The Impossible Bolt

[cdhknives]

Ach! I see it now. Dang camera angles...

 

[jgedde]

OK, so how is it made? Did my guess even come close?

John

 

[cdhknives]

It looks to me like the left end is smaller, small enough for the nut to slip over. The nut hides the step change in diameters, and the threads are cut to the same pitch to disguise the different diameters.

The camera angle is the real trick...you expect things in the distance to be smaller, so angling the bolt further camouflages the diameter change.

And no, I didn't peek or look it up.

 

[drs23]

It looks to me like the left end is smaller, small enough for the nut to slip over. The nut hides the step change in diameters, and the threads are cut to the same pitch to disguise the different diameters.

The camera angle is the real trick...you expect things in the distance to be smaller, so angling the bolt further camouflages the diameter change.

And no, I didn't peek or look it up.

I think we have a BINGO! Yes? or no?

 

[Codered741]

It looks to me like the left end is smaller, small enough for the nut to slip over. The nut hides the step change in diameters, and the threads are cut to the same pitch to disguise the different diameters.

The camera angle is the real trick...you expect things in the distance to be smaller, so angling the bolt further camouflages the diameter change.

And no, I didn't peek or look it up.

Nice idea, but seeing it in person wouldn't stump anyone. And I STILL have the guys here at work stumped.

The nut can travel from one end to the other, without coming un-threaded at either relief. The thread is 1/2"- 20 all the way from one shoulder to the other.

Ill give it another day or so, and I'll post the solution.

Here are some more photos, not great with the camera phone, but should give some more insight.





-Cody

 

[schor]

"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."

You don't have to weld a thread but loctite works. The entire piece or do you mean pieces?

 

[Uglydog]

Don't suppose that heating the nut would give you enough expansion to slide it over the end?
Additionally, that wouldn't be done on the lathe....

 

[Codered741]

Don't suppose that heating the nut would give you enough expansion to slide it over the end?
Additionally, that wouldn't be done on the lathe....

Nope. The ends are nearly 11/16" diameter. You might get a couple of thousandths out of the nut, not nearly enough.

Im going to post photos of what I did tomorrow. I had to make another as a demo, I can't get this one apart! I'm going to make the demo out of Delrin.

Stay tuned!

-Cody

 

[schor]

Im going to post photos of what I did tomorrow. I had to make another as a demo, I can't get this one apart!
-Cody

So as I said, you used loctite on the threads. There are two pieces threaded together and loctite together. Some final machining at the ends to make it look like one piece.

 

[Bill Gruby]

You don't Loctite anything. The object of the puzzle is to get the nut off and back on again. I made one a few years ago from Brass. I think one of the grandkids has it. It was taken to school for show and tell.

"Billy G"