plumber's tape or PTFE tape question

Have no tried that but I have had luck with nylon washers in place of the steel ones. They seem to turn easier and yet not detune. I have them on all of my batter heads
 
Hmm, Teflon reduces friction, so let me put it on something I want to stay tight...

Teflon tape does fill up the gaps in threads, which is it's primary function for sealing pipe threads. And sometimes the extra stuff in there makes something feel tighter. I use it on the whammy bar of my Strat so that it says put. Lasts for a little while and you have to stuff the gap with fresh tape.

Keeping fasteners tight is a function of the friction on the threads and bearing surfaces that is created by the clamp load (tensile load on the fastener). If you try to tune drums really low, i.e. very low clamp loads on the rod, they are going to detune fairly easily. Tighter pitches and correspondingly higher tensile loads will limit the fastener from loosening (although the head may stretch more resulting in going out of tune).

A slightly resilient element in the clamping (e.g. nylon washers) has the effect of increasing the effective clamping tension and limiting the tendency of the fasteners to come loose. They also conform a bit and increase the bearing surfaces under clamp load, thus increasing the friction. Often this is enough to overcome the reduction in friction that nylon has over metal to metal bearing loads.

There are nylon insert screws/tuning rods out there that lock into place pretty well and allow for adjustment. There are also serrated bits that create a sort of ratchet or detent to keep the hardware in place. If you are trying to maintain very low tunings and having problems, these may be the answer.

Replacing the Teflon tap on the one screw of my whammy bar isn't that much of an issue. Replacing it on every tension rod on a drum kit would be a project.
 
I've been using TightScrews on my snare since February. I used to have all sorts of issues with my Musashi de-tuning. I'm now playing one of Andy's snares but I've had no issues with de-tuning whatsoever since I started using the TightScrews. I'm sure they'll wear eventually but after a year, they still work very well.
 
I've been using TightScrews on my snare since February. I used to have all sorts of issues with my Musashi de-tuning. I'm now playing one of Andy's snares but I've had no issues with de-tuning whatsoever since I started using the TightScrews. I'm sure they'll wear eventually but after a year, they still work very well.
Tightscrews work pretty well. Moving to M5 and having at least 20mm of tension screw in the lug pretty much eradicates de-tuning issues.

i was speaking to a customer today who fits a compression spring between the top of the lug & the underside of the hoop. He works for a spring company, & claims that the spring stops de-tuning by maintaining an upward force on the hoop, & spreading the load of a rimshot around the periphery. I think he may be onto something there, & certainly worth a shot as a cheap & easy retrofit. Doesn't wear out, nor impede tuning feel, etc.
 
I use Tightscrews too. Actually I only put a couple of them on one of my snares; just the lugs near where I hit with a rimshot. I've never had a problem with them.

They are a little tougher than normal ones to screw in though. They feel quite a bit tighter than they actually are. Keep that in mind during the tuning process.
 
There is some stuff known as Loctite in the UK, not sure if it is the same name elsewhere. It is available from tool stores and is widely used by mechanics for locking nuts, studs and screws into place. The nice thing about it is it is not permanent. If you need to undo the thread again it comes undone easily yet it won't break free on its own.
The stuff is a liquid in a dropper bottle and you just put one drop on the thread before tightening. When it dries is forms a flexible skin inside the thread that keeps it done up. It's really great stuff.
What is more, once you have used it the thread becomes slightly stiff. It probably won't come loose again even if you don't use more Loctite. I don't work for the company it's just that the stuff has been getting me out of fixes for years.
 
Loctite is a brand name for a series of anaerobic threadlocking adhesives now owned by the German Henkel company. They are intended for fasteners that won't be readjusted once installed. In the absence of air, they set up. Meaning that when the threads clamp down on the stuff and seal it off, it sets up. They come in different viscosities and strengths. If you want to try some on your tuning rods, I would recommend going with the blue consumer stuff that is fairly thick and easily broken loose. It will gum up the threads some and make them harder to turn, thus possible holding tune better but it won't be as effective as things like the tightscrews with the patches or inserts on them.
 
why not just Lug Locks?

been using them for over a decade and they have never failed me

http://www.luglock.com/luglock.htm

in my opinion this is a much better option than gunking up your lugs with material that should never be put in its threads
 
my problem is i want tightscrews but could only find one store in the uk selling them and that at a ridiculous price. might give the spring washer or locktite a go.
j

Have you tried contacting them directly? It was a few years ago when I bought mine but I think I bought them straight from Tightscrews.
 
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