Yep, I’ve drilled holes in wald stainless fenders just by making a divot with a wood screw and a hammer, and then drilling clamped to a scrap piece of wood. It’s easy.
RE: tool-less quick-release fasteners. Brain dump, probably lots you all already know but here it goes:
Don’t forget blinky mounts, pannier mounts, pump mounts, and other already-existing things that might be cut/scavenged/re-purposed for this purpose. Also like the lift-the-stud thingies, the world of fabric and backpacks is filled with buckles and snaps and hooks and other things like that already made for using with your fingers.
As a general rule, search for what you want, then once you figure out the right name for the item, try searching also using terms like “lightweight” “aluminum” “performance” “drone” or “r/c hobby” “camera”-that will help filter out heavy industrial versions and might lead to some nice anodized lightweight versions of whatever bit you are after. Don’t forget to search using both metric and English measurements where appropriate. If you find a merely OK fastener X used to secure thing Y, try searching “lightweight Y attachment” or whatever to find a better version that is used in that industry.
Some general search terms to try: quarter turn fastener, quick release pin, quick release stud, ball stud, tool-free mount, ball lock pin, surface mount, push fastener, retainer clip, pin retainer, panel mount, panel fastener, re-useable fastner/clip/mount, bayonet fitting, coupling, coupler, latch.
Ball Studs
Available in many sizes, but tricky to find metric and especially tricky to find metric female threaded. Can be used with either a metal receptacle or with a rubber grommet if sized right. This is the solution I ended up going with for the part I was designing for my old job (adventure motorcycle headlight guards). We custom machined specific ball studs and used them with a specific rubber grommet.
Rubber grommet version is good for vibration but if on/off 3x a day for bicycling would kill the rubber pretty fast. Also tricky to get the holding power just right. I’ve never really fussed with the metal ones much.
Quarter Turn Fasteners
DZUS is a really common brand name. There are many variations on these. They work pretty well, we used to use the spring-loaded type on the headlight guards before I developed the ball stud system. A bit heavy, require more mounting holes, and can rattle. But nice positive lock usually and readily available.
Also available in plastic 
Ball lock pin
I really think these could make for a good system. The pins are straightforward and only require a plain tube of specific length to work. Watch the sizes a lot of these are pretty big if you google them. An o-ring or rubber grommet can help take up slack and prevent rattling. Very positive lock.
There are some guys making very nice versions small/lightweight to attach r/c helicopter canopies, but almost too light.
EDIT: Damn I think some cheap keychains might be the way to go, especially if you could have a custom rack with receptacle tubes already on it.
Plastic push-in fasteners. There are a zillion of these, but tricky to get your hands on only a couple to test unless you pretend to be a mfr. I never found any that would be that great for holding a whole bag securly over washboard (my thought experiment test to see what might work). Think vehicle interior panels, that sort of thing.
Other ideas I have not yet pursued (but I’m sure somebody has):
-Picatinny rail and associated fasteners and mounts. (google picatinny rail quick release nets a bunch of possibilities) including interesting stuff like this plastic mount for use with webbing http://na.itwnexus.com/content/qasm-picatinny-ramp
-Military helmet mount rails and system (not sure what it’s called example: http://www.ops-core.com/system-components/component-mounts/arcs/ )
-Various other plug/socket systems that have a locking tab. (i.e. think ethernet plug or certain audio connections)
-There are some nice key chains that are designed to easily separate two rings and could be a good source of lightweight cheap parts (like this one that uses a ball-lock pin type system https://www.halder.com/Products/Standard-Parts/Machine-and-Fixture-Elements/Lifting-Pins/Key-Ring-Ball-Lock-Pins )
-Hood pins as seen on race cars, etc.
-Fitting like used for compressed air hoses. (variation on the ball-lock pin I suppose?)
-Fittings like used for other q/r hoses like backpacking gravity water filter systems.
-Bayonet fittings (i.e. the recent “DockIt” system http://www.dockittm.com/about.html)
-Using some old buckles and straps from a pair of Sidis to make a ratcheting connection.
-Lego
Just writing this post I found like 5 more things to check out
OMG.
[youtube]vvy-HeTlL1o[/youtube]
/heavy breathing
Of course, on Alibaba. (Probably elsewhere on ebay too): https://hindi.alibaba.com/p-detail/hoso-racing-new-universal-quik-latch-low-profile-push-button-billet-hood-pins-60433022695.html
http://www.bmrs.net/quick_disconnects_01.html
http://www.fasteningsystems.com/access_panel_fasteners.html
http://www.itw-fastex.com/access-panel-fasteners.html
Hearteyes!
Jimmy comes through again for Tarck
are the tarcklebees still a thing? if not, can someone give one of theirs to jimmy?
Andrew what size ALX do you have? And how’s your clearance with burts? I can just barely fit them without fenders as far as knobs hitting the chainstay but I really want to give fender knob lyfe a try.
27.5 x 60
Clearance is pretty darn tight and I’m probably playing with fire but couldn’t resist the experiment. I believe the secret is the shallow profile of the ALX compared to the deep concave profile you see on most fenders.
I already took the Thunder Burts off cuz I love tubeless more than riding around on knobs but now that Seattle has snow I want to put them back on for some fun. Snow will probably be melted by the time my vasectomy finally heals 
Why no Burts tubeless? Do you use the super light version? I run the snakeskin with tubeless no problem.
Last night I went to install the Paul Blue Balls seat binder that I drunkenly overpaid for and found that the bolt was WAY too long.
I then spent about 20 minutes making a custom spacer out of a little aluminum tube which I installed and looked at for a minute before realizing that I could just swap in a shorter M6 bolt LOL.
classic
I believe they are the super light version (what is the proprietary code name for super light?).
They don’t seem to want to stay up on the bead shelf on the light bicycle rims I have (using tubes). Attempt at seating bead with tubeless pump were also unsuccessful.
They are fairly old so it’s possible that Schwalbe has iterated and refined the tubeless tire bead since then.
[quote=Rusty Piton]Last night I went to install the Paul Blue Balls seat binder that I drunkenly overpaid for and found that the bolt was WAY too long.
I then spent about 20 minutes making a custom spacer out of a little aluminum tube which I installed and looked at for a minute before realizing that I could just swap in a shorter M6 bolt LOL.[/quote]
who wore it better?
I made a little theft deterrent for my bike parking spot at work.
It obviously won’t stop a determined and sophisticated thief, but it’s better than nothing!
It sucks to admit but as long as your neighbor bike isn’t as secure then you’re set.
Pickup a free craigslist bike as a decoy?
Last night I had a dream where someone had cut my hoses and stolen my brake levers. WTF
Bummer dream.
Speaking of locks… gonna give this one a shot.
[quote=Rentable Faxmachine]Speaking of locks… gonna give this one a shot.
[/quote]
I know a few people who rely on them. They seem effectively as theft-proof as most comparable U-locks, in the sense that it is defeated almost exclusively by the kind of power tools which will render any lock useless. The lock mechanism itself is the same as any Abus U-lock, so that’s a moot point, and it’s very difficult to pry apart.
I’ve been using them for a year and love it, got a combo one recently too
The ‘lite’ version is a lot weaker for the marginal weight loss, the links are loops of wire encased in plastic instead of steel bars