Drive Screws? We don' need no stinkin' drive screws.

Yan Wo · Apr 7, 2018

Here is a more expensive and difficult replacement for those ubiquitous information plate mounting drive screws:

I found I could tap the existing holes for a loose 4-40. The screws are 1/4" 18-8 stainless steel button head hex allen cap screws.

SLK001 · Apr 7, 2018

Why not just use a drive screw? McMaster-Carr carries them in both plated steel and stainless.

MrWhoopee · Apr 7, 2018

I like S/S button heads. Used them in numerous places when restoring my '63 VW Crew-cab. Is that cheating?

iwananew10K · Apr 7, 2018

Why not use drive crews?

Because they are a PITA!!!

Nice lookin job VanWo!

Rigor · Apr 7, 2018

iwananew10K said:
Why not use drive crews?

Because they are a PITA!!!

Nice lookin job VanWo!

Holy f**k man, it's just a drive screw. Nothing very complicated there. To remove them, use side cutters to pry them out and to replace them with new ones, just hammer them into place. Cheap and simple to do.
Then again if you didn't know how....................

iwananew10K · Apr 7, 2018

Wow, I can die now knowing how to remove a drive screw, I had no idea...

Point is it looks very nice and clean, I like it....and now he can remove that plate at will with no fuss or damage...pretty good for a buck plus change and 10 minutes IMO.

Rigor · Apr 8, 2018

iwananew10K said:
Wow, I can die now knowing how to remove a drive screw, I had no idea...

Point is it looks very nice and clean, I like it....and now he can remove that plate at will with no fuss or damage...pretty good for a buck plus change and 10 minutes IMO.

In a case for authenticity, drive screws all the way.................I mean how often you gonna remove that plate???

thermite · Apr 8, 2018

Rigor said:
In a case for authenticity, drive screws all the way.................I mean how often you gonna remove that plate???

Not as if there was a huge amount of suction trying to pull the average data plate off, either, is there?

Some among us cheat, "ovalize" wotever is handy by vise-crush or hammer blow to fit as a sub for a drive screw.

Advantage? Besides speed and cheapliness?

ZERO risk of busted-off 4-40 taps where threads weren't really needed to begin with.

rons · Apr 8, 2018

Yan Wo said:
View attachment 225155

I found I could tap the existing holes for a loose 4-40. The screws are 1/4" 18-8 stainless steel button head hex allen cap screws.

You can easily damage a plate when trying to remove those old drive screws using the old prying method. Best way is use a drift and drive them out from behind. If you don't have a through hole then pry with care.

I did the same thing with button heads and will do it again.

k3vyl · Apr 8, 2018

I did the same thing years ago with a Logan lathe.Someone had removed one of the drive screws from the gear box at one time or another.I didnt want the plate to get bent up,so I drilled and tapped it for 4/40 and put a brass round head in. Later I finished the job with three more screws.Brass of course.

Yan Wo · Apr 9, 2018

It's great if someone wants to restore their lathe to original condition, but I have no interest in that. I want to make every improvement I can.

In a few years, someone (maybe me) may want to disassemble and refurbish and repaint my lathe, and I think they will appreciate the complete absence of drive screws and taper (and straight) pins.

Purists, please don't hate on me too much.

rons · Apr 9, 2018

Did button head allen head screw exist when your machine was made? The answer is "no" for me.

iwananew10K · Apr 9, 2018

Yan, one of the best mods you can make from a maintenance standpoint is to take a die grinder and make relief notches in the headstock casting, so you can replace the slotted screws holding the gearbox with Socket heads...makes it a snap to pull the gearbox for the occasional cleaning.

You would not believe just how much works it's way in there even after only a month of use.

Scottl · Apr 9, 2018

Yan Wo said:
It's great if someone wants to restore their lathe to original condition, but I have no interest in that. I want to make every improvement I can.

In a few years, someone (maybe me) may want to disassemble and refurbish and repaint my lathe, and I think they will appreciate the complete absence of drive screws and taper (and straight) pins.

Purists, please don't hate on me too much.

100% agree, whether it's a lathe or any other piece of machinery including ones you ride on or drive. If it's rare and needs to be preserved in near original condition fine, but if it's something to use whatever works best is the way to go.

Reminds me of the criticism I got years ago for driving a classic convertible muscle car down a dirt access road. My response was "I use what I own and wouldn't own a carport queen".

k3vyl · Apr 10, 2018

To be authentic on a machine that had drive screws,you need to use drive screws.My SBLs are not museum pieces.I use these lathes constantly.They have not been repainted or otherwise made new. They are not attractive.If I got new plates I would install them with brass round head machine screws,which are easily removed.I have changed all my oil hole screws to socket heads.Much easier to deal with,using T handle allen wrenches.I saved the original slot heads in nice containers so someone can restore the machine to original when Im in a nursing home.Changing little things in a reversible way causes no harm to the machine,but can make it easy to deal with for the operator,owner ,restorer...

Rigor · Apr 10, 2018

Maybe one of you pro button head screw guys can tell me what"s behind that plate that is so critical that you need access to it and that these little screws make it so much better to gain access to........... mystery????
Short of wanting to repaint your lathe?
Enlighten us all please....................

iwananew10K · Apr 11, 2018

mine had a casting flaw the looked just like friggin Alfred E...

QuickChange · Apr 11, 2018

Rigor said:
Maybe one of you pro button head screw guys can tell me what"s behind that plate that is so critical that you need access to it and that these little screws make it so much better to gain access to........... mystery????
Short of wanting to repaint your lathe?
Enlighten us all please....................

Rigor, what is your problem/major malfunction? Permit me to enlighten you: If you like the button head screw idea, then use them. If you don't, DON'T! Geezus, I can't believe this is even being discussed in ANY negative way. It's a button head screw for goodness sake! YanWo, appreciate the tip. Thanks for posting.

Rigor · Apr 11, 2018

QuickChange said:
Rigor, what is your problem/major malfunction? Permit me to enlighten you: If you like the button head screw idea, then use them. If you don't, DON'T! Geezus, I can't believe this is even being discussed in ANY negative way. It's a button head screw for goodness sake! YanWo, appreciate the tip. Thanks for posting.

QuickChange............looks like your getting upset. Relax man....It's all in fun.
I can't help it if I'm an ignorant asshole. I was born that way??? (seems everybody is using that as an excuse nowadays).

Do what you see is right. But saying button head screws are "so much better" because you can remove them? :rolleyes5:

Whatever......

So the OP did it that way, then all is good, Right? .

End of story...........

Yan Wo · Apr 11, 2018

Rigor said:
Maybe one of you pro button head screw guys can tell me what"s behind that plate that is so critical that you need access to it and that these little screws make it so much better to gain access to........... mystery????
Short of wanting to repaint your lathe?
Enlighten us all please....................

Yes. Repainting is my primary motivation. But I like the look, too.

I am only the current steward of my lathe. I expect it to live for another hundred years, at least, and be refurbished and repainted many times.

Drive Screws? We don' need no stinkin' drive screws.

Stainless

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Hot Rolled

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Aluminum

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