Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

Any one with experience of screwing...

into conservatory :)

I want to mount some LED strips:

https://www.marcled.com/products/216...567891033.html

onto the plastic "cove" that runs under the roof.


2 options, having pulled one off: It's very heavy gauge uPVC that
"plugs" into a moulding in the ali frame.

1) Coarse self tapper into the plastic (about 1/2" clearance behind)

2) Or straight through into the ali. I think it's a big hollow section,
about 2" thick. Certainly clear of the glass by miles. Should be safe to
screw into.


So what screws?

https://www.marcled.com/raw-aluminiu...349878900.html

is what I actually have to fix. So we cannot go too massive with the
screw. Roughly the equivalent of a 5mm "goldscrew" would be OK.


Would stainless self tappers cope with aluminium? I'd like them not to
rust in place over time.

Or is there are particularly coarse threaded screw that would work will
in uPVC? The weight supported is very low.


Or indeed, option 3 that I just thought of: is it hard to hand-tap a
machine thread into 2-3mm thick ali?



Asking, because I'd like to not make a mess of this!

Cheers, Tim

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

Tim Watts wrote:

1) Coarse self tapper into the plastic (about 1/2" clearance behind)

That's what I'd go with.

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

Andy Burns wrote:
Tim Watts wrote:

1) Coarse self tapper into the plastic (about 1/2" clearance behind)

That's what I'd go with.



Drill clearance holes in the aluminium first, then fit with very low
torque setting on your screw driver to avoid stripping the plastic.

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

On 04/11/2016 20:19, Tim Watts wrote:
Any one with experience of screwing...

into conservatory :)

I want to mount some LED strips:

https://www.marcled.com/products/216...567891033.html


onto the plastic "cove" that runs under the roof.


2 options, having pulled one off: It's very heavy gauge uPVC that
"plugs" into a moulding in the ali frame.

1) Coarse self tapper into the plastic (about 1/2" clearance behind)

2) Or straight through into the ali. I think it's a big hollow section,
about 2" thick. Certainly clear of the glass by miles. Should be safe to
screw into.


So what screws?

https://www.marcled.com/raw-aluminiu...349878900.html


is what I actually have to fix. So we cannot go too massive with the
screw. Roughly the equivalent of a 5mm "goldscrew" would be OK.


Would stainless self tappers cope with aluminium? I'd like them not to
rust in place over time.

Or is there are particularly coarse threaded screw that would work will
in uPVC? The weight supported is very low.


Or indeed, option 3 that I just thought of: is it hard to hand-tap a
machine thread into 2-3mm thick ali?



Asking, because I'd like to not make a mess of this!

Cheers, Tim

Double sided tape and forget the brackets.

Use a short wood screw into the plastic it isn't exactly a heavy load.
Our blinds are held up without screwing into the metal.

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

On 04/11/16 22:02, dennis@home wrote:
On 04/11/2016 20:19, Tim Watts wrote:
Any one with experience of screwing...

into conservatory :)

I want to mount some LED strips:

https://www.marcled.com/products/216...567891033.html



onto the plastic "cove" that runs under the roof.


2 options, having pulled one off: It's very heavy gauge uPVC that
"plugs" into a moulding in the ali frame.

1) Coarse self tapper into the plastic (about 1/2" clearance behind)

2) Or straight through into the ali. I think it's a big hollow section,
about 2" thick. Certainly clear of the glass by miles. Should be safe to
screw into.


So what screws?

https://www.marcled.com/raw-aluminiu...349878900.html



is what I actually have to fix. So we cannot go too massive with the
screw. Roughly the equivalent of a 5mm "goldscrew" would be OK.


Would stainless self tappers cope with aluminium? I'd like them not to
rust in place over time.

Or is there are particularly coarse threaded screw that would work will
in uPVC? The weight supported is very low.


Or indeed, option 3 that I just thought of: is it hard to hand-tap a
machine thread into 2-3mm thick ali?



Asking, because I'd like to not make a mess of this!

Cheers, Tim

Double sided tape and forget the brackets.

Use a short wood screw into the plastic it isn't exactly a heavy load.
Our blinds are held up without screwing into the metal.


Thanks for that.

Not so keen on tape as it get's bloody hot in summer - have a suspicion
tape will fail.

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

On 04/11/16 23:34, Tim Watts wrote:


Not so keen on tape as it get's bloody hot in summer - have a suspicion
tape will fail.

I wondered about the possibility of using a strip of mild steel (painted
or rust-protected) behind the PVC and neodymium magnets glued or screwed
to the light fitting. No drilling needed. Those magnets will grip
through several mm of plastic, but they aren't cheap.

--

Jeff

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

On Fri, 4 Nov 2016 20:19:34 +0000, Tim Watts wrote:

Any one with experience of screwing...

into conservatory :)

I want to mount some LED strips:

https://www.marcled.com/products/216...567891033.html

onto the plastic "cove" that runs under the roof.

2 options, having pulled one off: It's very heavy gauge uPVC that
"plugs" into a moulding in the ali frame.

1) Coarse self tapper into the plastic (about 1/2" clearance behind)

When some uPVC-specific screws came undone with most of the plastic thread
attached I used the suitable screws from Toolstation. They're a tad bigger,
so just screwed in and held.
For many years I've used A2 st. st. fastners on bikes and trikes that get
covered in salt and have never had a rusted one, including ally-steel.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

On 05/11/16 08:54, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 04/11/16 23:34, Tim Watts wrote:


Not so keen on tape as it get's bloody hot in summer - have a suspicion
tape will fail.

I wondered about the possibility of using a strip of mild steel (painted
or rust-protected) behind the PVC and neodymium magnets glued or screwed
to the light fitting. No drilling needed. Those magnets will grip
through several mm of plastic, but they aren't cheap.


That's a rather smart idea!

I used a couple of those monster magnets for holding a plinth on in the
kitchen in front of a part of machines (so it has to be removable).

The LED ali profiles are quite light so it could work.

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

On 05/11/16 08:55, PeterC wrote:

When some uPVC-specific screws came undone with most of the plastic thread
attached I used the suitable screws from Toolstation. They're a tad bigger,
so just screwed in and held.

Any idea what they are called - I can't find any other than generic self
tappers?

For many years I've used A2 st. st. fastners on bikes and trikes that get
covered in salt and have never had a rusted one, including ally-steel.

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

Tim Watts wrote:

PeterC wrote:

When some uPVC-specific screws came undone with most of the plastic thread
attached I used the suitable screws from Toolstation. They're a tad bigger,
so just screwed in and held.

Any idea what they are called - I can't find any other than generic self
tappers?

Don't think TS/TF stock them, but "uPVC repair screws" seem to generally
have a wider thread

e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351561377574

Self tappers for uPVC conservatory
 

On Sat, 5 Nov 2016 17:19:14 +0000, Andy Burns wrote:

Tim Watts wrote:

PeterC wrote:

When some uPVC-specific screws came undone with most of the plastic thread
attached I used the suitable screws from Toolstation. They're a tad bigger,
so just screwed in and held.

Any idea what they are called - I can't find any other than generic self
tappers?

Don't think TS/TF stock them, but "uPVC repair screws" seem to generally
have a wider thread

e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351561377574

Yes - and there are thicker ones available for stripped-out holes. It's just
that I was replacing hinges and the profile isn't very thick at that point,
so having more threads and less 'machining' of the hole has worked well.

I need 2 or 3 screws and everywhere I looked there were boxes of more than
the number in the entire house! Trouble is, apart from abou a tenner wasted
on screws I didn't want, I'd have no use for those 'spares'; the standard
self-tappers are always useful.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway