Hello all.
I hope someone here can help me out.
I have a chair that has a metal bar across the back.
2 bolts go thru that bar in the back of the chair into Tee nuts in side the
chair.
Due to some abuse one of the bolts pulled out. I tried to put it back in
but the Tee Nut now just spins inside the chair and I cant tighten the bolt.
The back of the chair is like 1/4" ply. The bolt is 3/8" bolt.
Ascii Art
II is the seat back.
O is the bar
= is the bolt
< is the tee nut
II
<IIO=
II
The problem is taking the covering off the chair is not an option.
Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this?
Im open for ideas.....
Thanks
-Rob
"Rob V" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Hello all.
| I hope someone here can help me out.
| I have a chair that has a metal bar across the back.
| 2 bolts go thru that bar in the back of the chair into Tee nuts in side
the
| chair.
| Due to some abuse one of the bolts pulled out. I tried to put it back in
| but the Tee Nut now just spins inside the chair and I cant tighten the
bolt.
| The back of the chair is like 1/4" ply. The bolt is 3/8" bolt.
Any chance you can drill a small hole from the metal bar side through the
seat back into a t-nut petal (or between the petals of the t-nut) and insert
a piece of drill stock, or even a cut off nail, to keep the t-nut from
spinning? Leave the pin in place and trim flush on the metal bar side and
insert the original bolt... Though epoxy would probably do the job the pin
approach would seem to be cheaper, quicker and cleaner than trying to get
epoxy in there...
John
"Rob V" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello all.
> I hope someone here can help me out.
> I have a chair that has a metal bar across the back.
> 2 bolts go thru that bar in the back of the chair into Tee nuts in side
the
> chair.
> Due to some abuse one of the bolts pulled out. I tried to put it back in
> but the Tee Nut now just spins inside the chair and I cant tighten the
bolt.
> The back of the chair is like 1/4" ply. The bolt is 3/8" bolt.
>
> Ascii Art
> II is the seat back.
> O is the bar
> = is the bolt
> < is the tee nut
>
> II
> <IIO=
> II
>
> The problem is taking the covering off the chair is not an option.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this?
> Im open for ideas.....
Cut a shallow slot in the end of the bolt with a
dremmel cutoff wheel to form what is essentially a
screw head. Then use a screwdriver to keep the
tee nut from spinning as you tighten.
In article
<[email protected]>,
Geo <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Dec 30, 11:29 am, "Rob V" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Hello all.
> > I hope someone here can help me out.
> > I have a chair that has a metal bar across the back.
> > 2 bolts go thru that bar in the back of the chair into Tee nuts in side the
> > chair.
> > Due to some abuse one of the bolts pulled out. I tried to put it back in
> > but the Tee Nut now just spins inside the chair and I cant tighten the bolt.
> > The back of the chair is like 1/4" ply. The bolt is 3/8" bolt.
> >
> > Ascii Art
> > II is the seat back.
> > O is the bar
> > = is the bolt
> > < is the tee nut
> >
> > II
> > <IIO=
> > II
> >
> > The problem is taking the covering off the chair is not an option.
> >
> > Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this?
> > Im open for ideas.....
> >
> > Thanks
> > -Rob
>
> Epoxy the the tee nut in place?
Get a glue syringe and fill it with 30 minute epoxy - look for one that
is fairly liquid. Shoot the area around the t-nut with the epoxy. Have a
couple of Q-tips available to get the epoxy out of the t-nut when it
runs into the center of the t-nut (murphy says it will). Once the epoxy
is set, run a tap into the t-nut to make sure the threads are clean. If
you want to make sure the bolt does not work free again - use some
locktite (just remember that the t-nut will now give long before the
bolt does, if you do this).
If it does not feel like the t-nut is solid after the first round of
epoxy (it feels loose when you run the tap) put another shot of epoxy
into it before you set the nut.
If you do not have a syringe, then you can use a gel epoxy, lots of time
and a bamboo meat skewer instead of the liquid and syringe...make sure
you have 30 minute or 1 hour gel if you do it this way and lots and lots
of calm...
On Dec 30, 11:29 am, "Rob V" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hello all.
> I hope someone here can help me out.
> I have a chair that has a metal bar across the back.
> 2 bolts go thru that bar in the back of the chair into Tee nuts in side the
> chair.
> Due to some abuse one of the bolts pulled out. I tried to put it back in
> but the Tee Nut now just spins inside the chair and I cant tighten the bolt.
> The back of the chair is like 1/4" ply. The bolt is 3/8" bolt.
>
> Ascii Art
> II is the seat back.
> O is the bar
> = is the bolt
> < is the tee nut
>
> II
> <IIO=
> II
>
> The problem is taking the covering off the chair is not an option.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this?
> Im open for ideas.....
>
> Thanks
> -Rob
Epoxy the the tee nut in place?
On Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:54:47 -0500, Doug Houseman
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Get a glue syringe and fill it with 30 minute epoxy - look for one that
>is fairly liquid. Shoot the area around the t-nut with the epoxy. Have a
>couple of Q-tips available to get the epoxy out of the t-nut when it
>runs into the center of the t-nut (murphy says it will). Once the epoxy
>is set, run a tap into the t-nut to make sure the threads are clean.
You can also put Vaselene or grease on the actual bolt and tee nut
threads, running it in while the epoxy is wet. Epoxy won't stick to
the greasy surface.
This problem was pretty common on r/c airplanes, where Tee nuts
vibrated loose and there was no access to the other side.
Gap filling (medium or thick) CA (super glue) also works well, with
the added bonus of being debondable if things go awry. Grease or
vaseline also works as a CA resist.