Grab rail nuts and bolts

[laika]

Sorry if this is obvious. I'm not very good with wood...

Last year I had to remove the grab rails on the saloon ceiling as part of the headlining refurb. The grabrail has bolts coming down through the coachroof which I had to excavate the gelcoat to get at the heads of. The nuts inside were covered by 1/2" wooden plugs. The nuts have an outer diameter of about 10mm. Problem is I can't get a socket into the 1/2" holes (they're too fat). Getting the nuts off I just stuck a screwdriver up to hold them whilst turning the bolts. I did the same in reverse when putting them back using plenty of sealant and hoping that I'd be ok even though I was turning the head of the bolts. It seemed not to leak, I gelcoated back over and smoothed everything down. Job done. Not.

Some of them have started leaking after the heavy rains of the past few weeks (despite the heads being covered in gelcoat??). This time I want to do it right and tighten the nuts, not the bolts. I've been told that when westerly put these things up they had a special tool: Presumably a very thin socket. Anyone familiar with such things or what is the normal way of tightening nuts in wooden plug sockets?

Before anyone says "ask trafalgar yachts", they're on holiday in January...

 

[Cloven]

What you need is a tube spanner. Do a Google search and you will see what they look like.

 

[Martin_J]

Hi
It looks like my slimmest socket (that would also reach over a bolt end) is the 10mm 3/8 drive deep socket from Halfords..

Similar to this except mine has the 12 ridges on the inside for grip.. http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_langId_-1_categoryId_165469_productId_205785

 

[Daydream believer]

What you need is a tube spanner. Do a Google search and you will see what they look like.

Try "box spanner"

 

[sailorman]

What you need is a tube spanner. Do a Google search and you will see what they look like.

Box spanner

 

[xeitosaphil]

Sounds to me like you need a Box Spanner like these -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/1503...f11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=102&ff19=0

 

[Martin_J]

Strange.. when I measure my socket against the equivalent sized box spanner.. the socket is marginally slimmer..

 

[Poignard]

Could you not replace the existing bolts with coachbolts and have the head of the coachbolt sunk into the grabrail and a dome nut and washer inside?

 

[Martin_J]

Comparison of box spanner and equivalent sized socket..
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=D57B857B59D08B86%211786

It's for a 12mm socket which now has a cut in the side... but shows that sockets can be as slim as, if not slimmer than the box spanners..

 

[VicS]

Could you not replace the existing bolts with coachbolts and have the head of the coachbolt sunk into the grabrail and a dome nut and washer inside?

The grab rails are on the inside .

 

[Poignard]

The grab rails are on the inside .

Ah. Well done Pike! I wondered who'd be the first to spot that one.

 

[VicS]

I've been told that when westerly put these things up they had a special tool: Presumably a very thin socket. Anyone familiar with such things or what is the normal way of tightening nuts in wooden plug sockets?

If a box/tube spanner wont fit buy a cheap socket and find someone who will turn the outside down until it fits.

( 3/8" and 1/4 drive sockets are usually slimmer than 1/2" If you are using a 1/2" drive set a 1/4" drive and adapter might just do the trick)

Edit; my 1/4" drive 10mm socket is still more than 1/2" OD

 

[DinghyMan]

If you can't find one small enough measure the hole and send me your socket and I'll turn the outside down for you

 

[laika]

Many thanks to all and for the offers of assistance. I do in fact have a halfords 3/4" socket set and the relevant socket, which would be deep enough, is a tad too thick: I suspect many box spanners would also be but was just wondering if there was something called a "Watkins patent gribble spanner" or similar that I should be looking for. I confess that I hadn't considered the "engineering solution" of simply getting a cheap socket turned down: It's only recently that I learned how useful giving things a thwack with a BFO hammer can be in boat maintenance.. Thanks to DinghyMan for the offer but I'll see if I can find someone I know round here with the appropriate turny things.

 

[PhillM]

Give Dave at BDA Marine at Swanwick a call. Just over the bridge and I'd bet 50p he has the tool you need.

If he doesn't have what you need he will know where to get it locally.

Feel free to tell him I suggested you call. No connection except he's a mate.

 

[prv]

It's a fact that the better the quality of the socket, the thinner the outer rim is. Cheapo market-stall **** made of cheese uses great thick cylinders to try to delay the inevitable moment of breakage, while better quality stuff retains perfectly adequate strength with a skinny rim that will fit down recessed tubes.

So the answer is, either find someone with a full set of Snap-On willing to pop round and do it (I would say borrow it, but people with good tools are rarely happy to lend them ) or see if you can buy just the size you need as an individual item.

Pete

 

[PCUK]

I've got over a similar problem by buying dome nuts and grinding a slot into the top to take a screwdriver. Works perfectly.

 

[NormanS]

Easier than turning down a socket, would be to grind it down on a bench grinder.

 

[coopec]

Laika

I've had the same problem so I made a socket using appropriate size of fairly thin walled tubing. Using the right sized nut as a die I put the nut in the end of the tube and tapped the end of the tube into the shape of the nut. That socket is now in my tool-box. Don't assume water is leaking in where you you did your work. Water can migrate a metre ot two before it finds a way into your cabin