I’ve just picked up a 7U 104hp palette case second hand, and it’s a thing of beauty! But it arrived from the seller with the handle detached from the case, and now I’m a bit flummoxed as to how to reattach it (I’m stupid like that).
So far I’ve put the bolts through the top, and attached the nuts on them from the bottom, with a metal washer on each side. I wasn’t sure which way up the nuts went, but one way up they seemed to barely screw onto the bolts at all, so I went with the other way. Now they screw on, but not far enough to secure the handle. It kind of rattles around on top with about a 2mm gap.
Have I done something fundamentally wrong, or do I just need to REALLY tighten these things to get the handle to fit snugly? I’m kind of reluctant to force them in case I’ve got something in the wrong place. It doesn’t help that, while I have a hex key that fits the top of the bolts nicely, I don’t have the proper tool to hold onto the nut inside the case. What kind of tool would I need that could fit snugly onto the nut despite the front of the case getting in the way awkwardly?
Sorry for the dumb questions. If I’d removed the handle myself then I’d know how to get it back on, but since I received it this way I’m a bit lost!
I wasn’t sure which way up the nuts went, but one way up they seemed to barely screw onto the bolts at all, so I went with the other way. Now they screw on, but not far enough to secure the handle.
I don’t have that case myself, but from pictures it looks like the handle uses nyloc nuts, which work like you are describing. They have an internal ring of nylon which grips the screw tightly to prevent it from coming loose.
Have I done something fundamentally wrong, or do I just need to REALLY tighten these things to get the handle to fit snugly? I’m kind of reluctant to force them in case I’ve got something in the wrong place.
You’re right to put them on by the easy-turning side first, so that the threads are definitely properly aligned, but then you need to keep going as the nylon adds friction.
What kind of tool would I need that could fit snugly onto the nut despite the front of the case getting in the way awkwardly?
You might be able to do it with pliers, but that risks slipping off and mangling the nut. The best tool for the job is a “nut-driver” (like a screwdriver or screwdriver bit, but with a hollow end to go over the nut); the more common tool is a socket wrench, with a deep socket and/or socket extension to be able to reach the nut since socket wrench handles go at a right angle to the line of the screw.
In either case you need to either measure the width of the nut and get the exactly right size of driver or socket, or more likely buy a set and try each one until you find the snug fit. Perhaps Intellijel or another owner can tell you the size.
Fantastic, thanks so much for the info, that’s exactly what I needed to know!
I could see the internal ring of plastic-like material in there, and I suspected that might be the purpose, but I hadn’t come across anything similar before so I wasn’t sure.
I’ve been using pliers to grip the nut for my inept attempts so far, but it got to the point where I could no longer apply enough grip to the nut to turn it any tighter. I’ll track down the proper tool and have a go with that. I’m still slightly worried that there’s a good 2mm or so to go before the handle is snug, and it feels like I need to really force the nut to get it any tighter - but perhaps with the proper tool it won’t feel so bad.
Yes, pliers are a very bad tool for this task because they won’t engage the full flat side of the nut, and the nyloc style nut has a rounded portion. The torque on the nut ends up being very effective at making the pliers slip off, probably chewing up the nut too.
Once you have a proper tool, the torque required will still go up as the nylon engages the screw thread and should then stay constant as you tighten once the screw is all the way through then nut, until it starts actually touching the case. Then keep going to snug it up until the handle isn’t at all wobbly — wobbly means it’s more likely to get worn out (and even looser) by movement.
Just a quick update, I managed to borrow the right tool for the job, with a snake-type extension which allowed me to easily reach the nut inside the case. Still kind of awkward while holding the hex key with the other hand mind you!
It’s now fitted nice and snugly, and it’s (unsurprisingly) an awful lot easier to carry the case around with the handle than without. Thanks again for the help kpreid, much appreciated!