Long bolt: make my own?

[woger151]

I need to attach some wood to a post at the top of my stairs to be able to mount a baby gate. I was just going to bolt the wood to the post.

Problem is that the bolts have to be pretty long. I bought some hex bolts that are barely long enough (8"). I can't find longer bolts online unless I get a much fatter bolt, which I don't want to do.

I could use the 8" ones, but I was wondering if I could "make my own." I bought the hex bolts at HD, but also got 3 feet of "threaded rod." I figured I could just put some nuts on the rod and cut it with a hacksaw. I'm pretty sure it will be strong enough.

Only complication is that this is for kids (toddlers), and they love to eat everything. So I don't want them unscrewing the nut sticking out of the wood I attach. Is there an easy way to fix the nut, essentially making my own bolt? I was thinking of putting super glue on the threads and then quickly screwing the nut over that. (I'm not so worried about the nut on the other end, which would be free just like a regular bolt---that end won't be as easily available to them.)

TIA,

S

[Bill Waller]

I have had good luck finding long bolts at

Waller New Eagle, PA

[e-mail]

[Pavel314]

Thanks for posting that link. I occasionally need a long, fully- threaded bolt but the local hardware, Home Depot, etc., generally only have partly threaded bolts in the longer sizes.

Paul

[DerbyDad03]

re: "So I don't want them unscrewing the nut sticking out of the wood I attach."

How friggin' strong are these toddlers?

A couple of options:

Epoxy the threads before screwing the nut onto the threaded rod. Use epoxy, like 5-Minute epoxy or JB Weld, not super glue.

Since you're drilling into the post anyway, why not counter sink the head (or nut) of the 8" bolt? If you recess the head (or nut) the super human toddlers won't have anything to gnaw on.

By the way, if you cut the threaded rod with a hacksaw, screw a nut on first so you can "fix" the cut threads after cutting by unscrewing the nut. You may need a wrench, but it'll straighten out the threads as you back the nut off.

[RickH]

Weld the nut to the rod. If you dont have a welder take it to your local muffler shop chances re they'll do it for you for 5 bucks.

Or just tell the kids hands off.

[zxcvbob]

If you glue the nut on, use red or green "Loc·tite" instead of super glue. (Blue and purple are removable, red and green are permanent; green is hard to find.)

You might have better luck finding an extra-long carriage bolt instead of a hex bolt, and the round head will give a more finished look.

Bob

[jbry3]

Instead of 'super glue', try epoxy. You can get it inside the threads under the nut AND get a big enough glob on the end that you could smooth it out and even paint it to match the woodwork.

After hacksawing your threaded rod, look carefully at the thread where you cut. You may need to file it slightly to present an 'entry' for the nut.

Other option: you could embed the threaded rod inside the wooden post, if you envision this more or less as permanent. Drill a couple inches deep and epoxy it there.

[DerbyDad03]

re: "After hacksawing your threaded rod, look carefully at the thread where you cut. You may need to file it slightly to present an 'entry' for the nut. "

or, as I mentioned earlier, put a nut on the rod *before* cutting and use the nut to smooth out the threads by unscrewing it over the damaged threads.

Of course, in this case, you might as well leave the end damaged to make it even harder to get the nut off.

Put the nut on, cut the rod, smear your epoxy on the cut-end threads and unscrew the nut until jams on the damaged threads.

[willshak]

woger151 wrote the following:

Don't let them play with wrenches. :-) Use split washers, and you can get some thread lock at an auto store.

[mkirsch1]

Tighten the damn bolt. Even a few foot-pounds of torque, and there is no way on God's green earth a toddler can loosen it.

If you want to be paranoid about it, use aircraft nuts, also called nylon locking nuts or nylock nuts.

[norminn]

If the kids are going to be unsupervised long enough to unscrew a bolt, the gate isn't going to solve safety problems.

[Jon Danniken]

That's what I was thinking as well.

On another note, I would use acorn nuts for this application, to eliminate ant threads exposed at the end of the all thread.

Jon

[John Gilmer]

where you cut. You may need to file it slightly to present an 'entry' for the nut. "

use the nut to smooth out the threads by unscrewing it over the damaged threads.

A few years ago I did a project where I ended up cutting a LOT of the "all thread."

I handy accessory is a thread cutting die the corresponds to the thread. Before you cut, you thread on the die and put it on the "long side" of the cut. You might also want to thread two nuts on first so that you can jam them together and use a wrench to keep the "long side" from rotating.

When you have cut off the "short end" you remove your die from the long end. If you want to restore the entire thread of the short end you can run the die up that side.

You can set up a "production" with two dies with one, each, on the long and short sides of your cuts.

NB: It is possible to cut threads in unthreaded rod. The problem is starting the die on a poorly finished end. The result will not be any stronger than the all thread. You can do the price tradeoff's yourself.

[Jules Richardson]

Yes! I just posted about those, but couldn't remember what the heck the proper name for them was. Acorn nuts it is. :-)

[Jules Richardson]

I read 'tell' as 'chop', which seemed a little extreme ;-)

[dadiOH]

I am too. _______________

Sure. Use a hammer to peen the end of the threaded rod a bit. ______________

That will work too except put the glue on *after* you put on the nut...it will work its way down the threads.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY There must be a lot of engineers reading this group. Seems like even dog easy stuff winds up with overly complicated solutions :)

[Ron]

Use flat washers along with a lock washers..

Or 2 nuts on each end of the rod. On one end of the rod twist on both nuts so that the outer nut is flush with the end of the rod. Then using 2 wrenches tighten the outer nut while "loosening" the inner nut.

Do the same thing to the other end once you have slide it through the hole. Cut off extra rod with hacksaw.

[Bill Waller]

You are very welcome, Paul. I just retrieved a package of 8" SS carriage bolts that I ordered last week for re-bracing under my deck. I could have gotten them from McFeely's, but they would have cost me $4.00 more...each. __________________ Bill Waller New Eagle, PA

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[WW]

[norminn]

I'm serious, and not trying to trash the OP. Toddlers (more than one?!) can do tremendous damage in about 10 seconds...clog up a toilet, hurt each other, break a window, stick something in an electrical outlet, climb over the kiddy gate, etc. Mine were artists :o)

The drawers in our kitchen base cabinets made a good ladder to get to the upper cabinets. My daughter found the "chocolate candy" in the medicine cabinet in an otherwise entirely empty house we were ready to move into...she thought it was good. It was Exlax :o) Delayed moving in for an hour or two whilst we got some stuff to make her vomit, see the family doctor. Within the past week, I think I've read about three toddlers drowning; parents were nearby but distracted for just a few minutes.