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NFT: taking apart a childlife swing set

jsboston : 7/19/2014 3:57 pm
anybody ever take apart one of these? I'm trying to give one to a family with younger children, however the swing has some type of recessed hex nut that i don't recall seeing before and don't seem to have a tool for.

I can't find anything on line discussing this either.

anybody done this before? thx.
Can you post a picture  
Randy in CT : 7/19/2014 4:10 pm : link
of the bolt thingy?
You may have already checked but  
Kulish29 : 7/19/2014 4:14 pm : link
here's their website with the instruction manuals.
Link - ( New Window )
I do everything with a  
Bill in UT : 7/19/2014 4:15 pm : link
hammer
If a socket set does not work, and it might not, because the bolts are  
Marty in Albany : 7/19/2014 4:20 pm : link
probably all rusted and need to be replaced.

Maybe you can invert the set and transfer it in a pickup truck without dismantling it.

I took my swing set apart with a hacksaw.
RE: If a socket set does not work, and it might not, because the bolts are  
Moondwg : 7/19/2014 4:23 pm : link
In comment 11773117 Marty in Albany said:
Quote:
probably all rusted and need to be replaced.

Maybe you can invert the set and transfer it in a pickup truck without dismantling it.

I took my swing set apart with a hacksaw.


Sometimes spraying the damn things with some WD-40 works wonders.
RE: I do everything with a  
Hammer : 7/19/2014 4:27 pm : link
In comment 11773113 Bill in UT said:
Quote:
hammer


I agree.
here's a picture  
jsboston : 7/19/2014 4:35 pm : link
it has a weird recessed nut I've not seen before and don't know how to wrench off.
Link - ( New Window )
the nut is flat against the wood  
jsboston : 7/19/2014 4:37 pm : link
it's only a few mm thick, not meant to be addressed with a hex wrench.
what's on the other end of the bolt  
oghwga : 7/19/2014 4:43 pm : link
?
That looks massive. You've got to dismantle it. The WD-40 suggestion  
Marty in Albany : 7/19/2014 4:50 pm : link
is a good one. Good luck.
the other end looks like this  
jsboston : 7/19/2014 4:53 pm : link
nothing to grab onto.

just a smooth round end of a nut. it could be there is a recessed hex section below the head but no way to get to that.

other end of bolt - ( New Window )
a parent who has 4 boys  
jsboston : 7/19/2014 4:55 pm : link
is coming to take this away tomorrow. I really would like them to have it.
RE: the nut is flat against the wood  
That Said : 7/19/2014 5:00 pm : link
In comment 11773130 jsboston said:
Quote:
it's only a few mm thick, not meant to be addressed with a hex wrench.


A "few mm" is thick enough to get an open end wrench on. It went together, it can come apart.
My apologies,  
That Said : 7/19/2014 5:03 pm : link
I missed the part where the nut is recessed. You're going to have to try to get the head of the carriage bolt in a vice grip.
Looking again,  
That Said : 7/19/2014 5:07 pm : link
because this kind of shit drives me nuts, it doesn't look like that nut is recessed into the surface. I'd find the flattest open end wrench I could.
If you want to salvage the wood,  
oghwga : 7/19/2014 5:23 pm : link
buy a good drill bit and drill out the bottom of the bolt where it goes through the nut, then bang out the bolt. It will take about 5 minutes a bolt and you can just replace the carriage bolts with new ones. These nuts were installed with a power driver that recessed them into the wood and slipped off once they were flush.
RE: RE: the nut is flat against the wood  
giantsfaninphilly : 7/19/2014 6:14 pm : link
In comment 11773149 That Said said:
Quote:
In comment 11773130 jsboston said:


Quote:


it's only a few mm thick, not meant to be addressed with a hex wrench.



A "few mm" is thick enough to get an open end wrench on. It went together, it can come apart.


This
I suggest  
B in ALB : 7/19/2014 6:20 pm : link
lighting it on fire.

The problem with that is that the swing might not swing so well anymore.
seriously?  
jsboston : 7/19/2014 8:06 pm : link
you don't think I've already thought about lighting it on fire or using a hammer or hacksaw? those are my default choices.
Looks like some type of allen wrench would fit into the end  
steve in ky : 7/19/2014 8:10 pm : link
I bet it needs some type of hex styled drill bit to come out.
Steve in KY  
jsboston : 7/19/2014 8:17 pm : link
You are correct.

It's bigger than the allen wrenches I have sitting around the house.

I didn't notice at first since the hex impression in the metal is very hard to see (it's subtle) and it looks like soft metal, but it does take a big hex wrench.

Everyone else: thanks for the help. if this doesn't work I'll resort to my usual tactic of sticking a vice grip on one end (which works even if there's not much to grab onto) and using whatever I need to on the other end. It always works, but can really mark up the surface by the vice grip.

thanks again.
jsboston  
steve in ky : 7/19/2014 8:20 pm : link
Make sure to use the correct size or you make easily strip it and then it will be a much harder job to get it out.
FINALLY!!!  
That Said : 7/19/2014 8:22 pm : link
A guy who asks for advice, gets some and says, "Thanks."

My hat is off to you, jsboston. Good luck.
RE: the nut is flat against the wood  
Bill in Del : 7/19/2014 9:40 pm : link
In comment 11773130 jsboston said:
Quote:
it's only a few mm thick, not meant to be addressed with a hex wrench.


The nut is supposed to bite into the wood but if its turning try putting a couple screws against opposite flats of the but to hold it. That and wd-40
opposite sides of the nut  
Bill in Del : 7/19/2014 9:42 pm : link

Damn spell checker
RE: RE: the nut is flat against the wood  
Bill in Del : 7/19/2014 9:57 pm : link
In comment 11773287 Bill in Del said:
Quote:
In comment 11773130 jsboston said:


Quote:


it's only a few mm thick, not meant to be addressed with a hex wrench.

The nut is supposed to bite into the wood but if its turning try putting a couple screws against opposite flats of the but to hold it. That and wd-40


Nevermind I didn't realize you couldn't put a wrench on the bolt head.

That's some fucked up hardware. My kids swing set used regular bolts that were recessed. You could put a socket on it.
Try a socket  
GiantJohn : 7/20/2014 5:07 am : link
?
I'd check the company's site.  
Randy in CT : 7/20/2014 7:38 am : link
They probably included a tool for this.
steve in ky  
That Said : 7/20/2014 7:50 am : link
wins the thread. He's the only one who noticed the flats on the inside of the nut.

jsboston: did you break this thing down, yet? Or what?
it gets broken down today at noon  
jsboston : 7/20/2014 8:18 am : link
Steve did win the thread. I now have a large enough allen wrench and it works.

The company website has user manuals for the products they currently sell, but not for a swing set as old as this one.

Some boys will be very happy later today.

Thanks again for the help. This is why BBI is the only site on the web that I visit every day.
RE: Try a socket  
Bill in Del : 7/20/2014 10:05 am : link
In comment 11773348 GiantJohn said:
Quote:
?


No I meant you could put a socket on the one I had for my kids and took apart. Not that this helps the OP.

Jeez my typing sucked last night.
I'm glad it worked  
steve in ky : 7/20/2014 10:22 am : link
There is nothing more frustrating trying to do what should be a fairly simple task only to run into some little quirk that won't work and the entire things becomes an aggravating ordeal. I probably noticed it because those kinds of ordeals are the story of my life (grin)
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