The Impossible Bolt

[Codered741]

Hello all,

I posted this in the POTD thread, and got a bunch of interest as to how it was done, so I decided to put it here first as a guessing game. If no one figures it out in a day or so, ill post how I did it.

NO CHEATING!!! This project is out on the internet, please don't just post the answer, and if you go look it up, don't say anything. It's a great brain teaser, I have all the guys at work stumped!

Info:

No welding was done to the piece. The button heads just cover the center drills used while turning between centers. The entire piece was done in the lathe. Material is 316 Stainless steel.



Enjoy!!

-Cody

 

[jgedde]

If I had to guess I'd say they were two pieces cleverly joined in such a way that the seam is invisible. Perhaps the seam blends into the external thread?

Suppose one did this? Make two pieces, drilled with a method of joining them -say some threaded rod? Then add an external thread to the whole assembly. Now, take it apart, screw on the nut, and reassemble. I think the seam would be nearly invisible.

If not that, the end cap is removable with a hidden seam. I figure if you re-machined the end groove at the end of the threaded section, the seam would become invisible as the burr would smear into the seam or the seam would get lost in the machining marks.

In either case, a bit of Loctite would make it impossible to accidentally disassemble thus revealing the secret.

John

 

[Bill Gruby]

Scouts Honor, I'll be quiet this time. :roflmao:

"Billy G"

 

[hman]

Me, too!

PS - Since this forum is itself on the internet, I suppose looking at the POTD thread would constitute cheating!:thinking:

 

[stupoty]

Its too simple,

you just used scottys teleporter of course ?

;-)

Stu

 

[george wilson]

I'll keep out of it,too,as I've seen it before elsewhere.

 

[Bellwether]

Is it two individual bolts threaded into the nut which is holding them together?

 

[jamie76x]

You guys are too much.....
We made those in my high school metal shop class as a project .... Everyone got a kick out of them.
While ever one in the class was making the "trick" piece .... I made a true "one piece" captive bolt by drawing the one end back to size and remachining it to match.

 

[cdhknives]

Is it two individual bolts threaded into the nut which is holding them together?

That was my first thought as well.

 

[FRISKY]

Interesting! Although it only took me about 15-seconds to figure out how it was made.