CTHobbitBRONZE Member God Emperor Hobbit 15 posts Location: East Windsor, CT, USA
Posted: I'm making my first set of fire wicks (I've got my Zuni's and I've been using my friend's fire-poi when I've had the chance). I'm going to do the interleave wick with an eye-bolt and washer setup that's on my friend's. The only thing I don't like about it is the nut on the bottom of the bolt. They loosen when you don't want them to. I'm looking for a pinch nut (or so I'm led to believe it's called). Adam Rice mentions them on his web site and I found a lot of references to them on the net, but no such luck finding anyone that distributes them. My local hardware stores are also clueless and have no idea what I'm talking about. The problem with the local locknuts are the nylon insert (melt). So the pinch nut sounds like a good alternative. Any thoughts and/or directions for where I could find some of these? Thanks!Ben
Posted: pj had a similar setup like that at the ECSP. Check with him to see if he's solved that issue.------------------"Except for that Mrs. Lincoln, How did you like the play?"Pyromorph - Let the fire change you
FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB.
English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England. - Homer Jay Simpson
AnonymousPLATINUM Member
Posted: A simple solution that you might try is to place a second nut on the bottom of the bolt. then you grab two pliers and tighten the two nuts into each other as hard as you can. it should lock the two nuts together enough that you can't unscrew it by hand at all. and every now and then when you are checking your equipment just tighten them up into each other again. The only real downside to this approach is that it gives you an extra little hunk of metal at the bottom of the wick but not too badly and as long as you keep an eye on it they both shouldn't move on you. Just make sure if you ever slam them into something hard like the ground that you check that they havent been jarred loose. hope that helps
adamricepoo-bah 1,015 posts Location: Austin TX USA
Posted: Pinch nuts are hard to come by. They're very specialized items--used mostly in aviation, as near as I can tell.If you are going with the eyelet-bolt approach, I'd second NYCJ's suggestion about tightening two nuts against each other. An added benefit that s/he didn't mention is that you aren't trying to clamp down on the wicking, which I think interferes with the wicking action and is basically futile because wicking is so compressible. Also, I'd get a hacksaw, cut off the excess length of the eyelet bolt, and perhaps use a hammer to flare out the end, so that the nuts just can't come off at all.
Laugh while you can, monkey-boy
pjmember 277 posts Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Posted: On my cathedral/accordian fold wicks I use two nuts with a lock washer inbetween them. I overtighten them slightly (compressing the wick) and cut the bolt to length with a pair of bolt cutters. This damages the threads slightly and will prevent the nuts from coming off even if they work loose. Probably overkill, but it hardly involves much extra work or cost.-p.
vanizeSILVER Member Carpal \'Tunnel 3,899 posts Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posted: I've found PJs meathod to be entirely satisfying. I have a friend with an arc welder though, so I take new wicks to him and have him melt the extra portion of the eyebolt to a normal nut. This also get rid of all sharp edges and makes me very happy.
-v-
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