Those of us who've futzed with our deadlight frames for any reason know the frustration that inspired this. The threaded pockets on the female side of the frame are very shallow, and only allow a few threads to bite. Furthermore, they aren't all the same depth. Throw in the inconsistent thickness of the cabin side assembly/layup, and you suddenly need to remember which screw came from which hole, or you spend the rest of the afternoon playing "Memory". God help you if you strip the threads in the frame.
I had several stripped holes in my frames. Through-fastening was the only realiable option, but I loathed the notion of studding the outside of the frames with cap nuts. Turning the frames inside out (so the screw heads are exterior) didn't hold much appeal either.
Hey, it's only bronze, right? Drill, tap, and file.
Drill through all fastener locations. Use a bit small enough to leave existing threads intact.
Use existing threads as a guide for starting new threads through the hole with a 8-32 tap.
Reinstall frames with 1" screws.
Cut protruding screw ends near-flush.
File the leftovers mostly-flush.
Wetsand the surface perfectly flush (if your frames are in such good condition that anyone might notice).
These pics are about a week old now. The patination of the bronze has already erased most of the evidence. I'm guessing that after a couple more rainstorms you'll need to look REALLY close to see any evidence.
