Self tapping screws. How many times?

[ChuChu]

Hi,

I have Tamiya kit and one things really bothers me. Tamiya uses self tapping screws.

How many times I can unscrew/ screw without damaging threads in model?

It is like 10 or 100?

Of course it depends on used force and material, but I ask more about "general rule".

 

[Jimbobjr]

Try not to cut new threads each time you use them. Press lightly, turn counter clockwise until you feel the screw drop. Now it’s in the threads and you can gently turn it clock wise in.

 

[Roadman]

I have always back screw till I feel a drop or hear a click. Bad idea to just cut new threads which eventually will strip (

 

[bill_delong]

I don't believe there is a fixed number times you can rebuild a car, but all brands of plastic will fail over time, that's the nature of the hobby. I recommend using a super soft clutch on a 4V cordless drill to get minimize the stress placed on the plastic and to get consistent torque.

I have a TT01 and have rebuilt it over 10 times and haven't stripped any plastic on it yet, though I would be surprised if I didn't strip threads before the 100th rebuild, most folks I know will replace the chassis somewhere around 20-25 rebuilds anyway where excessive slop has formed all over the place and it's cheaper to replace with a fresh kit than to replace all the worn parts.

 

[Jamr]

If you strip out a hole you can always use some glue to get a thread grip on that screw again. I have heard Super Glue works pretty well.