Mystery fasteners on Adcock and Shipley Bridgeport

[Preso]

Hi, I just purchased a used Bridgeport by Adcock and Shipley and I was wanting to remove and powder coat the Adcock and Shipley maker plates from the sides of the ram. Does anyone know what these fasteners might be (in the picture) and if they can be removed without damaging anything. I am guessing I will have to drill them out and replace but I want to be sure I can fit new ones if that has to happen.
Regards,
Mark Presling

[Blazemaster83]

looks like a socket head cap screw that was cammed out to me.

[Preso]

No, they are made of aluminium and I am starting to think they are countersunk pop rivets but the casting they are attached to is quite heavy and a normal pop rivet has to have clearance to allow the expanded end of the rivet to pull the two parts together.

[JoeLee]

looks like a socket head cap screw that was cammed out to me.

It looks like a flat head cap screw.

JL......

[CCWKen]

Looks like it used to be a security Torx from here. Is that the only one? What's the others look like. Did you mess them all up like that?

[Willy]

Do they have a steel pin in the center?
If so they could be drive rivets.
These come new with the pin protruding on the face side and a hammer blow sets them while expanding on the back side, often used for fastening two sheet metal surfaces together. To remove them all that needs to be done is to drive the pin completely out through the backside, then with pliers collapse the "petals" of the rivet and push it out on the face side.
Check the backside if you can to make sure we are on the same page.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

[Preso]

Looks like it used to be a security Torx from here. Is that the only one? What's the others look like. Did you mess them all up like that?

The all look the same and I haven't done anything to try to get them out. I put a magnet on them and it won't stick so I am guessing they are made entirely from aluminium. What's strange is that the hole they fit into must be a blind hole since the ram casting is very thick and as far as I can tell there is no easy access to the interior of the casting. I will try to put a wire down the centre of the fastener to see if they are hollow or if there is a pin in there. I guess they could be drive rivets but they wouldn't be able to spread out like the ones in the picture.

[flathead4]

I can't tell from the picture but is the "donut" part of the fastener of part of the casting? There isn't just a screw down in the hole in the dark?

[JoeLee]

I think Willy found what you have. Although those pins are designed to blossom out on the back side of a hole and your saying there is no through hole. They may have just driven the pin home in a blind hole. I have to wonder who's bright idea was it to go with that type of fastener? Most all plates I've seen on machines are fastened with drive pins or what ever you want to call them, drive nails etc. Or on older machines small screws. Why some mfg. would choose a fastener of that type is beyond me. Some fastener salesman must have been a fast talker.

JL.................

[jmarkwolf]

Find a manual on-line with an exploded view. They might call out the fastener in the parts list.

[eKretz]

Looking at the stems broken below the rivet flange I'd guess they are pop rivets. A plain old pop rivet will hold in a blind hole. I've done it, it works just fine for a light duty application like holding on a nameplate. If the stems were flush I'd be more inclined to think drive rivet. They could well be through the casting all the way also, rivets can be made pretty long.

[Willy]

Find a manual on-line with an exploded view. They might call out the fastener in the parts list.

Yup, that's what I did.
Found an old copy of a Bridgeport and there it was just like you said, in the parts list.
Here is what Bridgeport used to fasten their nameplate to the machine, available in dome and 120° countersink styles, brass, aluminum, and steel.

http://www.avdelusallc.com/products/chobert.shtml

[mickeyf]

Pardon my practicality, but why do you even care unless you are restoring an antique to "original condition"? If you just drill them out as you expect will be necessary, you can then use any number of alternatives to re-fasten the plate.

[woodenbird]

My guess is they are part of the casting with the hole/slot allowing the tabs to push in and then snap back once the tab is pushed through the hole on the machine. Kind of like a cast in place slotted pop rivit without the pull pin

[Preso]

Thanks for all the replies. I poked a 3/32" drill down the centre of the fastener and it went in about 1/4" but it didn't feel like there was a broken off pop rivet stem in there. I am thinking I will just drill them out and fit some countersunk socket head screws. I am not planning on doing a full restoration on this machine. I do want it to look nice with a sort of worn patina. I can do the powder coating at home so that's an easy way to improve the look of the mill.