Here's something for you folks who have an interest in obscure details of Ford manufacturing practices:
The screw pictured below was removed from one of the hinges for the underseat storage compartment in a '12 Touring. Notice that there is no slot in the screw head. Out of 12 screw, this is the only one without a slot. It is an otherwise perfect match for the other screws in length, shank diameter, head diameter, patina, etc. So I think it's just a screw that missed the slotting process.
The question is: How did it get installed ? It is slightly flattened on the head, as if it was smacked with a hammer. As a matter of fact, all of the screws have slight flattening of the head. And the slots were so tight that I had to use a very fine screwdriver to fit the slots. At this point I'm wondering if all the screws weren't driven in with a hammer rather than turned with a screwdriver.
Yes, in the 100 plus years of the car's life somebody else might have tried to tighten the loose screws with a hammer. But how you do you account for the one with no slot ?
Dick
My friend's late father worked for Briggs Body in Detroit prior to becoming an interstate trucker. He once told me that many of the screws were installed with a hammer instead of turning them with a screwdriver in the interest of speed. He always felt they gripped better a result.
When speed matters (Ford's assembly line?), they were installed with a hammer. The slots are for taking them out.
I thought everybody knew that the way to use wood screws is to hammer them in and screw them out.
would the man installing parts have carried a handful/pouch full of screws with him and discarded that one without the slot ??
I have numerous screws from full boxes that were never machined ,blanks no threads, and some, no slots either???????
My grandfather was both a contractor and mechanic. Like Mike and Chuck said, he always told me that the slots were only for removing screws. You put them in with a hammer.
Well, if I'm lucky I learn something new every day. Today I was lucky. Thanks, guys.
Dick
Restoration supply company has those for sale.
And while we're at it: if you like the look of hot rivets yet don't have the tools to install them, i.e., when installing running board brackets, a great way to do this is by using carriage bolts, filing off the numbers on top, and opening up the holes with a file so that they are square.
Another trick I saw in California at a MTFCA meeting was a fellows collection where he installed round headed bolts in a speedster body, the filled in the slots and painted. Looked just like a rivited body. Similar to the carriage bolt trick. In that regard, why not just grind off the square part of the carriage bolt and install so you would not have to file out the hole?
The term for those supplied by R.S.C. are "threaded rivets" and depending on the application, are quite presentable and functional.
I recently rebuilt my '14 riveted rear axle assembly and after drilling out the original housing to center section rivets, I separated the sections and used gr. 8 button head allen bolts in place of rivets (using Lok-Tite and plenty of sealant,of course) for reassembly, then filled the allen wrench holes with RTV and shaped after setting up a bit - hard to tell they're not rivets unless you get down & personal !
Man you guys make my skin crawl talking about installing screws with a hammer.
Don't take us too seriously.....
Tim,
because you would not be able to hold onto the bolt's head. That's why. Either you need a slot of some sort, or you need something to fix the bolt in place, which is what the carriage bolt does.
Bernard: How about removing most of the square and leaving just enough to bite into the hole. Just a thought to make it a little easier. Either way, your way is a neat way to "rivet". Will certainly keep that in mind on next project. Thanks to all for the ideas. That is what this Forum is all about.
Seth -
My tool set has a small hammer, medium hammer, large hammer, big hammer, really big hammer and a sledgehammer.
I also have a log splitter that can be used as a hammer but some folks would call that a maul.
I always use the largest hammer I can for a project so I don't have to do it over again!
Actually, the bigger the hammer, the better for driving screws. One whack and less chance of peening over the removal slot.