Where To Purchase Long Thin Bolts.

[Old_Geezer]

Related to https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Garden/DIY/Question1564296.html I'm part way through trying the idea of fixing wood into the wall and bolting through to the garage.

There has been issues, oh the fun of doing it yourself eh ? I managed to chop out the thermal block easily enough, but the mortar was difficult. Very hard. And an angle grinder I tried wouldn't get in and cut it properly (or at all) so I was forced to go bashing away with hammer & cold chisel. Then I used my thicknesser to ensure the wood I used was flat & clean, didn't notice a nail, which only became evident after skimming the side it was on, off a couple of times. I think I may have messed up the thicknesser, I'm dreading checking. No idea if they can be repaired if I have. Then the drill holder to ensure I was perpendicular to the wall, in order to get the holes garage side in sensible positions, didn't fit into the corners so I had to do it 'freehand'. And the holes that I initially marked up and drilled in the wood turned up to want to be half in the block, half in the mortar, so that wasn't going to happen. Managed to drill 2 holes and they don't look too bad.

Issue is that the wall was cavity despite the wall effectively being internal (porch to garage). I measured 255mm from one side to another, and that'll need bolts longer to allow for the washer/nut garage side. Perhaps 275mm ? The holes are presently about 9mm diameter. Ideally they won't need enlarging.

But where can one get such long bolts ? They need to be countersunk really. I don't want to be trying to cut squares out of the wood for coach bolts. Not spotting them on the Internet, and was really hoping to just pop down the road for them, but that looks out of the question.


(A supplementary question, I was planning on glueing the wood in as well. What glues wood to garbage-block well ?)

Thanks.

[Ryzen]

Use 10mm all-thread...it comes in lengths up to 3m...cut it to size and use 10mm nuts/washers.

[albaqwerty]

wish Mr Alba was home, he'd have good ideas.

For what it's worth, mastic the wood then silicon round the edges
Screws, try Sellco (or is it Selco?)

[Ryzen]

Just re-read your post OG....if the holes are 9mm use 8mm all-thread :-)

[malagabob]

All Thread or threaded rod comes in 6 and 8 mm also.

[vulcan42]

Both B&Q and homebase sell 8mm threaded rod.

[bhg481]

Might something like this be worth a try?

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[Old_Geezer]

Thanks all. I saw the threaded bar but that'd mean a nut both sides and so I'd be trying to cut a hexagon in the wood then. The wood isn't that far under the block /plaster/wall edge, I didn't want to chop out too deeply into the block/mortar. So I'm rather hoping for some alternative solution.

I think I'm past trying to screw into the wall, bhg. Cheers for the suggestion but years of the pegs failing to keep on the wall means I'm now trying the glue/bolt, and screw into the wood option.

[bhg481]

You don't need to drill a hexagonal hole to use a bolt or threaded bar. Drill the 8mm hole through the wood and then drill a larger hole halfway through the wood, big enough and deep enough to take the nut and washer. Nut and washer on bar, push it through into the garage, nut and washer and tighten.

[Old_Geezer]

I see, and it won't turn as I am on the other side trying to tighten it ? I could give it a try.

[bhg481]

You could use a nyloc nut on the inside; that won't turn as you tighten the garage side. You might need a person at both ends though.
Alternatively, this sort of thing should be solid enough in your blocks.

[bhg481]

Sorry

https://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-fsa-sleeve-anchors-silver-10-x-120mm-m8-20-pack/83770

[Old_Geezer]

Ah, I'm not another person to help type of person :-)
I'll try tomorrow then; feel too lazy to run around in the cold now. I'll try to clear up today's mess after the mug of tea.

[bhg481]

OK, suppose your wall is 12 inches thick. Cut a piece of threaded bar say 15 inches long. Nyloc nut and washer on one end and push through wall. Washer and nut on garage side and do up nut until it starts to get tight. Hold tail of threaded bar with a mole wrench with one hand to stop it turning and tighten nut with the spanner in the other hand. Finally cut off tail of bar inside garage.

[Ryzen]

...you could leave the bar ends in the hallway 100mm longer and gain 2 extra coat hooks :-)

[Old_Geezer]

Hmmm I'd be better off leaving them long in the garage and hanging stuff there (as long as it didn't get in the way of the up & over door).

[bhg481]

Any updates OG?

[Old_Geezer]

Have just written a load of text, tried to post, the tablet didn't react, so tried to copy the text twice, it didn't do so, broadband dropped and it all got slung away. Not a happy bunny at present. No enthusiasm to try to rewrite it. Suffice to say some progress made but off for long weekend so won't finish until next week.

[Old_Geezer]

Still unfinished.

As I would have mentioned before (but circumstances threw away all the typing) it was bad enough digging out the wall to allow the wood to go in. Then I passed the wood through the thicknesser to ensure the sides were flat & clean, and it turned out there was a hidden nail which may have damaged the thicknesser blades.

Next I put the pre-drilled wood into position and marked the wall behind. Typical; they were right on the border of the weak breezeblocks and the extra hard mortar, so no chance of the drill staying put. I then discovered the tool that holds the drill 90° to the wall would not go far enough in to the corner so it couldn't be used. Would have to drill 'freehand'.

I 'offered' the wood to the wall and even though the wall holes and wood holes didn't quite line up, for reasons unknown, I managed to get the wood in place and the threaded bars through both sides of the wall into the garage. I realise I have to open up the hole in the wood slightly, not too deeply but enough to drop the nut down into it. Set the drill speed to slow, gradually get down to the depth I need, and about to stop when the wood appears to change from hard wood to something the consistency of Vaseline: in half a twist it grabs the wood and cuts almost all the way through it. I resolve to be even more careful on the other hole it does exactly the same thing.

I check and confirm that I need to needle file the hole out to a hexagonal shape for the nut to drop in. Takes forever and a day, the nut is determined to make out I've done nothing every time and time and time again. Eventually I get fed up and risk splitting the wood, encouraging the nut to admit it can fit with the help of a hammer. That worked. Ditto the second hole/nut.

'Offer' the wood and threaded bars to the wall, after a bit of fiddling it goes into position. Seems okish, so I remove it all again.

I get the glue I have, spread it on the back of the wood, put it all the wall again, and push the nuts into the hole in the wood. I go into the garage to add washers and nuts to the other end and tighten it all up. It involved umpteen trips from garage to hall to see what the heck was going on.

The garage side nuts were supposed to tighten and move up the bar to the washer at the wall. But it insisted instead on remaining on the end of the bar, and the bar insisted on turning instead. Instead of the threaded bar sticking out the garage side it ends up sticking out the hall side.

I decided to remove the bars completely and feed them the other way about, so that the nuts that won't turn on the bar is on the hall side, and the ones prepared to run up the bar and tighten up is on the garage side. Go to the garage and turn the nut forever. Finally I go back into the hall to see what is happening. I get a pen and mark the bar and nut hall side, go back to the garage and turn it a half turn. Come back yet again to the hall and confirm the nut is spinning in the wood. I spent forever filing out a hex shape but it decides that it just wants to turn and make it a circle.

I can't seem to get it out on my own. Cutting the bar seems difficult given that the nut is in the wood/wall. Removing the nut while it hides in the wood, turning forever, seems even more difficult. I did wonder if I could cut a slot in the end of the bar and get a screwdriver in to stop it turning, while I try to remove the nut on the garage side, but that is a 2 person job. Another 2 person job is to use pliers to stop the bar from turning, and probably crush the thread while we're at it.

Why does this sort of thing occur rather than go right ?

[Old_Geezer]

Yay. My woman visited this weekend and helped. It wasn't straightforward as one may have guessed. First, it's not easy to hear speech between hall & garage. Then the slots that I'd cut in the bolt end looked deep, but proved insufficient to stop distortion, and was impossible to use to stop the bolt revolving while the other was trying to remove the nut in the garage.

Then the hall nut came off instead, but the bolt cannot be removed garage side so we had to try to get it back on again and then retry removing the garage end nut.

To cut a long story short it was a morning full of frustration, but finally the bolts are in, the excess sticking out in the garage, not the hall. Now need to plaster over the wood in the hall, and it'll be almost done.

Beginning to think I'm getting too old to put up with the DIY stress lark.

[bhg481]

Very satisfying once it's done though, OG. Well done.