Club Obi Wan

So, the Chicago screws on my MKVII are starting to become perpetually loose. I could permanently attach them of course, think epoxy, but that defeats the whole purpose.

Two questions:

1) What are people doing to keep their Chicago screws from falling out?

2) This one's more theoretical: why would anyone use such a crummy attachment mechanism to begin with?

Yours in the spirit of supernatural archeology,
Jupiter Jones

P.S. Yes, I mean the screws on the strap, in the unlikely case that wasn't clear!

there is a substance called loktite that will keep the screw together but can be removed with a littlae effort.
found at home depot for about 5.00 red tube containing blue goo
they are generally used so that the screw can act as a pivot point, or rudimentary hinge

Jupiter Jones wrote: 1) What are people doing to keep their Chicago screws from falling out?

2) This one's more theoretical: why would anyone use such a crummy attachment mechanism to begin with?

1) A small drop of crazy glue will keep it from opening, but will come apart with enough force when nessa.

2) They probably wouldn't. I'm sure Indy's bag has rivets. We use them so we can take the strap on and off without ruining a fairly expensive leather replica.

-Rabittooth

I've found that nail polish works just as well as Loctite.

Indy's bag strap could have been riveted or they could have used a sling stud which looks just like a srewed together Chicago screw.

You may also have better luck using steel Chicago screws. They're less apt to cross threaded too.

As far as Chicago screws being crummy, that may be, but I've never had problems with them and they've been used for ages on leather slings and all kinds of horse tack.

I think Loctite or nail polish will solve your problem.

I use screws designed to hold together hockey helmets (had them laying around) which are almost the same as Chicago Screws, and never had a problem.

My chicagos have only gotten loose once. Otherwise, they stay put without anything. I wonder how common this problem really is. Am I just lucky?

I have this problem on my old Magnoli strap, one of the screws always comes loose. Never realized it until one side of the strap fell off while I was walking one day and my bag crashed to the ground.

This strap is from Todd, and while the screws have come loose once or twice before, now I can't keep them tight at all. Hard to be an adventurer when your toys are spilling out all over the trail.

Now, here's an odd question: I keep the flat head section of the screw (where you'd stick the screwdriver) on the inside of the strap. I just noticed Todd keeps it on the outside. Since Chicago Screws weren't used in the movies AFAIK, what do other people do?

And thanks for all the suggestions! I'm going to try nail polish for now, as my wife just brought me some and it's easily removable. (I may distress my bag a bit more before I go ahead. It's looking a little too clean lately.)

FYI IF you use Locktite, make sure you use Locktite BLUE, not RED.
RED will only come off with heat (aka a blowtorch!)

They are both labeled and designed as "Threadlocker" and available in most hadrware stores.

Loctite also makes a bunch of standard superglues that work fine.

Jupiter Jones wrote: Now, here's an odd question: I keep the flat head section of the screw (where you'd stick the screwdriver) on the inside of the strap. I just noticed Todd keeps it on the outside. Since Chicago Screws weren't used in the movies AFAIK, what do other people do?

Interesting though. Especially since I do the reverse, like Todd (screwdriver notch out) and I don't have a problem with them getting loose. Maybe that has something to do with it.

Another thing to try (which I just remembered); Get one of those rubber grippy pad for opening jars. When you tighten the head with the screw driver, use the pad to help hold the other half of the screw still. Perhaps by doing that, I'm making it tighter than you are with bare fingers.