I've been rebuilding Harbor Freight LED Work light. to eliminate the dual function, I like the panel light but not the 3 LED Flashlight.. I also allows me to practice my one handed soldering.

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I came across a screw that did not want to come out. I found out why when I finally got it out...

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Hey I thought it was funny. I think they got it hot and fused it into the plastic. Wonder if this was approved by their managers?

Side note: These suckers gobble qty 3 AAA batteries. In modifying one to use a USB phone charger it uses 0.7A. put a power diode in series it works just fine.

 

Side note: These suckers gobble qty 3 AAA batteries. In modifying one to use a USB phone charger it uses 0.7A. put a power diode in series it works just fine.

I have one of these free flashlights on my refrigerator for use during power outages. It's been there for 2-3 years and still works.

I have some free HF LED flashlights that use 3 AAA batteries in a holder. I started using 18500 batteries with a spacer (drilled out piece of 3/4" CPVC pipe) for alignment. You can use more typical, and less expensive, 18650 batteries if you can find a tube extension that fits.

 

That does not look like a stripped screw to me. The process of threading hardens the metal, which means there is always evidence of the previous threads.

That looks more like some sort of pressed stud -- more like a nail than screw. Epoxy or maybe CA is the best solution to hold it in place. If the plastic is acrylic, use epoxy or even a polyurethane adhesive. CA and some acrylic plastics are not compatible. In fact, CA fumes are quite detrimental to hard rubber too (circa 1940's and before), which is OT and not relevant here.

 

FWIW - I got every free flashlight that HF has given away over the years. Some are OK, and the "work light" in #1 is probably the best. Not really a flashlight in that mode but handy in the car, for instance.

Anyway, I had some credit on eBay to use up and got myself one of these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80000LM-Or...695889?hash=item5b87c28411:g:zH0AAOSwSypY-MUg

I no longer have any use for other flashlights. That thing is awesome, and it's just a cheap one. The truly fancy ones must be awesome.

 

That does not look like a stripped screw to me. The process of threading hardens the metal, which means there is always evidence of the previous threads.

That looks more like some sort of pressed stud -- more like a nail than screw. Epoxy or maybe CA is the best solution to hold it in place. If the plastic is acrylic, use epoxy or even a polyurethane adhesive. CA and some acrylic plastics are not compatible. In fact, CA fumes are quite detrimental to hard rubber too (circa 1940's and before), which is OT and not relevant here.

Thing is, it has a Phillips pan head and it was where a plastic screw was supposed to be. I didn't mean the screw was stripped. but the hole it was in surely was. I figure they put it in there to hide where they stripped the hole.

Basically the screw manufacturer missed one.

 

My youngest son works for a company making deck accessories. 4 or 5 years ago they were buying the screws from China, counted and prepackaged for the items, Philips head screws similar to that one. The people packaging the items at the factory never looked at the packages and just put the required number in each box. It wasn't found until they started getting phone calls from customers and sellers of the products that NONE of the screws in one batch wasn't threaded. They were formed and even plated without ever being checked. His company had to send people out to distributors and big box stores to open all of the packages and replace the screw packs with good ones, and they even over night UPSed screws to the people that bough the bad items. Now when they get a box of the crew packs checking each pack is one of the jobs done.