Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

l008com

l008com

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bolta.png


Does anything like this exist? This would be a perfect bolt to attach my pedestals to the floor. I'd push these bolts through a 2 x 12, cut shallow 1/8th inch holes in the wood to sink the heads so they were flush. Then glue the flush side down to the floor to just the spines were sticking up. Then throw down a layer of glass. Then I'd be good to go, I could use a hex wrench to hold the bolt and a regular wrench to tighten a nut on the end to keep the bases down firm. With a bolt like that, they would never pull through and fall out. But can you get anything like this?
 
Woodonglass

Woodonglass

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

Is your Deck IN or OUT? What Kind of Pedestals are you installing? Got any Pics??? Lot's of ways to install these things!!!
 
Barnacle_Bill

Barnacle_Bill

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

They do make some pretty big set screws but I don't know about length.
 
l008com

l008com

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

This isn't doing through my existing floor, this is going to attach to a 2 x 12 that i'm going to glue and fiberglass down on to my existing floor. So those toggle bolts won't work. I found some 5/16th set screws with hex heads, but the longest I could find was 2". If I was going to make my own bolts like the one a pictured above, I'd need 3" bolts to fit a nut on each end, plus the 2" of wood. And I couldn't find any washers bigger than 2". That would probably work but 3" washers would make me much happier.
And if I "made my own" bolts, I'd still have to drill 16 holes in my floor to counter sink the bottom nut into the existing floor, so the support board would lay flat. I wouldn't have to mess with all that if they made bolts exactly like what I drew (which yes, I know theres probably nothing like that :-/)
 
l008com

l008com

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

Follow-up time:

Sp my floor is done. I have a pair of 2" x 12" planks running front to back, glued down with 5200. And then the whole thing, old floor and planks, are covered with a fresh 5 layers or so of fiberglass.

My seat pedestals are also cut, welded and ready to go.

Here's my newest problem: I can't find lag bolts that are fully-threaded AND stainless steel!

So I have 2" of very fresh, very solid wood. Then I have 3/4 to 1" of original floor, that isn't great but isn't so bad that it needed to be replaced. So I want a 3" bolt to go through it all. But more 3" lag bolts have 1" of non-threading at the top of the bolt. So I'd only be getting an inch of threads into the new fresh wood instead of two inches. I really want a 3 inch, fully threaded bolt, so I can get the maximum hold out of the bolts.

So I've googled up and down, emailed tons of different bolt places. The bottom line is that there are some 3" fully threaded lag bolts, but I can't find any of them in stainless.

Any ideas?

What I'm looking for is a 5/16" lag bolt, 3" long, No shoulder/full threading, stainless steel or galvanized steel.

Something like this fella, but stainless:
http://www.customtoolsupply.com/cat...asher-head-5-16x3-Dish-Approved-7ct-516lb3g5e
(I can get my own washers easy enough, so I don't care if it has a washer head or not)
 
l008com

l008com

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

benjh1028 said:
Here is one with a very small shoulder: http://www.fastenersuperstore.com/p...-X-3-Lag-Screws-Hex-Head-18-8-Stainless-Steel

Here is another option if you don't mind a self-tapping screw: http://www.stainless-fasteners.com/sdhexhd316.htm

Ben
Click to expand...

The problem with the Lag screw you linked to is: "Please Note: Item in picture may not reflect size and finish of actual part"

The second problem is that you have to buy in cartons of 100, I only need 16 bolts. 20 if I want a few extras.

I was thinking about using a sheet metal screw but I think the thread pattern on the lag bolts will hold best in wood. And I want the absolute most hold I can get from the bolts I use. I think tomorrow I'm going to go pick up some 2" or 2.5" screws. If they only have a half inch shoulder, that will give me 1.5" of threading through the nice fresh wood, instead of 1" that a 3" bolt would give me. The 2" bolts won't go into the old floor but with all the glue and fiberglass around, I don't think that will be a problem at all.
 
l008com

l008com

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

I actually was planning on pre-drilling and coating with 5200. I'll bring a pedestal and a piece of wood into the hardware store tomorrow and see what bolts look like they will work best.
 
l008com

l008com

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

How do you convert #nn to inches? In screw sizes I mean?
 
K

kahuna123

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

Never use a screw on a boat unless you absolutely have to. What you are looking for is called an elevator bolt. And they ain't cheap. But years from now no one will get hurt because the seat let go.
 
jigngrub

jigngrub

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

I wouldn't trust the 2" #14 sheet metal screws just going through 3/4" plywood for a seat installation, but in an installation such as this where all the thread will be buried in the wood I personally wouldn't worry about them... and I'm a big fan of overkill. I used 4 of these screws to mount my boarding ladder to the transom of my boat and it is a very strong installation, I could probably pull a tube or a skier with my boarding ladder.
 
l008com

l008com

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

So funny story, I realized that a 2" piece of wood is only 1.5". So I checked the 2" bolts and realized that even with the bolt's shoulder, the threads would essentially line up perfectly with the fresh wood. So I installed one of the seats and it went in real nice. I used lots of 5200 too, I sure hope I never have to remove these pedestals. Anywayyyyyyy I was going to install all four seats, but after the first one, I was like ok F this, I'm going for a boat ride. With all that empty space in my boat, I feel like I should get something to fill it with. Some lobster traps or something :-D

Anyway, install the rest of the seats tomorrow. Now some passengers can come have some fun too.
 
l008com

l008com

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

img0073vp.jpg


img0074ix.jpg


Everything seems very solid. I'm happy. Now I just need to paint my floor. The raw floor makes it look so crappy, with a fresh coat of paint, these new seats would really look sharp. Oh well, that's for another thread!
 
Bob_VT

Bob_VT

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

Wow that deck is butt ugly :p but, it looks nice and solid! ;)

Yes, some sort of deck treatment is in order. Paint? Vinyl? or carpet? Just food for thought...... are those posts painted or powder coated? I would even consider re-painting them for extra protection. The slightest scratch will rust soe, extra protection will not hurt.
 
l008com

l008com

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Re: Seat Installation: Do Bolts Like This Exist?

That deck may be ugly, but it's so rock solid, I looooveeeee it. Next year I'll look into my 'treatment' options. For now, I'm just enjoying my awesome seats. And the bases are not powder coated. They were hit with rustoleum several times, and I'll probably give them a fresh coat when I paint the floor. The good thing is that they're so far under the seats, that they will be pretty well protected from scratching. And the hooks that are welded on to the sides of the posts are stainless steel (you can't see them in the picture).
 
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