-klb- Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 No, I'm not looking for how to fill in the holes. And Google has not been my friend on this one. (or at least not yet)I'm wondering if anyone here has tackled this one before. Each time you insert and drive a tapcon screw, it tends to cut a bit more, and reduce the holding strength. Eventually it won't even snug up. I still really like the solution, but I need a way to recover some of the holding value as things wear. Especially on some of the brick that seems especially prone to chipping out.I'm considering using epoxy, or epoxy putty to slightly build up the inside of the hole to tighten up the grip. I figure I need something like a golf tee to work the epoxy into the hole, and leave a opening behind, and that the epoxy should be allowed to fully cure before driving the screw in again.Anyone have experience with this issue, and ways to handle it? Any thoughts on the epoxy solution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanta Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I have used Gorilla Glue to restore holding power, but that was for permanently affixed Tapconns. It expands and really holds well, but don't know how it'd hold up to repeated driving and removal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Burge Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 If you are using the tapcons that require a 3/16 hole (1/4" tapcons ) you can drill a 1/4" hole and use plastic anchors they are very good for re-use. I use these all the time and they are very durable, while tapcons tend to strip the hole out very easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cenote Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 actually, every year, same problem. I use caulk in the holes when I screw them in. Works for me, i always have some of it hanging around the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Herberger Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Insert a piece of weed wacker line or a zip tie cut off in the hole, works like a charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Just to attempt to understand the original question: Are you using these every season, then removing them? I'm not sure Tapcons are a good application for that for the reasons you mention.It would probably be better to use a small plastic anchor. Find one that is similar in color to your brick, or you could use a dab of paint to make it exact. Leave the plastic anchors in place, and then just put the screws in each season. I don't think the anchors would be any more noticeable than the holes left by a tapcon...Just my thoughts - Sorry if I totally misunderstood your problem!-Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeiilll Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Well a couple of the solutions on here will work and I have a couple of things that I have learned over the years working on houses.First off if you can go to a permanent style of anchor base it would be better for you in the long run. I use small lag shields in brick to hold on fake shutters on houses. They work great and can be epoxied in if one should loosen up. Another type of anchor is a threaded anchor for machine type screws. Drill a hole, then epoxy in the anchor and you are good to go with an anchor that will outlast you.As far as trying ot tighten up a tapcon screw, it can be very frustrating. I have used small strips of rubber on each side of a screw to help it stay in place and tight although most of the time I never intend to remove the tapcon again and usually will epoxy one in if it loosens up. Also a small piece of wood (think large toothpick size) will help a screw tighten up as well.Unfortuately tapcon screws are not really made to put in and take out a lot but you might try your idea of epoxy putty to line the hole and make threads for the tapcon. Mix the putty and put some in the hole with a small stick to work it in the hole. Grease up a tapcon screw so that the epoxy will not stick to it and use it to "thread" the hole going gently so as not to pull the putty out. Gently unscrew the tapcon and let the putty set and see how that works.Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 I agree that tapcons are probably not the ideal solution, but for the first few install cycles, they work quite well. One possibility is use them until the holes start loosening up, then switch to the plastic anchors. My problem with the plastic anchors is that I have seen far too many that were installed in drywall and asked to hold more than they should. So I don't trust them.I think the big claim to fame for JB weld is how much temperature it handles for being an epoxy. I suspect it also has ground metal as a filler, which may help transfer heat to any cooler connected surface. Since I don't anticipate heat being an issue, I'm not sure how much value it adds over other epoxies.I wonder if some other filler in epoxy might make better sense. Drilling dust from the brick itself? Spherical glass powder, as is often used in boating fiberglass work? I'm trying to remember what other fillers are often availble at boating supply shops.I think I may have to take a couple of my spare bricks, and do some test cases this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabian Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I cheated and I just went to the next size Tapcon. The 1/4" version doesn't seem to loosen up as easily as the 3/16" version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeiilll Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 JB Weld is a fantastic product for many things but in this case I think it would be too runny unless as you said you could use some filler like micro-balloons. I use the JB Weld to apply the motor retainers on high powered rockets that I build as it can take the heat as well as the structural strength that it has. It really is something once it sets.I think for your case though you might think of something like Mighty Putty which comes in a stick form that is actually two materials in one piece that you cut a piece off and knead it to activate the epoxy properties. It would be thick eonugh to not run out and you only need to cut off as much as you need at a time.Also I would not use plastic anchors either. Use the metal ones made for lag bolts or the ones for threaded machine screws. Tougher and will last forever.Might help to know how much weight you are trying to hold and how big (or small) a screw you want to use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajohnson Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I agree with Tim Herberger. I also use toothpicks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonbeaty Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Us hillbillies here in TN use plastic wrap around the screw (just wrap plastic around it to make it thicker than the hole then screw it in) the plastic will mold into the threads works for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 What kind of weight/pressure are you requiring? What is the application? I am guessing it is substantial if you are using tapcons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 It varies. Sometimes as little as a snowflake. Other times they are just pinning a frame into a window recess in the brick. But some of them are holding the top and bottom brackets to a vertically oriented 10 foot section of 3 inch PVC covered in 3,200 lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Don Gillespie Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Jason Burge wrote: If you are using the tapcons that require a 3/16 hole (1/4" tapcons ) you can drill a 1/4" hole and use plastic anchors they are very good for re-use. I use these all the time and they are very durable, while tapcons tend to strip the hole out very easily.This is what use most of the time I actually use these to mount my controllers very strong and tought o pull out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne K Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I work in the mainteance dept. at a local school and a cut off wire tie is what we use if we strip one out. We will normally use the biggest one that will fit in the hole and a time or two put 2 in a hole if it is real big. This gives it almost as much strength as an original installWayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts