TECH: counter sunk screw dimple tool

To start off i am a little anal with hardware on a car and hate the look of crappy screws in sheet metal.


I have done this many ways in the past mainly using a junk screw and hammering it into a piece of metal with a counter sunk hole in it but it always opens up the hole too much.


to start with i needed a way to align the upper and lower dies. figured a piece of 1/16 tig rod would work and be much better, quicker and easy to replace then turning it on the tip of the die.


next took a piece of 1/2 stainless rod and drilled a 1/16 hole for the rod to fit in. going really slow i got the hole 1/2" deep. at some point in life it will get a set screw to hold the 1/16 pin in place.

set the angle to 82 degrees and turn it to a point.

the lower die is some 1/4 x 1 1/4 steel bar from the scrap pile


first drill some 1/16 holes for as many sizes of screws you plan to use. I did 3 for #6, #8 and #10. any thing bigger i will make another one with an 1/8 pin and a thicker lower die.

using the counter sink drill the holes till the screw head sits in the bore a little below the surface.


now that you spent all that time making the tool its time to use it.

drill 1/16 hole where you want the screw. place metal over lower die put upper die in place and smash with big hammer.

file the back side till the screw slips through the whole.

if you are bolting 2 pieces together on the back piece use the next size up and they pit together perfect.

 

Excellent! Gives it a much more finished look.

Thanks.

 

Great idea! I've been thinking about the same tool, adding a receiver die guided by the pilot at the tip.

 

Clean your lathe

 

lathe was having a tuff day.

 

very nice, you could do a thousand of them for tiny speed holes!

 

Great idea. The alignment pin makes it easy to align panels and put the screw where it looks and fits best. Using an 1/8" pin for larger screws allows you to use Klecos for panel fitting.

A dirty lathe is much better than no lathe at all.

N B R

 

Wish I had a dirty lathe! Neat idea. Thanks, BOBBY FORD

 

Great Idea. Man I really need a lathe.

 

i dont know how any one gets anything done with out a lathe

 

That's what friends are for....joe

 

i need to find some better friends

 

lmao...

You're one of the lucky ones you not only how to run a lathe, you own one.

Hell it's been years since I even ran a lathe , but have an old friend that use to have a machine shop & has a small & large lathe in his garage. He considers me to be an adapted son & I call him & his wife "Mom & Dad". He always tell me "Anytime you need something done don't hesitste to call" which has been great. I don't take advantage of him but he's sure been a life saver on making those oddball machined parts I have need in my projects....joe