Screw decisions for assembly

[Binky]

Hehe, would be nice with little thumbscrews on the bottom to double as legs. I suppose that ruins pocketability a bit for some, but certainly a nice casemod.

But then the legs would scratch any soft surface (including wooden tables)

 

[comradekingu]

I would cover the underside with neoprene or rubber.

 

[Grench]

Well they have special threaded inserts for plastic molding..

http://www.tristar-inserts.com/threaded-inserts.htm

Those could work - I have experience with using self expanding inserts in bolts going into concrete work.  My concern in this application is that the plastic pillars would have to be made much thicker in order to accept the insert, then thicker walled to counter the outward pressure that the insert exerts while seating.

That could be even more expensive than machining coarse threads into the screw pillars - which is an idea I'm liking more.  Coarse pre-tapped threads in the plastic/abs/carbonfibre pillars and matching coarse threaded machine screws with hex or torx socket head caps.

Something like this:   http://www.mcmaster.com/#90666a104/=ry6que

or:  http://www.mcmaster.com/#91292a012/=ry6rp7

Note that I'm leaning toward the coarse metric screw types explained here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_thread

With a pre-tapped (machined) pillar - those should snug right up without having to gouge out their own threads in the plastic.

It would be a robust solution without needing nuts and the engineering involved in getting them to stay put.  Just an enhancement of the Pandora's method?

 

[God Ginrai]

or captive nuts held in the plastic?

screenshot4.png

How about captive screws instead? I find it a lot easier to remove a nut without ruining it than it is to remove a screw.

-God Ginrai

 

[levi]

You've not worked on enough bikes if you've never knackered a bolt getting it off.

 

[God Ginrai]

You've not worked on enough bikes if you've never knackered a bolt getting it off.

I prefer walking. Bikes use Hex nuts?

-God Ginrai

 

[levi]

Pushbikes, sure. 15ml nuts built into the pedals, on the ends of the wheel axles if you don't have quick release axles.  Inch or inch and a quarter nuts secure both ends of the headset.  If your stem is clamped to your steerer then I think that may be bolted through.  But there's more allen screws into threaded holes than bolts into nuts on a bike, it's fair to say.

But yeah, my headset is looking a little to worse for wear after I took it apart using an adjustable spanner, cos I didn't own a 5/4 inch spanner at the time.  And I mangled a few 15mm nuts on my original fixed axles despite owning a few perfectly serviceable 15mm spanners.

 

[God Ginrai]

Pushbikes, sure. 15ml nuts built into the pedals, on the ends of the wheel axles if you don't have quick release axles.  Inch or inch and a quarter nuts secure both ends of the headset.  If your stem is clamped to your steerer then I think that may be bolted through.  But there's more allen screws into threaded holes than bolts into nuts on a bike, it's fair to say.

But yeah, my headset is looking a little to worse for wear after I took it apart using an adjustable spanner, cos I didn't own a 5/4 inch spanner at the time.  And I mangled a few 15mm nuts on my original fixed axles despite owning a few perfectly serviceable 15mm spanners.

I see... Fair point. However, would you agree with a claim that nuts are less likely to get stripped or ruined than screws?

-God Ginrai

 

[levi]

I'm honestly not sure.  It's fair to say the bolts that I knackered were tightened with a few more foot-pounds than anything in the Pyra case should be, so took a fair bit of effort to get off, but likewise I don't usually have any problems getting screws in and out without destroying them or the thread they sit in, provided the screw head doesn't get physically wedged in to the well like it did on my Pandora.

 

[God Ginrai]

I'm honestly not sure.  It's fair to say the bolts that I knackered were tightened with a few more foot-pounds than anything in the Pyra case should be, so took a fair bit of effort to get off, but likewise I don't usually have any problems getting screws in and out without destroying them or the thread they sit in, provided the screw head doesn't get physically wedged in to the well like it did on my Pandora.

I know at least that w/ Phillips Head, which is one of the screws that people may actually own a screwdriver for, that it will slip all the time if you aren't using the right size or not using it in exactly the right position. (Or if it is really tight)

-God Ginrai

 

[slaeshjag]

I've stripped about the same amount of nuts as I have stripped screws. And I almost never use nuts.

 

[God Ginrai]

That's surprising. o.o Were you using the correct size socket? I've never stripped a nut, but I've stripped countless screws.

-God Ginrai

 

[slaeshjag]

Of course not. Who even have sockets anyway? That's something I've only seen in workshops and garages.

 

[WizardStan]

Are you being sarcastic? I always considered a socket set part of a complete toolbox. If not sockets, do you just take a pair of pliers to it or something? Or do you at least have a set of proper fitting wrenches?

 

[slaeshjag]

As I only come across nuts once a year at most, I've never had the incintament to get tools for it.

EDIT: Looking around, I don't think I own anything apart from my bike, that uses nuts anywhere.

 

[Binky]

Its always worth getting the right tool for the job.

Even an adjustable spanner (or whatever your foreigners call it ) is better than pliers

How do you strip a nut anyway?

 

[slaeshjag]

By using adjustable spanners

 

[WizardStan]

Adjust it tighter

 

[moxie]

Excuse me, do you have what we in sweden call a skiftnyckel?

(Classic line by swedish tennis player/coach Lennart Bergelin to french mechanic)

 

[slaeshjag]

Yes. But those are a bit cumbersome for the dimensions usually encountered in electronics, which is where all the nuts I see are