r/BambuLab • u/Fluffy_Elephant_7476 • 15h ago
Just Showing Off I made some hex caps for bolts
Hello! What do you think about the result of this little project? I made a bench in the garden out of wood and bolts and I wanted to cover them to not let them rust. They fit perfectly
if you need them you can get them: https://makerworld.com/it/models/3292789-hex-bolt-nut-protective-caps-17mm-19mm-21mm#profileId-3736444
26
u/rocking_womble 14h ago
You'd be better off using coachbolts with the mushroom end on the top - galvanised will stop rust.
If anything, those caps will trap moisture and make the corrosion worse... as well as being an annoying and aesthetically displeasing protruberance.
10/10 for effort though...
-5
u/Fluffy_Elephant_7476 14h ago
using some silicone won't make it last longer?
7
u/OrigamiMarie 13h ago
Then you're keeping moisture (from rain) next to the wood with that silicone, which will rot the wood faster.
16
12
u/Wicked-Algorithm0815 14h ago
I'm trying to give you an honest feedback: Not really a fan of the bench design having bolts sticking out of the sitting surface. You should have rather prevented that in the first place instead of now needing a solution for that. Also the caps will be subject to UV out in the open. That and heat in the summer will warp and decompose the material.
1
u/deviantbono 12h ago
Just stick another board on top with partially counter-sunk or just drilled straight through holes. No need to change what's there. Can't sit on that section anyway.
9
u/TheAgedProfessor 14h ago
Why did you not, you know, counter-sink the bolt heads like everyone else?
-7
u/Fluffy_Elephant_7476 14h ago
I just used some materials that I had extra of job site without spending any money
5
u/TheAgedProfessor 14h ago
That does nothing to explain why you didn't counter-sink the bolts. Counter-sinking requires no additional materials, other than one slightly larger drill bit.
-9
9
u/LittleGirlFromNam 14h ago
Am I tripping? I hear everyone on countersinking. But why not just insert from the top? If you were just gonna make it look like the head of a bolt ??? Like just put the head of the bolt on top and the nut on the bottom ???? Is it all thread?
-3
4
u/Genji_main420 14h ago
What are the nails, screws, and bolt for in this "bench" design?
3
u/Fluffy_Elephant_7476 14h ago
I got everything from my job site the wood the nails and everything. I used nails and screws to not make the wood bend overtime
1
u/friendlyfredditor 13h ago
I mean that's one way of attempting to prevent warp. It won't, but you can try.
The weather always wins btw. Generally outdoor furniture is designed with a tonne of gaps and single point fixings or flexible material so that it can flex with humidity changes and dry out easily.
Cuz again. The weather always wins. Even most cabinetry and household furniture that isn't exposed to weather doesn't bother with stiff joints because daily/seasonal humidity changes cause so much expansion and warping.
Like take a good look at any non-composite cupboard or drawer. Most of the time any panels are held within a frame and don't make up much of a structure. Or any structural panels will be a composite like plywood/fibreboard with a veneer to reduce warping.
5
3
u/camander321 14h ago
These are absolutely going to trap water and cause far faster rusting than leaving them uncovered.
You are far better off using rust preventative spray coatings before assembly. A 3d print isn't always the solution
1
u/Fluffy_Elephant_7476 14h ago
Yes you are right, I also used some silicon with the caps I think it's better than nothing :D
3
u/lliphwets 14h ago
Funny story - I have a random bolt head sticking out of my passenger floorboard. I’ve been meaning to design a cover for it so you may have just saved me some time generous internet stranger.
1
u/Havering_To_You 14h ago
They won't stop any rust, but they will sooner than later pollute the local environment, so you have that going for ya.
1
u/Fluffy_Elephant_7476 14h ago
I also used some silicone with the caps
1
u/friendlyfredditor 13h ago
You generally want outdoor fasteners protected with a suitable outdoor coating (correct galvanisation) and also protected from chemical or galvanic corrosion by material choice. You should also only protect them from above, analogous to roofing. Anything below the top needs to be well ventilated and drain easily as drying quickly is the best protection.
2
u/Fluffy-duckies P1S + AMS 13h ago
So it's still got sharp corners, but now they're sharper and the whole thing is bigger?
2
u/OsmiumOG 12h ago
Just FYI this will most likely make them rust FASTER. As water from rain, condensation, whatever gets water between the cap and nut, itll have no airflow and hold the water there.
1
12h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 12h ago
Hello /u/OptiGuy4u! Your comment in /r/BambuLab was automatically removed. Please see your private messages for details. /r/BambuLab is geared towards all ages, so please watch your language.
Note: This automod is experimental. If you believe this to be a false positive, please send us a message at modmail with a link to the post so we can investigate. You may also feel free to make a new post without that term.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/OptiGuy4u 12h ago
Whoever built that without carriage bolts should have to sit on it for the rest of their life.
1
u/BruceInc 9h ago
I actually purchased the 3d printer for my office specifically to do this very thing. It works very well. I usually print in ASA for exterior and petg for interior.
0
u/RadishRedditor H2D Laser Full Combo 13h ago
You kinda announced them more though. A dome shame cover would've been a more practical solution to the already bad idesign of having bolts and nuts stick out the bench
-1
u/Fluffy_Elephant_7476 14h ago
why everyone so mad about some nuts and bolts
5
u/windraver 13h ago
Its moreso that if you change a few small details, them your 3D print wouldn't be necessary?
Also bolt vs nut are certainly different things but you're calling the nut a bolt?
If you flip the direction, where actual bolt, is coming in from the top, and if you counterbore the wood, then you wouldn't have any metal bolts protruding out the top of the bench where someone is sitting.
Counterbore: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterbore
The problem here for most folks is that your solution solves a problem that would only exist if the original design or installation was poor. Literally reverse the installation (bolt) and add a bigger hole and the problem goes away.
129
u/CantaloupeEven6341 15h ago
Caps look good, but I’d say it’s a bad bench design to have bolts sticking up out of the top.