i drilled a metal sheet thinking there is wood or other things underneath. then realized it's empty. so i put the screws in and it's loose. i don't have anyway to get underneath that metal sheet except from the drilled hole. anyway i can get that screw to hold? thanks.
What are you drilling into (outside wall, inside wall, garage) and how much weight are you trying to hold up?
it's metal on inside wall. weight doesn't matter as long as the screws aren't loose. i was thinking if i can find a longer screw, it may get to the wall. not sure if there is another layer of metal inside though.
you can get sheet metal screws. Or use an epoxy. either way your hole needs to be smaller than the screw. You probably need a larger screw.
how well does sheet metal screws work? the metal is only about 1/10 of an inch thick. so basically, the screw is hanging in the air. only the part touching the metal sheet is holding on to it right now.
It does not need to be very thick but it depends on stretching the metal around the screw. This is why you need a much larger diameter screw. What is the purpose of putting a screw in there? What is the goal?
for door chain. the door is fine and very strong. the metal part is loose. just trying to tighten it. the current screws on it is fine, i can't even pull it off since the hole is smaller than the screw. but it's just loose.
sounds like a good and easy solution. actually, i will have to find one that's small enough to get in the hole first.
i was going to suggest this anchor, but I suspect you're not going to find one small enough to suit your needs. I would go with a rivet for what you need.
OK so you have a metal part on your metal door that is loose and you are trying to make it secure. So you are screwing two pieces of metal together? The reason it is loose is because the screw is small. You need a larger diameter screw to make it tight. Again not longer, larger diameter if you want it to be tight.
That is not a good solution. As you have noted you have to drill an even bigger hole to use it and then the screw head is smaller than that hole so you would need a large washer or something. A sheet metal screw of the proper diameter is the way to go. They even come with a seal so your door will not rust from the inside out.