Oops, No Bolt Head Clearance

JimDawson

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I just about have my servo press project out the door https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/servo-punch-press.72601/

But today I ran into a small problem. The system was designed to mount the electrical enclosure inside the stand. Well there is not enough clearance for the press mounting bolt heads :mad: That's what happens when you make a design change without checking everything.

Here is the problem.
1540271409735.png

And a little wider view.
1540271519748.png
The good news is that I figured out a simple workaround.

More later.......
 
I'd suggest a "bushing" Diameter of the flat washer, short enough to allow the bolt head to be below (above) the side of the square tube. O,. failing that, bore a hole in the bottom of the square tube to accommodate the washer, then use a shorter bolt.
 
Great ideas from all of you, and a couple I hadn't thought of. :encourage:

I especially like this one :grin:
Just have the bolt come from inside the cabinet. ;) Call it an anti tamper feature.

The original plan was to mount the press on vibration isolators or springs thus requiring long through bolts, and was planning on having the electrical enclosure mount on the wall behind the press stand. Because of the feeder hardware above the bolt holes, the bolts needed to be inserted from the bottom. As it turned out, the press runs so smooth that no vibration isolation is needed, you can hardly feel it running when you put your hand on the frame. This means I can also mount the electrical enclosure to the stand without it being shaken apart, makes for a much more compact unit.

I thought about a few different ways of solving the bolt head problem
  • Flat head screws, solves the clearance problem, but you can't get to it with an Allen wrench
  • Cut the head off of the bolts and weld them into the frame, this might work but I was afraid of the weld cracking over time. And trying to line up the press over four studs when mounting it could be a bit of a PITA, good way to get fingers pinched.
  • Weld a plug in the hole and counterbore for head clearance, same problems as above, but more work and I'm lazy.
So the quick way to solve the problem was to simply make a couple of threaded plates that weld to the top of the stand.

I didn't have any 1/2 x 2 steel stock, but I have a lot of 1/2 x 5 1/2, so cut off a foot of it, and then over to the band saw to slit it into a couple of 2'' wide pieces.

1540346101728.png

Then over to the mill for drilling & tapping, and instant (almost) mount plates.

1540346249979.png

This allows the use of shorter bolts that can go in from the top. Problem solved. :)
1540346696535.png

Also they make a great lifting point to paint the stand :grin: Yeah, I know, the chains aren't well secured, but the stand isn't very heavy and those are grade 8 bolts. :cautious:

1540346862644.png
 
Ditto. Thats one thing I love about this place, the extra details, and pride many do with their projects. Thanks for sharing & documenting so well, Jim.
 
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