I always seem to have an issue with the screws/nuts staying tight for more than a couple of months. Any vet builders have any advice other than using loctite?
The first thing is make sure you have a good quality screw driver. You will never be able to make good tight connections if the tool doesn’t fit the screw properly. The proper driver will engage the screw with virtually no slop or play. Hold the assembly onto the work bench, not up in the air, this will give you more stability to tighten down with more force. It’s practically impossible to break a screw, or strip the threads from the screws or nuts. So I recommend you tighten them as tightly as you have the strength to do so. If you have done all of these things, it’s possible you don’t have the strength in your arms to do this, and the only way to make assemblies that will stay together is to use Loctite. Hope this helps. 
I don’t have any problems with screws coming loose except the servo horn screw what goes into the splined shaft. Because the servo horn has forces that go in both directions, it usually becomes loose because I didn’t tighten the screw enough. Since the shaft on some of my servos use a polymer material (Karobonite), I usually don’t tighten these screws much more than beyond snug. I would rather re-tighten the screws than have a stripped screw hole. I periodically check the servo shaft screws as part of a maintenance schedule. The bracket screws never come loose.
It helps to use a larger handle screw driver that uses a bit that fits the screw perfectly. The larger handle provides more leverage and the matching bit keeps it secure on the screw.
See image bellow to see the geometry of the screw head mated with the screw bit:
That’s a very good point. Many mechanical things require periodic tightening of screws. I know the Phoenix can work the servo spline screws loose. I buy things that don’t even apologize for requiring you to… “Ensure all screws are tight before operating this equipment.” lol
Lol… I guess I deserved that!
I just noticed after use, many of the screws just seem to come loose no matter how many times I tighten it. Wasn’t sure if others have made a more permanent connection with loctite or some other epoxy.
You might try small star washers, or just a tiny drop of locktite on the tip of a toothpick to start.
Hope you don’t mind me necro’ing this thread, but does anyone have any suggestions on how to tighten the ball studs so that they do not loosen? If I could get them tight enough to start, then I might consider some super-glue or Loctite. But they are so small and I do not have any tools currently with which to tighten them. With a missing finger and another with limited function - hand tightening is difficult. Even using needle nose is difficult by myself.
I am considering just encasing the ball joints nuts in epoxy…
Blue Loctite (248) Stick works fine if you whant to loosen then eventually, if not choose Red Loctite (268) Stick
Epoxy dosnt work that good, the glue loosens from the metal after a while if it isnt absolutely clean
A set of good quality nut drivers and screw drivers should help.
Look for a good set of “Ignition Wrenches”, they will have the small sizes needed. Sears (Craftsman) makes just such a set.
Alan KM6VV
If you are going to use loctite or any other thread locking compound, try not to let it touch the plastic servo case. Also WARNING against thread locking compounds touching LEXAN Material. Lexan will SHATTER when it comes in contact with one of the agents inside most thread lockers (methylcrylate esther).
I make some RC products out of lexan and notice that a fracture developed within minutes of putting a drop of loctite.
The cleanest solution is to use nuts with nylon to lock it down. For metal-to-metal, go nuts with loctite (the thread will get a bit messy if you ever undo it).
I do not recommend the red loctite at all, those are semi-permanent and will damage softer metals if you ever decide to back the screw out…
Forgot to mention. My favorite and last set of hex wrenches I’ll ever need are the MIP Thorp line of wrenches. To this date, I have never stripped a screw head with these. Had them for over 5 years, and the tips still seem brand new… http://pics.towerhobbies.com/image/m/mipr9003.jpg
These are PRICEY though, so prepare to pony up the dough if you are serious about having good tools… My experience, good tools will reduce the chance of stripping the heads off of screws, and last a lot longer than the harbor freight specials (which I have nothing against, as they are throw-away tools).
It’s a cyclic thing that happens with lower quality tools. The tool head isn’t machine precise, so it “stretches” and deforms the screw head. The screw head is now deformed so it starts to round out the sharp edges of the hex. The hex wrench tip is now deformed so it deforms the screw head even more. Repeat and eventually you get a stripped head, deformed tool tip, or both…