Room to countersink a screw head?

[wahoowad]

I am repairing a broken fiberglass section of an old tractor grill with a piece of sheetmetal. The plan is to secure the 0.074" piece of sheetmetal across the top of the crack with screws securing the sheetmetal and fiberglass together. It's a bit of a klug but this is how I'm gonna do it for now.

I have cut the sheetmetal to fit perfectly over the area such that it won't be noticeable to the casual observer. I was thinking of using sheetmetal screws with a countersunk head so at least their is no tell-tale screw head sticking up, but the sheetmetal I'm using is only 0.074" thick. I have to use something this thin as their is a bit of a curve I have to form the metal around.

Any tips on how to get as finished a look with whatever screw/bolt I should use? The bottom where the nut will go is hidden, only worried about the top/visible side of the sheetmetal.

 

[PAToyota]

Why not just fiberglass it to repair it? Cloth and resin on the back to hold things together, then grind out the crack a bit on the front, fill it with kitty hair, sand, paint, and it will be good as new.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... I agree with PAToyota, as fiberglassin' is pretty easy stuff to work with,...

For yer heavy sheet metal, use a hammer, 'n punch to put a divot where the screw head can hide,...

 

[BD1]

Maybe a pop rivet won't be so noticeable.

 

[Kevin54]

You can use the sheet metal screw that you have, but if you countersink the metal to bring the head flush with the surface of the metal and the countersunk portion of the screw sticks through, then you have to countersink the nut some to allow room for that.

 

[PaulyC]

peanut screw?

 

[RivennHewn]

How about a combo approach with Kev's drawing, plus Bondo's punch and divot?

I've done similar, with good results. It keeps a little more metal under the screw head.

 

[Techie1961]

peanut screw?

I had to look this one up because we just worked on a job where they used the screws that you have in the photo. They are actually called Truss Head sheet metal screws. A peanut head seems to be like this.

 

[PaulyC]

Interesting. Around here we just call em peanut screws.

 

[41ratrod]

use a pop rivet and after the fiberglass repair sand the top off the rivet.

 

[canbug]

We call them Waffer screws. The one for steel stud.

Tim

 

[spike99250]

The top one is a truss or wafer head, the bottom is what we call pan heads. One of the older fellows I worked with called them popeeny screws.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

How about a picture of what youre trying to fix?

 

[CNGsaves]

How about a PICTURE of your neighbor's wife . . . may want to screw head her !! . .

Where are Tampa and Haugy when we NEED them ???

 

[fnieto]

A photo of your project would be helpful. You might consider a type of grommet/isolator that allows for vibration preventing future cracking. Again, without photos we are really guessing.

 

[MP&C]

Most hardware stores will have fiberglass cloth, resin, and hardener. Repair fiberglass with fiberglass. Introducing screws through what you have will promote cracks and future repairs, do it right, do it once.

 

[yaidunno]

Not that I agree with the repair; this screw will do what you need.

 

[404]

Dimple the metal with a gear puller center point that goes in the end of the screw. Make hole in fglas big enough to absorb the back of the dimple.