Whalf Engine shaft is 16mm.Not sure about the climber but the engine shaft may be an odd older size like the Knotlow engine shaft, might even have been a Whitworth. Jenny P may remember. I'm going to take the dog for a walk over there in a bit and take my adjustable spanner, I'm thinking I might be able to borrow a nut off Knotlow for the engine shaft as a temporary measure, though I can have take a few of my own large size nuts over on the off-chance.
The climber needs its method of securing changing; I did look at what needed to be done a few years back but I haven't got time to re-engineer the lid in the required manner.
The threads have not done too badly, considering the weather and dirty conditions they are in. I just realised that they've done 24years.Okay... having just got back from a quick dogwalk over to the shaft, the good news is I found the nuts in the grass alongside the shaft lid. The bad news is that the threading has worn to the point that the nuts can no longer be tightened. The only big nuts I could find at home were 21mm (truck wheel nuts, I think) so I've had to just leave the shaft looking secure. The climber is missing its nut, that I think is either an M10 or M12.
New 16mm nuts might be enough to get the engine shaft secure again in the short term but really it needs an alternative means of shutting. As mentioned above the climber also needs something else.
Sorry can't comment on the inner lid construction, as that was a later addition by someone else.The screw or bolt shanks that form the hinge pins of the inner lid of the engine shaft were well worn last time I looked (probably pre-pandemic) and could also do with replacing. I imagine that would be a grinder job.
For the Engine Shaft, what about a piece of angle steel bolted into the existing lid near the handle and running parallel to the hinges. Long enough to overlap the lid frame and sit on the concrete either side. This would have a hole drilled at each end and fit over new large threaded studs set in the concrete. Being angle, there would be less room to hit the nuts with a rock, but still easy to use a spanner.Okay... having just got back from a quick dogwalk over to the shaft, the good news is I found the nuts in the grass alongside the shaft lid. The bad news is that the threading has worn to the point that the nuts can no longer be tightened. The only big nuts I could find at home were 21mm (truck wheel nuts, I think) so I've had to just leave the shaft looking secure. The climber is missing its nut, that I think is either an M10 or M12.
New 16mm nuts might be enough to get the engine shaft secure again in the short term but really it needs an alternative means of shutting. As mentioned above the climber also needs something else.
Thats a cracking idea. Even better if the threaded rod cound be made replacable somehow?I had another idea. One of my first DCA jobs was fitting a locking catch to the Credit Crunch shaft lid. I think something like this would work well on these lids too, and the nuts cannot be removed and lost. Just need to find someone who can bend that thickness of steel.
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Someone like a trained blacksmith with a small hearth and anvil in his garage?I had another idea. One of my first DCA jobs was fitting a locking catch to the Credit Crunch shaft lid. I think something like this would work well on these lids too, and the nuts cannot be removed and lost. Just need to find someone who can bend that thickness of steel.