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I'm making a collapsible frame for a moses basket. The design is something like a deckchair, where two lengths of timber cross each other and are fastened with a bolt but can still move in relation to each other.

My question is what type of bolt to use? I'd like this to be as solid as possible while still collapsing smoothly when required. Is there a special type of bolt or am I looking at a certain nut - washer - bolt combo?

Tester101
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Paul
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  • Did you ever get this resolved? If so, please give a check-mark to the answer that helped you the most, or write up your own answer explaining what you did to get it fixed and give yourself a check mark. That will help others with this kind of problem know that this has a resolution and is a good place to look for their answer. – FreeMan Jul 31 '20 at 18:05

3 Answers3

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I realize this is a very old post.

Shoulder bolt (also known as a shoulder screw) is the correct answer!
enter image description here

UltraBob
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Elaine
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For neatness you could consider the use of a carriage bolt through from one side of the wood "pivot" point and then put a flat washer and a nyloc nut on from the other side. The parts look like this:

Carriage bolt - The square part under the rounded head keeps the bolt from turning in the wood.

enter image description here

Flat Washer - This keeps the nut from digging into the wood.

enter image description here

nyloc nut - This special type nut has a nylon insert that keeps the nut from loosening and spinning off the bolt.

enter image description here

Michael Karas
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    If the device is using the bolt as a pivot, the bolt should not have threads through the material that will be pivoting on it. You'll want a bolt with a smooth shank for the length that will be "inside" the wood, and threads only on the exposed portion. – Tester101 Mar 28 '14 at 10:18
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    You also want washers between the two pieces of wood that rotate against one another. Two if they will fit.Also, if exposed to weather (especially dampness) consider stainless steel. – bib Mar 29 '14 at 15:44
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You might want to look at the pivots intended for use when building "glider" chairs, though that would probably be overkill for this application. Most woodworking supply catalogs I've seen recently have these.

keshlam
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