[Elecraft] 5119 is alive!

[Tom Hammond]

Hi Bob:

>The only possible weakness I have found is in the chassis screw/ 2-D
>fastener interface.  My shack is literally a cubbyhole room built in my
>garage.  It is only climate controlled when I'm operating, so it sees high
>humidity and heat regularly (100F at 100% humidity.yes, Houstonians have
>gills).  After 6 months, I'm finding the chassis screws are getting stuck in
>the 2-D mounts from corrosion or galling between the aluminum mounts and the
>steel (I guess) screws.  I now have 2 screws that I've not been able to
>remove before striping out the heads.  Any suggestions (both for screw
>removal and long term protection)?

Long ago, I found that the ONLY case screws which I really TIGHTEN down are 
those I don't intend to remove often. My shack is always climate controlled 
and although I don't SEE any deterioration of the screws, I HAVE certainly 
found that the screws do NOT want to be removed if you really tighten them 
down. Nowadays, I just 'snug' down the screws I remove frequently. They 
stay tight,  and won't voluntarily back themselves out, yet they can be 
readily removed by the right-sized screwdriver.

One other thing I've found is the absolute need to use the properly sized 
Phillips screwdriver.  We Americans tend to use Phillips screwdrivers which 
are generally too small for the head of the screw we're working with. I use 
a #1 Phillips screwdriver in the Elecraft screws and it fits nicely.

For what little it might be worth, here's how I determine which size 
Phillips screwdriver to use - If I put the tip of the screwdriver into the 
screw head and if I can rotate the screwdriver (in the head of the screw) 
AT ALL, the screwdriver tip is too small...! If I cannot get the tip of the 
screwdriver to fit SNUGGLY into the screw head WITH ADEQUATE DEPTH, then 
it's too large. The right size tip has NO SLACK SPACE when rotated and fits 
deeply into the screw head.

WATCH OUT TOO... some American Phillips screwdrivers are made with too much 
'nose' on them... the heavily-pointed tip won't allow the blade to drop 
down into the screw head deeply enough for you to obtain a snug fit... this 
is a prescription for a rounded-off screw head... and eventually a damaged 
screwdriver as well.

73,

Tom   N0SS