2024-04-22

Last modified: 2024-04-22 14:36:36

Bolting upright

Looking over my notes from 2024-03-10 it looks like I didn't actually settle on bolts or threaded inserts for the frame plates. Oh, well, I'll make do with what I have and buy more if I need more later.

So first I need to cut all the M6 inserts in half, and then I need to drill the holes to put them in, then epoxy them in place and see how it's looking? The inserts are very smooth, I should probably roughen them up before gluing.

I cut them in half on the bandsaw, pushing them with mole grips, then deburred and roughened the surfaces on the lathe using a file.

Now it's just a case of drilling a short-ish 10mm hole in each of the places I marked yesterday:

I'm drilling with the cordless drill. I did consider trying to use the pillar drill but the setup was a bit wobbly, I think I'll do a better job this way.

I am wondering whether I should 3d print a template so that I can have them bolted up while the epoxy sets, so that they'll all be in the right place.

If I'm going to the trouble of making a template to bolt the inserts in the right place, I should have made it a drilling template as well! Never mind.

Features I want from the bolting template:

• accurately locate the inserts
• glue them flush with the surface
• don't glue the template to the part

I have noticed that the flanges on the bolts are not very concentric with the thread, so I'll probably be using the thread as the locating feature. I know threads aren't considered accurate locating features, but they're more accurate than doing nothing.

So I'm thinking I'll screw the bolts into the template then lightly screw the inserts onto the bolts, check that it fits, then put epoxy inside the holes, then push the inserts into the holes, make a half-arsed attempt at applying some sort of clamping force to keep the template flush with the surface, and then try to unbolt it after 3 hours or so.

Do I want the inserts to be flush with the surface, or slightly sunken? If they are slightly sunken then there will be better contact between the mating surfaces of the frame parts, but at the cost of some force trying to rip the insert out of its hole.