Tapped Holes vs Bolt an Nut

[InFlight]

I generally prefer bolted connections when possible as they are less labor intensive.

When tapping soft items like plastic or aluminum you need to use need to use a smaller tap drill that will leave 75% of the threads remaining. Most standard tap & drill charts are for steel which is designed for 50% thread remaining. Make sure to use a tap chart that has both aluminum and steel drill sizes.

It is a very good investment to purchase better high speed steel Taps in the few sizes that you use. You will also need a full set of numbered and fractional drill bits or at least the ones to support the size of taps you intend to use.