Moulding bolt threads

Do you have problem with big fingers & small nuts in tight places ? (now keep your mind above the belt guys)

I’m talking about things like bolting servo’s into place where the nut is hard to get at or need change a servo and the nuts fall to bottom of the hull when you screw the bolt out ?

Not that I’m playing with my nuts everyday but it is pain where the sun does not shine when something needs changing…well I tested this little solution to help solves this problem.

Browsing in model shop I found nylon nuts & bolts and thought to myself ah ha there’s a cool thing and brought packet of M4 & 3mm nylon bolts (no nuts) to test an idea.

The thinking is that with a nylon bolt, epoxy does not bond to its surface just cures to the form of the thread and we have a mould of the bolt.

Took sample plate and drilled hole for a M4 mm nylon bolt, then mixed up epoxy with little cotton wool ear bud fibre (to thicken the epoxy so does not run) and then slapped it over the thread of the bolt on underside of sample plate (with rough surface) so that it bonds to the surface.

After the epoxy cured, simply screwed the bolt out, grind down the epoxy and wha la perfect ! and now can use nylon or stainless bolts with the permanent moulded bolt thread.

Of course if you have Tap & Die set you could also just drill the epoxy and tap a thread to get the same result but I’m a backyard builder and found this to be a very simple alternative.

Cheers Alan

Hi Alan ,

good idea, I shall try it !

Cheers
ClaudioD

Hi Alan ,

good idea, I shall try it !
Actually is what I’m doing :

Cheers
ClaudioD