Wardlow Sough Reopening - DCA Project

[LarryFatcat]

the lid has two bolts on it, c24mm, the top one is finger loose and impossible to get tighter, the bottom still needs a spanner

 

[Pete K]

I'll go down and nip it up one day. I figured the gate would settle in after a while and need some tweaks. Both nuts were very stiff when installed in September.

 

[Katie]

It is ok though - no one is getting far in at the moment anyway 

If you let me know what needs doing Pete I can do it - I am down there several times a week with the dogs

 

[Pete K]

Ah cheers. On the inside of the door is a nut that tightens up towards the door. Nipping that up increases the grip on the door steel between the inside nut and the outside bolt head, allowing the force needed to turn the bolt to be changed. Basically, it wants nipping up a bit tighter against the door so the bolt can't be turned by hand.
Once that is done, the nut on the end of the bolt, the one that holds the locking arm in place, needs to be tightened up as much as possible, trapping the locking arm against the nut you just adjusted against the door. Doing this locks it off, like when you tighten one nut against another. That will stop it coming loose again quickly.
Clear as mud?

 

[Katie]

Thanks Pete, wasn't entirely sure by your description but when I went to look it all made sense.
Both spanner tight again ;-)

Although no one is getting far in anyway at the moment....

The dog was slightly confused, although not at all surprised at the turn this walk had taken......

 

[Boy Engineer]

Looking at the depth of water, we ought to be back up there with a tray of damp clay and a variety of petals and seeds, creating a design showing a team of ne-er do wells rolling a length of twinwall down the Dale.

 

[Katie]

Good idea Boy engineer - maybe we can use actual cow pats to represent the many cow pats we rolled it through?

 

[Pete K]

Thanks for sorting that Katie!

 

[Pete K]

Bit of a resurrection to the thread to save starting a new one.
The above mentioned issue with the top bolt coming loose has reoccurred and to make matters worse, the bottom nut was found undone today so the gate was not secure. Typically bad timing as I'm off to Wales for a week in the morning and Katie is away in Cornwall. Would anyone be able to head over there this week with an adjustable spanner or 2 and secure the door shut again and maybe nip up the loose nut on the inside of the top bolt? Even if it is just made secure until I get back and can get over to sort the top bolt that would be great. PM me if you need details but it should just be a case of turning the lower bolt head clockwise to lock the door again. The top bolt has a nut on the inside which could do with an extra washer before tightening, but I can sort that if needed.
Thanks in advance if anyone can pop over before I get back.
Pete K
DCA Projects Officer

 

[meanderthal]

Happy to do that Pete

 

[Pete K]

I think we've got someone popping by now but I'm not sure exactly when they are going over. Feel free to go for a walk past anyway but I'll shout if it does not get sorted.

 

[pwhole]

Me and Roy are popping over on Weds morning to do it if it hasn't been done by then

 

[Pete K]

Door secured again thanks to meanderthal today. Much appreciated.
pwhole - washers needed for both bolts by the sound of it. I guess the friction of the nut against the inner door surface is slowly unscrewing them. I blame my shoddy design! I can't tell you what sized bolts they are for sure, but M16 keeps popping into my head. Now it is secured again, don't head over unless you want to or are passing, but 30 mins with the spanners and some washers should fix the issue and stop it reoccurring with any luck.

 

[pwhole]

I never want to, but we are kind of passing, and we do now have some M16 washers apparently. I guess we should wear overalls and a flat cap for this too

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Noting this thread has been going a couple of years.
Can that be retrofitted with a thin castle nut and split pin? Drilling in situ would be a pain in the proverbial (and you might snap a drill bit in the process. Cue: colourful language) but washer+castle+pin is bombproof for a long term fix

 

[Pete K]

Noting this thread has been going a couple of years.
Can that be retrofitted with a thin castle nut and split pin? Drilling in situ would be a pain in the proverbial (and you might snap a drill bit in the process. Cue: colourful language) but washer+castle+pin is bombproof for a long term fix

That might work. My fabrication skills were basic back then so I'm sure there are quite a few ways it could be better! Hopefully the extra washers fix the issue but if not I'll definitely come back here seeking support and ideas.

I never want to, but we are kind of passing, and we do now have some M16 washers apparently. I guess we should wear overalls and a flat cap for this too

I'm pretty sure that should sort it Phil and it saves me a job if you do head out, so cheers to you and Roy.

 

[pwhole]

We're on it. A little van, washers, nuts and a toolbag should suffice. Got to check out some shafts first though!  :halo:

 

[pwhole]

Me and Roy did go out on Weds to have another look at the lid - basically the tension between the two nuts wasn't sufficient to maintain the latching process without something or other coming undone, or being too tight. Ideally a spring washer in the system would help. As we brought kit for a M16 problem and then found we had a M10 problem (!), we were somewhat ill-equipped to do the dream job we planned. However, Roy's magic toolbox came to the rescue, and so we drilled through the two captive nuts and the bolts, and inserted tiny roll pins, locking the nuts at the appropriate tension. These were then snapped off. After some tweaking with me inside the lid and Roy outside, we managed to bend and bang away at everything until I could easily latch and unlatch it with my fingers from inside, but it definitely needs a spanner to open it or properly lock it up from outside.

At some later date, now he's got all the bits, I'm certain Roy will probably want to go back and redo all this at M16, and who am I to stop him? I may go along for the ride if I'm free - but for now, it's secure 

 

[Jenny P]

Talk about going the extra mile to sort it !  Respect.

 

[pwhole]

We did some other miles before this that were much more interesting, and we made sure it was sort of on the way home, so no biggie. Roy drives, and I'm driven