So I’m building a 6 bar, I have Teflon spacers in between ach piece of metal, but I can’t tighten the screws all the way because it won’t life, but then they’re too lose
It’s hard to understand what you’re describing easily. I think you’re saying you’re using screws as axles and that tightening the (presumably) nyloc nuts too much causes too much friction, as it should. What I’ve recommended when trying to tighten nyloc nuts on screws being used as axles is to tighten them a little too much to make sure you’ve gone far enough, and then to just loosen them enough to get rid of the friction problems. That should put you at the point where they maintain shape as well as possible without obstructing movement.
I do wonder from what you wrote, though, about how you have constructed it. Have you used any bearing flats, for instance. Pictures can help a lot when you’re asking about things like this; that way we can see what you’re trying to describe.
I think the metal washers are better for rotating joints
I personally use teflon washers for non-rotating joints
Why do you prefer that? I ask because teflon-aluminum and teflon-steel have much lower coefficients of friction than aluminum-steel or steel-steel do. The metal washers are thinner, though.
uh, so best I can figure is if you tighten your screws all the way, the joints don’t move, but if you loosen them, they fall off?
If that’s the case, i suggest using nylocks if you’re aren’t already, and to leave a super tiny amount of space between each piece of metal. Teflon washers should be good as spacing.
You know, I’m really not sure.
I think it’s because when I first started building, someone on the forum said they would secure standoffs with a teflon washer sandwiched between the screw and the metal and it worked (the standoffs never loosened) so I’ve just being doing that the whole time
When I use screws as axels sometimes I put the screw through the first c-channel, tighten a keps nut all the way down on it, and put the second c-channel on, then put a washer and nylock on.
This allows for you to not tighten the nylock all the way down, while still have a screw that will not wiggle around in weird directions. You can also use this on dr4b towers so that you only need one tower per half of the lift instead of two.
Try shoulder screws instead of normal screws or axles.
On our 6-bar, we used teflon washers and nylock nuts. What our mentor taught us last year was to tighten the screw and nylock all the way, and then turn the screwdriver around a 1/2 rotation back. This is the perfect amount where the 6-bar holds up, with limited friction. Additional on a separate note, try using spacers instead of washers if you have the room. Although they are wider, they will help with reducing the friction a bit more.
It’s like this. Any thoughts?
Is it just me, or does nothing show up for anyone else?
I assume there is supposed to be an attached picture or video, but nothing is showing up on my end. Typically, the suggestions you are seeing would work fine. Using a keps nut (which are the thinner ones) to tighten the screw against the metal, then attaching your bar onto the screw with a looser nylock seems to work, unless you have a really unique situation.
whats a keps nut?
VEX sells two types of lock washers. One has a star-like patterned washer attached to a basic nut. That is known as a keps nut. The other is a thicker nut with a section of plastic inside on one end. That is known as a nyloc nut. VEX also sells regular (non-locking) washers.
Question: are you using bearing flats at all?
That’s what I asked in the very first reply, but this question still hasn’t been answered.