X-Squared Hinge Issue

[DropkickMurphy915]

I know what you mean.
The tremor in my dominant hand makes anything more than lens cleaning a study in frustration. Yesterday I gouged an irreplaceable lens while trying to perform “minor surgery”.

XMetals are too valuable to be d!ckn’ around learning on.
Take it to a competent watchmaker, or better yet one of the Masters on this site.
Love your DKM name!
View attachment 842174

Thanks! Seen them four times, photographed them live trice back in the day when I was still in the entertainment photography business. One of which was with Flogging Molly, what a great show that was.

Anway, I'll probably send them to Chris at OXMParts to see what's going on. He can't re-tap the threads but I'm hoping it's just a matter of the hinge not being close enough together for the screw to grab and me being afraid to apply too much force. I may try the Teflon tape trick and see if I can't fool the threads into thinking they work before shipping anything out.

 

[alol]

Cant @THE X-MAN deal with stripped threads on XM frames?

 

[DropkickMurphy915]

Cant @THE X-MAN deal with stripped threads on XM frames?

Man, it would be great if someone can. I don't have the tools nor the skillset to deal with it if it's something more than just finding a way to wedge the hinge closer together. I'll try the ol' Teflon-tape-around-the-screw trick later today and maybe that'll work.

If not, I've gotta find someone who can help. These were too expensive and I just bought aftermarket polarized lenses to replace the OEM lenses. I'd love to have the real thing but any that were available were preposterously expensive.

 

[zwc0442]

Not sure in this case , but I drilled out the old threads and started with a clean cylinder to tap. @zwc0442 , Have you repaired threads on xmetals in this manner ?

I've never really had to repair the threads on an x metal. The screws are softer than the titanium so generally the screw strips and the threads in the frame are fine

 

[zwc0442]

I'd try a new screw before touching the threads in the frame.

 

[DropkickMurphy915]

I'd try a new screw before touching the threads in the frame.

I just tried that and confirmed that it's the threads in the frame. I wrapped needle nose pliers in electrical tape so I could use them to force the hinge closer together without damaging the frame and had someone hold them while I put a new screw in and it's the same thing.

I even wrapped the screw in Teflon tape to try to fool the threads in the frame into grabbing the screw and it's still not going all the way in. I was able to get the screw SLIGHTLY tighter but still not completely tight or even as tight as it should be, but they're wearable for now. I do need a more permanent solution, though.

A longer screw and a little Teflon tape would almost certainly solve my problem unless someone knows how I can get the hinge re-tapped.

 

[Jhud]

Be care not to break the tap off in there.
Then you get to learn what a tap puller is.
mask me how I know

 

[SecretNinja]

I just tried that and confirmed that it's the threads in the frame. I wrapped needle nose pliers in electrical tape so I could use them to force the hinge closer together without damaging the frame and had someone hold them while I put a new screw in and it's the same thing.

I even wrapped the screw in Teflon tape to try to fool the threads in the frame into grabbing the screw and it's still not going all the way in. I was able to get the screw SLIGHTLY tighter but still not completely tight or even as tight as it should be, but they're wearable for now. I do need a more permanent solution, though.

A longer screw and a little Teflon tape would almost certainly solve my problem unless someone knows how I can get the hinge re-tapped.

I suggest also to stop trying to squeeze that hinge together. No Bueno.

 

[zwc0442]

Do you have some pics of everything as is? The screw and how the orbital looks? I've really never seen a stripped thread in a x metal yet.

 

[SecretNinja]

Do you have some pics of everything as is? The screw and how the orbital looks? I've really never seen a stripped thread in a x metal yet.

I was gonna ask the same. It almost feels as if I had a situation like this in the past before too. But, it turned out to be the screw, and not the frame itself.