What Torque for Mounting Red Dot to CZC RDS Adapter Plate?

[Tanders]

I'm trying to mount a Romeo 1 to a SP-01 Shadow with the RDS plate cut from CZ Custom and I was wondering if anybody could share the torque specs they used when mounting the dot to the aluminum adapter plate.  Thanks!

[Gh0sT]

Had success with 18lbs

[LuvDog]

I've done my vortex to 12 in/lbs.

[Rolex]

5 hours ago, Gh0sT said:

Had success with 18lbs

18 pounds????????????

[SGT_Schultz]

15 hours ago, Gh0sT said:

Had success with 18lbs

 

That's not a torque measurement

Edited November 3, 2020 by SGT_Schultz

[Gh0sT]

20 minutes ago, SGT_Schultz said:

 

That's not a torque measurement

I mean take it for what you will. Using the Wheeler FAT wrench it was 18

[mveto]

I’ve got all mine set at 12 in/lbs. I think anything over 15 in/lbs is going to cut it close with the aluminum plate.....I wrecked my very first one when I torqued it to 20 in/lbs. 

[Blue Jacket]

I use 12 as well. 

[zzt]

20 in/lb is what is recommended by the manufacturers of several of my sights.  I bought a 20 in/lb torque unit, but never actually tightened anything that tight.  I've never had a sight fly off either.  I tighten by hand until there is no more movement of the screws with steady, hard pressure and call it done.  That being said, I also use Blue Loctite on the mounting threads. 

[SGT_Schultz]

27 minutes ago, zzt said:

20 in/lb is what is recommended by the manufacturers of several of my sights.  I bought a 20 in/lb torque unit, but never actually tightened anything that tight.  I've never had a sight fly off either.  I tighten by hand until there is no more movement of the screws with steady, hard pressure and call it done.  That being said, I also use Blue Loctite on the mounting threads. 

 

Exactly. 

[SGT_Schultz]

1 hour ago, Gh0sT said:

I mean take it for what you will. Using the Wheeler FAT wrench it was 18

 

I know, math is hard

[Rolex]

13 hours ago, SGT_Schultz said:

 

I know, math is hard

YES 18- but not pounds- I use the same wrench

[Braxton1]

1 hour ago, Rolex said:

YES 18- but not pounds- I use the same wrench

 

The FAT Wrench reads in Inch-Pounds.  I would presume that most folks would know to not torque a tiny little screw to 18 foot-pounds.

[SGT_Schultz]

4 hours ago, Braxton1 said:

 I would presume that most folks would know to not torque a tiny little screw to 18 foot-pounds.

 

You would think so, but then......

 

[bobbo5]

12-15 in/lbs with a tiny dab of blue loctite. 

[Rich406]

15 in/lbs max

[WildPete]

Not sure how different mounting plates are, but I just mounted my RMR type 2 to my LTT RDO plate torqueing to 10 in/lb (per Ernest Langdon instructions).  I used Vibra-Tite VC-3 and marked the head of the screw with an oil based marker. This is the first time I've used Vibra-Tite. If you're not familiar, you apply the liquid to the screw and wait 15-30 min before installing the screw allowing it to bond and dry on the screw. We'll see if it holds up compared to blue Loctite.

[jejb]

On 11/3/2020 at 6:50 PM, zzt said:

20 in/lb is what is recommended by the manufacturers of several of my sights.  I bought a 20 in/lb torque unit, but never actually tightened anything that tight.  I've never had a sight fly off either.  I tighten by hand until there is no more movement of the screws with steady, hard pressure and call it done.  That being said, I also use Blue Loctite on the mounting threads. 

I've had bad luck with alum plates, even with carefully using the Fat Wrench to torque them, so I stay away from them. I talked to someone at CZC the other day and he said they will soon be making the RDS plates out of steel. So you could likely get that up to 20 in/lbs w/o pulling the threads.

[pcar157]

I have several guns with CZC plates and Stuart I believe says to us the torque settings recommended by the specific optic manufacturer. 

Just sayin'!

[KlausN]

I think SRO screws are 6-32 not knowing the bolt material spec a first guess is 10-20 in-lbs not accounting for bolt head friction or lubricants (locktite is a lubricant while liquid).  The whole torque measure is an art and many  torque wrenches are only capable of giving a reading +/-10%.  
The best approach, without turning it into a science experiment, would be to use the supplied screws, with the optics manufacture torque spec, or go a little less than a 1/4 turn past ‘tight’ and hope the thread-locker will not fail you on the most important stage   

[mveto]

5 hours ago, pcar157 said:

I have several guns with CZC plates and Stuart I believe says to us the torque settings recommended by the specific optic manufacturer. 

Just sayin'!

I did that when I had my Venom, and ruined the plate. It was recommended to torque to 20 in/lb and it destroyed the plate threads, I would be very hesitant to go over 15 in/lbs on the CZC plate.

[KlausN]

19 hours ago, mveto said:

I did that when I had my Venom, and ruined the plate. It was recommended to torque to 20 in/lb and it destroyed the plate threads, I would be very hesitant to go over 15 in/lbs on the CZC plate.

You got a good point. The Venom also uses 6-32 screws if I recall correctly and 20 in/lbs is on the upper limit for a size 6 screw.   loktite would “lubricate” and therefore reduce the head and thread friction.  A minimum of 3 thread engagement is standard therefore at a 32 thread count you would need a base where the bolt engages the thread of at least 0.094” or 2.4mm assuming the same strength. The CZC plate is about 3mm thick.  Now the question is how to engage a bolt at least 2.4mm in a 3 mm plate without reaching the bottom using the 0.6mm ‘clearance’

 

From all of the above 

1. ensure the bolt isn’t too long to bottom-out or too short to not engage enough threads- there isn’t a lot of margin. 

2. 20 in-lbs seems to be the upper end for a 6-32 bolt if used dry. Using loctite should require a lower value even though the manufacturer Henkel said no torque adjustment needed. 

[pcar157]

On 12/10/2020 at 4:12 PM, mveto said:

I did that when I had my Venom, and ruined the plate. It was recommended to torque to 20 in/lb and it destroyed the plate threads, I would be very hesitant to go over 15 in/lbs on the CZC plate.

 

And I have followed Stuart's recommendation on both of my CZC optic plates without a problem.  And on the one, I have removed it and replaced it several times to gain access to the extractor pin without a hiccup.  I should also clarify Stuart said to use the manufacturer's screws as well.  

 

On one of my 1911s I have a dovetail mounted EGW plate and when mounting the optic, you must use the EGW supplied screws and 15 in/lbs torque setting.