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That whole 'torque it until it strips, then back off a quarter turn' joke actually saved me today
I was wrestling with a stubborn grounding bus bar in a 20 year old panel and one of the screws just wouldn't bite anymore. Remembered that old saying from a guy I worked with in Denver, backed it off a bit, and it held fine. Has anyone else found that trick actually works on old equipment or is it just luck?
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zara_miller2mo ago
Heard that same trick years ago from an old electrician in Denver too, it works because backing off lets the threads find a better grip without forcing the metal. On old panels the screws get stretched and the threads get worn down, so that quarter turn back gives just enough slack to hold without stripping completely. Definitely more than luck, it’s just knowing how old equipment behaves when it’s tired.
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the_jade2mo ago
Yep, that's exactly it. Had a foreman show me the same move on an old subpanel once. Threads just don't bite the same when they've been torqued to hell for 40 years.
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