are not flush enough to use rivets.

 

[SwinnyGG]

If you use a bunch of sheet metal screws in a race car you will rapidly distribute them all over the track.

Every race series I've ever been a part of, a car that showed up with visible sheet metal screws would not pass tech.

If this is for Lemons or some other event with loose tech, you'll just piss off all the people that get flats when your car dumps screws everywhere.

Find another way.