Thread: Sex Bolts

I was going to say......" back in the old days.....". So I gooled Dr Zogs Sex Wax, still going strong.
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Originally Posted by DSEL74

....... Commonly referred to as saw bolt& saw nuts or split nuts etc. A similar design is called Chicago Nuts which are used in book binding etc. but doesn't have the anti-rotation feature or stepped shank (binder posts, Barrel Nuts).

DSEL, can I put on my pedagogue's hat for a bit & plead that people use 'bolt' & 'nut' for their proper parts? They really are quite separate things.

Originally Posted by DSEL74

....... Most common ones sold to saw makers these days tend to me split nuts. The issue I see with these is as the wood shrinks, you tighten and the threads protrude.

So why not just file, sand or cut the protruding bit off? I haven't found this to bee much of a problem in practice, but in any case, I generally cut the bolt a 1/2mm short, to allow for a bit of subsequent tightening. Perhaps the woods I've used for handles are particularly stable.

Originally Posted by DSEL74

....... My question is which do you prefer and is it purely aesthetic or structural?
I think I like the idea of one similar to the Bad Axe design where the Shank of the nut is splined, stops rotation and saves making a square hole.


Also what size would you most commonly use. 7/16, ½, 9/16?

I like the splined shank bolts because they are easy to fit, & grip well, but they are too hard for me to make, so I use square steps on the shank of the bolt instead. And I like to use split nuts so that I can have all of the metal flush with the surface of the wood. My second preference is for domed heads on bolt & nut. These are finger-friendly enough, more bother to make, less bother to fit.....
It's purely personal preference, of course, makes no significant difference mechanically. The more important factor is to get a good, neat fit, so the saw doesn't rattle in its handle.

I make different sizes according to the size of the cheeks on the handle, just to keep it in proportion. The smallest bolts I use have 9mm (3/8) heads & 4mm threads, the largest have 1/2 inch heads & nuts and 6mm threads. I sometimes make one bolt head larger, 5/8 or 3/4 inch, so it can be engraved with the owner's name or whatever....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Sex Bolts…Yeah thought that would get your attention!

Well, they are screwed in...

Like they say, you don't know anything about some thing until you realise you don't know it all.

Sex bolts? That can't be right, there's usually only three or four.

Sex bolt sounds like one of Tom Jones' songs.

Originally Posted by seanz

Sex bolts? That can't be right, there's usually only three or four.

And most of them have lasted longer than 2 minutes!

Just found another saw nut option, not trad to be sure, but could look pretty nice I think.

Acorn nuts from a knife making suppliers.

http://www.knifemaking.com/product-p/cpb316.htm