Once upon a time the little cabinet locks from the hardware store came with a complete assortment of stock bar latches for any type of installation- file/furniture/cash box. Nowadays not so much. The good news- I just needed a shorter bar length when I replaced the old lock. Just another day at the “office”. Handcrafted small batch replacement repair complete with field expedient part fabrication.
Occasionally in the course of Handyman Events there appears a curiosity wrapped in puzzlement within a wonderment. A “simple job” otherwise known technically as a “head scratcher”. A recent Bracket installation project was the very definition of just such a “simple job”.
I have ruminated about “simple jobs” in previous posts over the years. CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE
On the surface the assignment seemed straight forward enough: Drill 8 holes to attach 2 brackets with 4 lag bolts each. The brackets are to be used with suspension trainers, gym rings, yoga swings,hammocks, resistance or battle ropes.
But fun and hijinks began with the first instruction to wit: Drill a 1/2 inch hole. There is no place on these brackets where a 1/2 inch hole is desirable or necessary. To demonstrate this to the homeowner I drilled a 1/2 inch hole through a piece of scrap wood with a marked 1/2 inch spade bit. The supplied hex head lag bolts almost fell completely through the hole. Possibly the author confused the supplied plated 5/16 lag bolts with the fact that the bolt head itself requires a 1/2 inch socket to tighten or loosen. But that is the ONLY place the term 1/2 inch even enters the discussion.
So we settled on a twist drill diameter slightly smaller than the threaded shaft so the lag bolt would grab but tighten without excessive friction.
Without warning another speed bump immediately popped up. I cannot remember a rough lumber lag bolt EVER twisting apart while being tightened into an 8×8 post. If anything the socket on a 3/8 socket wrench is likely to crack before the bolt breaks! And that is only when used with extreme force to tighten a recalcitrant bolt. THIS bolt was easing into quietly into place when suddenly there were two pieces!
And THAT is when I noticed the supplied bolts came WITHOUT A HEADSTAMP.
For those who are unfamiliar headstamps are universally used to describe bolt characteristics, strength and manufacturer. Every hardware store sells only headstamped bolts in their inventory!
Headstamp identification PDF file CLICK HERE
Now I am looking at this deal with a magnifying glass, dare I say even a microscope if I had loaded one on the truck!
The instructions detail the number of bolts supplied as 2. However, there are 4 bolt holes in the bracket baseplate and 4 5/16 inch lag bolts supplied with each bracket. In a perfect world normal practice would dictate no two bracket holes be in line with each other along the lumber grain to prevent the possibility of splitting the wood. Generally this information would be communicated with a factory supplied template to indicate a suggested bolt layout. Every 10 dollar doorknob from China supplies a layout template for doorknob bore holes. Why this bracket would not have an equivalent template for bolt holes is a mystery.
Curiously the instructions DO have stern warnings about the load ratings required to use these brackets. 3750 lb shear load is alot to ask of most residential and commercial construction especially if the walls are metal stud construction.
Fascinating pretty relevant discussion about shear loads CLICK HERE
But the real question is WILL THE BRACKETS THEMSELVES STAND UP TO A 3750 lb load? For example some welds completely fill the surface gap and others not so much.
Sadly, I told the homeowner this whole setup is snakebit and these brackets might not do the job he wanted. Maybe some others might work better.
As Sgt. Esterhaus famously said “Let’s be careful out there”
The location has changed from downtown Raleigh to new facilities at Box 5381, Raleigh NC 27650 (yeah these boxes are a little crowded) but the work continues, the hope endures, the dream will never die!
A new addition to my unique collection of doodads, whatnots, and thingamajigs. Behold a dedicated tool made from leftover scraps for those of us who need to fidget with ridiculously fussy door latches. No more scraped knuckles or finger muscle cramps. Just stand back and quickly twist the latch to lock or unlock !
Made from genuine American copper pipe, steel bolt, epoxy and authentic American Spruce. You know you need one!
Other doodads, whatnots and thingamajigs can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE and HERE.
Spring Cleaning! Everything must go! Antiquities, Curiosities and What-nots available for a limited time!
The building at 507 Hillsborough St is slated for demolition and replacement with a new upteen story replacement edifice suitable for the 21st Century!
A short list of available stuff:
*Genuine 1 owner vintage classic museum grade Apple IIc Computer (Still works!) Relive the past with this beautiful 1986 piece of history!
*22 foot sailboat mast and boom! Authentic wood construction suitable for backyard sailboat builders or training class!
* All manner of books/tools/ supplies/wood/paint/nuts/bolts/fasteners/wire/etc.
* Working salvage electric motors!
* Window Sashes suitable for Garden Cold Frames!
*Formica counter scraps suitable for work benches!
Get what you need before everything is gone!
Yard sale/ Garage Sale prices! Free stuff!
919-834-4833
A new toy for the backyard woodlot!
Cut a railroad tie into a big piece and a little piece, cross lap the little piece and big piece
together to form an L support for an old car spring, attach a pivot bracket and 6 foot length of
1 inch square tube above the car spring, force the axe handle remnant into a 1 inch diameter
galvanized nipple and bolt axe assembly into the business end of the tube, make a box of sufficient
dimension to hold 5 standard red bricks and use U-bolts to attach the counterweight above the
axe head and voila! a beautiful backyard wood splitting tool modeled on some of the European
versions seen on the Internet will appear before your very eyes!
Now your mileage may vary but my cash layout for this little project was $12.00 to buy the
railroad tie from Home Depot, $2.00 to buy a 1 inch galvanized steel nipple, $11.00 for
miscellaneous u-bolts, lag bolts, washers and nuts etc. for a grand total of about $25.00
cash money USD!
The car spring came from my friendly local mechanic (Thanks Rocky!), the tube and bracket,
bricks, plywood etc. came from my junk pile and of course, the inspiration came from
the Internet (thanks Youtube!)
To quote the legendary George Peppard, Leader of the A Team: ” I love it when a plan comes together!”
Happy firewood splitting everyone!
The world is filled with technical specification requirements, commercial,
legal and government code restrictions,even engineering design demands-
all of which fall under the general rubric of “Best Practices”.
Most people in most work environments accept the value of these generally
accepted practice templates, usually based on a previous generations experience
of bitter failure from past attempts to achieve a certain desirable outcome.
Architects tell more than a few dramatically epic war stories.
For many, Boston’s John Hancock Building may come immediately to mind. CLICK LINK
But then appears today’s Exhibit A from my little world of residential
repairs and improvement- an example so far off the beaten path as to make
any carpenter question the value of code compliant design or any other generally
accepted “Best Practice”.
Forget about the absence of X braces or the retrofitted angle brackets (and bolts?)
and just meditate briefly on the location of a two story load bearing post positioned
in the middle of a 12 foot open span rim joist! Held in place by nails? Impossible to
determine from the street.
Truly this is a marvel of by guess and by golly backwoods engineering.
The ultimate Best Practices Paradox!
Given the age of materials this structure has been in service at least ten
if not twenty or even thirty years! In all that time people have used these
stairs and no harm has come to anyone.
By what magic does this deck remain upright? Surely BEST PRACTICE protocols
would predict a quick and early demise long ago!
Mortal minds will be hard put to determine whether this edifice is an example of
divine intervention or satanic interference.
But there she stands proud and unquestioned for all to see.
A blast from the past!
Yes! Before the World Wide Web, Blogs, Vlogs, Podcasts,
Twitter, and EVEN FACEBOOK(!!!!), civilization was blessed with something
called A NEWSPAPER!
Newspapers were the all-knowing, all-seeing omniscient precursor to
the INTERNET.
People found these newspaper things sold on every street corner, free to
read in every barbershop, restaurant, library,and shoeshine stand.They eagerly
consumed the content therein for all the IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE DAY.
And sometimes the newspaper Gods would smile on ordinary Pedestrian
Americans and publish their (unpaid) homegrown contributions to
Civilization within the sacred, hallowed pages of the daily press.
So back on December 22, 1991, yours truly found his humble suggestions for
a Safe and Happy Holiday reproduced in the Friday edition of Raleigh’s News &
Observer, thousands of copies of which were distributed all over the State of
North Carolina and other select portions of the United States!
A heady experience for a small town Fixit Guy!
So for a taste of vintage humor enjoy this selection from the voluminous archives
of yesteryear’s Fixit Files!
Note the reference to a spontaneous battery fire! Before laptops and cellphones!
ViviLnk
No more digital thermostats!
After 3 super duper programmable wonder boxes which could do everything except run
the furnace we dragged the vintage 1960 era bimetallic analog milk horse out of
retirement and watched in amazement as the house warmed up and cooled down without a hiccup!
The only problem was temperature control.
In the 1960’s no one quibbled about 71/72/73 degrees.
Close enough was good enough.
Enter another fine analog product from yesteryear- the lipstick tube.
With a twist of the dial the temperature can be adjusted in increments of 1/2 degree!
Ma is happy, I am happy, the furnace is happy.
Happy, happy, happy!
By the way, credit for the lipstick tube adjustable switch courtesy of
Fred MacMurray in “Dive Bomber”
Okay, this is just totally cool. Have yet to see one in Raleigh,
but I will keep my eyes peeled! Intuitive controls, overland travel
capability. The perfect commuter vehicle. Better than a motorcycle, even!
Kattermann's Handyman Blog 