nina_jenkins•1mo agoProlific Poster

Had to choose between helicoil and epoxy for a stripped M42 mount screw on a Nikon F2

I went with the helicoil because I figured it would hold up better over time, but I was sweating the whole time drilling into that old brass plate and it came out perfect.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jenny1mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, were you not nervous about the heat too? I actually set up a little fan to blow on the brass while I drilled, just in case. I've heard stories of the plating bubbling from heat buildup. And honestly, I feel like the helicoil just gave me peace of mind that I won't have to crack the camera open again for that same screw. My F2 sees regular use and I'm pretty rough on it, so I'm glad I went that route.

taylor_young1mo ago

Did you ever worry about the brass cracking from the heat of drilling? I've seen helicoils hold up way better than epoxy in the long run too, especially on something like a Nikon F2 where that mount screw gets torqued down a lot. The brass is pretty soft though, so I always go slow with a sharp bit and keep it cool with some cutting oil. I had a similar situation on a Pentax Spotmatic once where the epoxy let go after a few years, but the helicoil on my F2 is still solid after a decade. It's the right call for anything that gets regular use.

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