Problems with a plastic nut

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

Hi folks

Wanted to sharpen the blade on my mower. Got the flat hex spanner from the shed and upended the mower. That's when my problems began!

The nut is that soft plastic (polypropylene?) and the spanner just keeps rounding the corners and slipping off. So I can't get the blade off and it looks like I'll never be able to

So any suggestions as to how I can get this obstinate sucker off and replace it with a stainless one made on my lather?

One thought I had would be to drill two holes and make a pin spanner

All suggestions gratefully received

John

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

Polypropylene I think

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi John,
You could try a box spanner so all six faces were gripped. You could also make a hexagonal spanner by drilling and filling a piece of plate that was as thick as the nut (Or a little thicker.) Even aluminium would be strong enough. If you do not have any metal thick enough you could try drilling a hole in a piece of plywood (The diameter equal to the corner to corner size of the nut.) then putting this on the nut and filling the space between the flats and the hole with epoxy resin. I would let the resin set for 24 hours before trying to undo the nut. You could first try to loosen the nut by hitting either side of the blade with a hammer so the opposite side of the blade tried to lift that side of the nut.

Les.

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

Are you sure it is not a left hand thread ?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Eric Clark on 16/09/2012 09:34:54:

Are you sure it is not a left hand thread ?

 

1. Definitely worth checking !!
2. Flank-Drive sockets are ideal in these situations.

​MichaelG.

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 16/09/2012 09:46:58

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 16/09/2012 10:17:20

[Donald WittmannParticipant @donaldwittmann92536]

Holes in plywood, Pin spanners??? If you have the skill to make a replacement nut on the lathe then surely you would have the common sense to just "cut it off". By the sound of it the original is butchered anyway.

Donald.

[Mark P.Participant @markp]

My opinion,cut it off!

Pailo.

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

What brand of mower? Spare plastic nuts for mowers are both readily and cheaply available.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

So any suggestions as to how I can get this obstinate sucker off and replace it with a stainless one made on my lather?

—-

I would replace it with an aluminium one

Stainless is a massive overkill for replacing a plastic nut

 

Left handed thread lol, good suggestion

 

I got these from fleabay, they fit EVERYTHING in their range, metric, imperial and planet zonk sized nuts

Three spanners covering 8-25mm has got to come in useful sometime

EDIT

That 17-24mm one for 8.51 including postage on fleebay at the moment, a mega bargain IMO because it will also do any bigger imperial nuts too

Edited By Ady1 on 16/09/2012 10:39:35

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Gordon Bennett it's not rocket science it's only plastic, use a chisel or an old screwdriver and split it.

Must have taken longer to post about it than do it………………

Edited By John Stevenson on 16/09/2012 10:49:31

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Melt it to death witha blowtorch

Neil

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Had a problem with my mower, plastic head on the bolt holding the blade split, so on the sugestion of the local mower service man I replaced it with a 8.8 metric bolt, and a Belville washer. Ian S C

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

Some of these suggestions are ludicriouse in the extreme., get your stiltson or draper adjustable use oil to help with removal might be left or right thread so gently rock left and right untill you feel it move. remove offending part, remake in metal.
But
Once again what has this to do with model engineering I ask, There are far to many postings lately asking about domestic problems. I am sure that there must be forums dedicated to this.

What do you think…

Bob

[Mark P.Participant @markp]

Still an engineering question, ME related or not Bob.

Pailo.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Springbok on 16/09/2012 16:32:23:

Some of these suggestions are ludicriouse in the extreme., get your stiltson or draper adjustable use oil to help with removal might be left or right thread so gently rock left and right untill you feel it move. remove offending part, remake in metal.
But
Once again what has this to do with model engineering I ask, There are far to many postings lately asking about domestic problems. I am sure that there must be forums dedicated to this.

What do you think…

Bob

I think your attitude has hardened since 2011

MichaelG.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Well spotted Michael!

Whilst this is a forum serving two magazines, my feeling is that a lot more than 50% of the subjects are engineering rather than model related.

As to the original question, two words… Mole Grips

When I have had to remove one of the blade retaining bolts I use mole grips every time, far better to put slight serations on a couple of flats and know it is going to undo than take a chance (especially with the sometimes supplied plastic spanner!). Wear gloves too.

Ian

Ian

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

All questions of a mechanical/engineering/workshop natuer should be welcome, if only because they get the grey matter in motion.

If this really happened to me (and like the poster I have the kit to make a replacement) I woudl have used a cheaop through handle screwdriver and a hammer to knock the nut off, not worrying about any damage to the nut in the process.

The blowtorch suggestion was serious though obviously care to avoide setting fire to dry grass or melt the bodywork (I'm assuming it's not a petrol mower if the blade is held on by a plastic nut!) would be needed.

Neil

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

Cheers for the helpful suggestions

Springbok: as I'd seen plenty of other threads of a similar nature (jobbing home repairs) in my three years since joining I thought it was perfectly OK to post this question. It's responses like yours that could put newcomers off. Luckily I am a member of a motorcycle forum that is robust in the extreme and have therefore seen far worse than your llittle knicker twist. I'm sorry my interest to learn doesn't fit with your view of this site.

Thanks for the help folks

John

[NJHParticipant @njh]

John

No time for sublety here I feel. The tool is either a pair of Stilsons or a pair of Footprints – I bought a pair of these about 50 years ago and, as a last result, they have always got me out of trouble. They are a bit brutal though!

Bob

I really don't have a problem with this thread. It is a call for help from a guy who regularly posts on ME topics and I'm quite sure that , if you ever have a problem outside ME, you too will receive helpful responses. If you read here regularly you will know which of the responders are giving good information and I received just such useful advice on a well off topic thread I instigated a while ago.If we are to go down the " Models Only" route where will that lead? Perhaps we should segregate threads such that they are item specific eg. Thread "5in Locos" should only have items specific to that scale and should not include any other locos, driving trucks, 3 1/2 " or 7 1/4" etc etc. Think of the duplication and all the little nuggets of information you would miss.

Yes threads sometimes drift off topic but generally stick somewhere near the main point – and the diversions are often interesting anyway.

Regards

Norman

Edited By NJH on 16/09/2012 22:08:04

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

I am with Norman on "off topic" , as being oftern intresting despite off topic..

the "problem" comes in finding these intresting posts when the subject is unrelated

…

For example not esp. intrested in loco's but find techniques and methods employed of intrest…I find I try to read all latest posts …incase..

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