MisterB
Active member
No one asked but sometimes I just have to give advice.
When it comes to turning nuts and bolts, everyone has to start somewhere.
If you're new to this activity I'd like to offer some best practices and golden rules to get in the habit of using sooner than later.
I'm sure there will be some fantastic additions in the responses.
*If it comes out easy, it should go in easy.
*Start all bolts and screws by hand if possible. If threading is difficult push the bolt into the threaded hole lightly and turn counter-clockwise until you feel/hear a click. That is the point where the threads will engage. Now try turning clockwise and see if it grabs.
*If an assembly has multiple bolts or screws get them all started before tightening any. This will allow you to wiggle it in case there is alignment slop.
*There are often many different size fasteners so use a piece of cardboard, a Sharpie, and cut an X in the cardboard to push your screws in to if it is a complex or long job. Just draw a crude version of the part and hole locations. Do this with the push-pins as there are at least a couple types.
Yeah, I know there are people out there who use the air ratchet for starting every fastener and who've never cross-threaded and can keep track of a hundred bolts after tearing down their engine to the block, but that's not me and it's maybe not you.
Had to write this after helping an operator change a tool on a <1 yr old machine today. In the hint above about turning the screw counter-clockwise I should've added that if you hear TWO clicks within the 360 degree rotation then the screw has been cross-threaded. Well maybe the proper term for this is parallel threading or double threading. The original thread is still intact but, amazingly, someone split it and started a new thread! Angular cross-threading is far more destructive and you can probably check the web to find out more than you'd ever want to know. We will eventually have to deal with this, but for now (and the next couple weeks) the machine is running.
for reference, this is a 3/8-16 thread.
When it comes to turning nuts and bolts, everyone has to start somewhere.
If you're new to this activity I'd like to offer some best practices and golden rules to get in the habit of using sooner than later.
I'm sure there will be some fantastic additions in the responses.
*If it comes out easy, it should go in easy.
*Start all bolts and screws by hand if possible. If threading is difficult push the bolt into the threaded hole lightly and turn counter-clockwise until you feel/hear a click. That is the point where the threads will engage. Now try turning clockwise and see if it grabs.
*If an assembly has multiple bolts or screws get them all started before tightening any. This will allow you to wiggle it in case there is alignment slop.
*There are often many different size fasteners so use a piece of cardboard, a Sharpie, and cut an X in the cardboard to push your screws in to if it is a complex or long job. Just draw a crude version of the part and hole locations. Do this with the push-pins as there are at least a couple types.
Yeah, I know there are people out there who use the air ratchet for starting every fastener and who've never cross-threaded and can keep track of a hundred bolts after tearing down their engine to the block, but that's not me and it's maybe not you.
Had to write this after helping an operator change a tool on a <1 yr old machine today. In the hint above about turning the screw counter-clockwise I should've added that if you hear TWO clicks within the 360 degree rotation then the screw has been cross-threaded. Well maybe the proper term for this is parallel threading or double threading. The original thread is still intact but, amazingly, someone split it and started a new thread! Angular cross-threading is far more destructive and you can probably check the web to find out more than you'd ever want to know. We will eventually have to deal with this, but for now (and the next couple weeks) the machine is running.
for reference, this is a 3/8-16 thread.