Stripped thread!!

[Dobly]

Putting one of my DM10 12" pads back together one of the lugs managed to get cross threaded. I tried to take it out and it would not budge without a fight. I tried to turn it back in and it did not fix itself and it just bot more and more stuck.  I had no choice but to attempt to muscle it out.

I turned the key very hard, and suddenly it gave way.

Alas, it was not the lug coming loose. It is the nut inside the plastic case that is now spinning in it's spot.

#$%(*&^$(*#&^!!!!

Now turning the lug just turns the nut in the plastic. Not only can I not get it out, but now I'll have to DIY another nut in there. This one does not come out. It seems to be fixed in the plastic.  I may have to wack the lug with a hammer and get it to force the nut out. I dont want do to that for fear of cracking the base.

I cannot get a grip on the nut in anyway.

I may have to drill it out, then get a new nut glued in there.

Any suggestions?

[rhysT]

I would try drilling 2 small holes from underneath on opposite sides of the nut to insert long nose pliers (or something similar) to possibly grip or wedge the nut firmly.
Are you using the original tension rods as a slightly different thread pitch to the lug nut can cause a similar problem?
 

[Dobly]

I'll try that thanks rhysT. But there is no place to grip anything in there. The nut seems to be molded into the base. I'll take a picture tomorrow and show you.

As I made the shells deeper I could not get metric lugs the right size. So I got 6mm allen key type lugs. They work great.

I get the feeling this one may have been damaged the time I tried to put a non-metric lug in it after the above mentioned mod.

[Dobly]

Oh i see. Drill holes then grab it. Got it. (It's late here)

[Dobly]

Here is a close up from the bottom of the shell. You can see the bottom of the lug in this shot along with the nut that is embedded into the shell. When I turn this lug from the top, that nut turns as well.

[Dobly]

I think I know why this happened.. Check out the image below. The new wrap is a little thick. Should not be a problem, but when you double it up like I did below it became very very hard to get the Remo mesh head over it.

I don't think it was a coincidence that the lug is having this issue, was next to this doubling up of wrap.



I will be cutting that section of wrap out and patching with some scrap bits I have.

[Dobly]

Well I tried and tried.. The best plan which came from rhysT was to drill 2 holes on either side of the bolt and hold it with needle nose pliers.



I tried this but I could not get both sides of the pliers in. But bolt was so deep and the case got in the way as the pliers got thicker.
 
I tried it with one side of the pliers in and the other holding the plastic. That was my best shot but I could not get this stupid thing to budge.

Time for drastic measures..

I used the drill to route out all of the plastic that was holding the nut in place.



Next I had to cut the lug with a hack saw. This was far from an easy job.



Took me about 30 minutes.



Once that was done I just needed a few gentle tap on the remainder of the lug, and whole thing fell out the bottom.



Now I have a lug hole that I can't put a nut in. Well, I have a plan..

I'm going to get a longer lug for this one, and put a wide washer and a big nut on the bottom outside the plastic. So I can hold it when I do that lug up.

Not ideal, but it's not like I would do it that often. It's only one lug out of many.

[rhysT]

The excessive wear on the damaged tension rod/bolt has me wondering if the other replacements were also hard to tighten? You can easily check for a slight thread pitch difference to the lug nuts by comparing the original bolt thread next to a replacement one. When you find a replacement nut with matching thread, maybe add a star washer in the lug recess and use a socket to hold the nut while tensioning.

[Dobly]

I will check (at work at the mo) but suspect that that damage was done screwing it in with an allen key (and more force than I should have used.).. You can get good leverage with an allen key.

None of them have been hard to tighten before this. This one went in nice enough but it suddenly clicked for want of a better turn. Suddenly it was cross threaded.

I did not put it in crooked, but the angle it found itself in once I had put the other lugs in caused it to jump it seems.. .

That should not happen, but I recall some time back that I tried to screw non-metric lugs into one of my pads. This may have been the one. Maybe this nut was damaged. I'll check the other lugs.
 

[Dobly]

No rhysT.. These are the other lugs from that very drum. All in perfect condition and screw in easily.

[rhysT]

....... I recall some time back that I tried to screw non-metric lugs into one of my pads. This may have been the one. Maybe this nut was damaged.

Yeah a previously cross threaded lug-nut makes sense, but the end result should look good and also sound better with your add-on Pandora effects module.

[AlanK]

I think I know why this happened.. Check out the image below. The new wrap is a little thick. Should not be a problem, but when you double it up like I did below it became very very hard to get the Remo mesh head over it. I will be cutting that section of wrap out and patching with some scrap bits I have.

I'd trim the wrap to have the ends meet, then have it so that the seam is facing into the other drum beside it where it's least likely to be seen, or some other angle that is less noticeable. On my lower toms, the seams are facing into each other, can't hardly see that small space in between them.. same with the uppers on my kit.

[Dobly]

I think I know why this happened.. Check out the image below. The new wrap is a little thick. Should not be a problem, but when you double it up like I did below it became very very hard to get the Remo mesh head over it. I will be cutting that section of wrap out and patching with some scrap bits I have.

I'd trim the wrap to have the ends meet, then have it so that the seam is facing into the other drum beside it where it's least likely to be seen, or some other angle that is less noticeable. On my lower toms, the seams are facing into each other, can't hardly see that small space in between them.. same with the uppers on my kit.

That is a exactly what I have done AlanK.. The wrap just goes around not and meets the other end. No overlap. There is a tiny tiny bit of wood showing on a couple of them that I'll just color in with red pen or paint. And I'll be positioning the joins where they can't be seen. It'll be fine. I can't wait to put it back together.

[Dobly]

My temporary fix (it is not saying like this)



I need a better nut. This one only has the tread going on about a 1/3 the way along. I had to chock it with washers.

I wonder if I could use epoxy resin to glue another nut back into place? Or some other stuff that sets as tough as the plastic.

[JimmyB]

Can you epoxy a washer in the hole for the nut to tighten against?
JimmyB

[Rmiller]

I suggest getting a helicoil and tap and die, then thread the hole for the helical insert to screw into the mounting hole. Just make sure you get a helicoil with the right internal threads for the mounting hardware.  I guaranty that will hold and will not present an eyesore.

[Dobly]

Can you epoxy a washer in the hole for the nut to tighten against?
JimmyB

I might be able to do that. Not sure I need too however. There was no washer there before. The nut was just set in the plastic.

[AlanK]

What about using one of those claw kind of fasteners in the hole, let it dig in good, and have a bolt from the hardware store of the right length

[Dobly]

What about using one of those claw kind of fasteners in the hole, let it dig in good, and have a bolt from the hardware store of the right length

That is worth a shot, if it will fit in there.

Looking at this shot from above there is not a lot of space.

[Dobly]

My epoxy plan looks like this,

Put the pad upside down near the edge of a table

Put as nut in there and get a lug threaded on to it. Tie a bit of string to the lug and put a light weight on it. This will pull the nut towards the top of the pad.

Then carefully pour 24 hour epoxy around the nut. I'll try my best to not get epoxy on the lug. As a precaution I'll coat the lug in Vaseline first.



What could possibly go wrong? 

[AlanK]

I'd bring the pad to the hardware store and che ck the bins they generally have of nuts and fasteners.. if you find a claw fastener that slips into the hole you can tap it down in with a hammer and chisel so it's firmly in the plastic.. I'd think...

[Dobly]

I'd bring the pad to the hardware store and che ck the bins they generally have of nuts and fasteners.. if you find a claw fastener that slips into the hole you can tap it down in with a hammer and chisel so it's firmly in the plastic.. I'd think...

I'll try this first thanks Alan.

Plan B will be the epoxy.

[Sal]

[puts shirt back on] sorry I thought this was about something else...

[Dobly]

Well, it is fixed..

I looked at the claw fasteners but the one that takes a 6mm nut was way to wide for the hole. So I went for the other plan.

First I put the pad upside down on the table with offending lug bit hanging over the edge. I used that extra long temporary lug for this.



The nut is in situ here. That plastic thing just needs to puts some weight on it keep it in place.

Next I pushed the lug up and applied some Vaseline (petroleum jelly) on the lug and just next to it. After all this I did not need the lug expoxy'd to the bolt.



I then mixed up some 24hour epoxy resin and using a sharp wooden skewer carefully put the epoxy around the nut and next to the nut as much as I could, using the holes I had made with the drill.

Job done. The epoxy only needs to stop the nut spinning when tightening the lug. This should work fine.

[AlanK]

perfect solution! case closed! hahaha

P.S. I'm so jealous of that extra shell you get showing on your pads...dang! Looks like the new Strike Zone shell almost