Boltbuddy™ was designed as a better and more flexible alternative to traditional thumbscrews or wingnuts. It can transform a hex bolt or hex nut to a large and comfortable grip, allowing quick and easy use without fetching tools. With a rounded design free of sharp edges or pointy tips it is not only more comfortable to use but is not painful to accidentally bump into. The embossed pattern offers a balance between grip and comfort, all while being considerably more aesthetically pleasing than a wing nut.
Boltbuddy is perfect for projects where you want quick and easy assembly without tools or if you want to use anything threaded as a means to adjust or lock in something.
Use any length of bolt and it can be fine tuned by adding a nut, or potentially infinite with a threaded rod. A dab of glue can lock the bolt head in place for an extra solid feel, or keep your options open and leave it completely reusable in case you need a longer or shorter bolt in the future.
Use case examples, tips, specifics etc.
In this case the Boltbuddy was used to make an extension for a very old wooden table, increasing its utility so it can stay useful for the extended family a few decades more. While smaller thumscrews could suffice to hold them together, getting long enough would be a challenge and heftier M10 bolts feel much more solid and carries the weight of anyone getting ideas of dancing on tables during a party. The rounded edges eliminates sore knees bumping into them and split sculls of kids running around. Being discrete and not hazardous like traditional wingnuts the bolts stay in place when the extension is not mounted so they dont get lost. (pictured without the table extension)
This adjustable jig for a saw table allows for quick, easy and comfortable stepless tuning of the position without fiddling with a wing nut.
This boltbuddy has a nut inserted and mounted on a threaded rod, allowing it a wide range of adjusting the elevation of a hand router mounted under a table. Lifting the lever manually allows for quicker spinning of the boltbudy for major adjustments, while turning it loaded allows for very fine adjustments to get the exact router depth needed.
Boltbuddys dimensions
The base of the Boltbuddy is 3x the nominal diameter of the bolt, matching wide washers (DIN 9021) wich allows a good distribution of force against soft materials like wood or plastic.
If you dont have the exact length of bolt you want and dont feel like cutting, picking a longer bolt and adding a nut can make the boltbuddy adjustable with fine increments. The bolt (or nut) can optionally be locked in place with glue. For light applications and just to keep it in place some hot snot glue or a dab from a caulking gun on top of the bolt will do. Epoxy or similar can add a bit of strength if it gets contact with the sides. Make sure you dont get glue on the threads. Pouring a little epoxy on top of the bolt and jiggling it a bit back and forth will coat he sides with minimal risk of making a mess.
After adding glue, it is recommended to add a washer and nut and tighten it lightly. This ensures a perfectly aligned and tight fit before the glue dries.
The boltbuddy can be implemented as a grip or knob. If you really want to maximize the structural load capacity for high load applications the technique of adding a longer bolt with a nut combined with epoxy glue can make the boltbuddy almost indistructible. Alternatively pour some expanding polyurethane glue in the space between the bolt head and nut.
Boltbuddy is not built to be handled with tools, this will likely permanently harm it. If for some reason grip would be a problem, try using some textured cloth to wrap around for extra traction. If all else fails hope is not lost, the boltbuddy can be crushed with powerful tools or burned/melted off in a pinch, leaving the bolt head or nut exposed.
