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+3

OrienM

kenh

Xamllew

7 posters

Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

Xamllew: Tinkerer
If there is a will, there is a way.; Posts : 72
Join date : 2015-06-13
Age : 32
Location : Florida

Post n°1

Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Xamllew Thu Jan 07, 2016 4:16 am

Hey guys, I was looking for ways to improvise some cheap throw-away bolts for plinking and losing in the woods and I came up with these. They might be useful if you're a humble peasant like me. The nice thing about these is that they require no glue and are very durable.

Hex Nut Plinking Bolts 93tu4kA

Hex Nut Plinking Bolts 93tu4kA

Very easy and cheap:
-3ft 3/8" oak dowel
-Duct tape
-3/8" Hex nuts, 2-3 per bolt

Cut the dowels to shaft length, then you'll need to taper one of the ends slightly so that the hex nut fits over it, then you can screw on the nut with pliers. Screwing on the nut will leave a thread on the wood and make the second and third nut easier to screw on.

The you just need to cut yourself some fletchings which if you don't know how to do duct tape fletching, watch this

Enjoy

Last edited by Xamllew on Thu Jan 07, 2016 11:50 am; edited 1 time in total

kenh: Crossbow Junkie
I live here!; Posts : 883
Join date : 2012-08-03
Age : 75
Location : Living Aboard a Sailboat in Fort Myers, FL

Post n°2

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by kenh Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:54 am

Nice simple solution. I've used duct tape fletching for ordinary arrows. The screw-on blunts are a great idea!!

Xamllew: Tinkerer
If there is a will, there is a way.; Posts : 72
Join date : 2015-06-13
Age : 32
Location : Florida

Post n°3

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Xamllew Thu Jan 07, 2016 9:21 am

kenh wrote:Nice simple solution. I've used duct tape fletching for ordinary arrows. The screw-on blunts are a great idea!!

Yeah, the duct tape fletchings are surprisingly durable and if you know how to give them a helical twist they shoot as straight as store bought arrows.

OrienM: Workshop Savvy
Did you see my tool collection?; Posts : 195
Join date : 2014-08-01
Age : 48
Location : New Mexico, USA

Post n°4

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by OrienM Thu Jan 07, 2016 1:12 pm

Nice! Hex nut heads do work great, and pack quite a punch too. I use 1/2" versions of these for hunting rabbits.

Xamllew: Tinkerer
If there is a will, there is a way.; Posts : 72
Join date : 2015-06-13
Age : 32
Location : Florida

Post n°5

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Xamllew Thu Jan 07, 2016 11:52 pm

Currently looking to get some coupling hex nuts since they seem like they'd be better to use instead of 2 or 3 hex nuts. Had one of my hex bolts snap right at the end of the nut after I shot it at a tree stump leaving the tip embedded inside the stump, took quite a beating.

Now I'm curious to see what else can be stuck on the end of a bolt, haha.

Gnome: Crossbow Junkie
I live here!; Posts : 451
Join date : 2011-10-16
Age : 60
Location : North Georgia

Post n°6

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Gnome Fri Jan 08, 2016 7:32 am

Xamllew, hex bolts... why didn't I think of that? I've been noodling around trying to come up with an idea for cheap blunts and there it is. I think I have some "acorn" caps rattling around somewhere that I might try, too. Thanks for posting.
Gnome

OrienM: Workshop Savvy
Did you see my tool collection?; Posts : 195
Join date : 2014-08-01
Age : 48
Location : New Mexico, USA

Post n°7

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by OrienM Sat Jan 09, 2016 10:34 am

Xamllew wrote:Had one of my hex bolts snap right at the end of the nut after I shot it at a tree stump leaving the tip embedded inside the stump, took quite a beating.

Now I'm curious to see what else can be stuck on the end of a bolt, haha.

I broke a few shafts that way too, hitting rocks...they tend to break right behind the head. Clearly needs some reinforcement, but I haven't quite figured out an easy option yet. Possibly wrapping behind the head with epoxy coated cord would strengthen it up, I may try this next time.

Another cheap option: a .45 pistol shell makes an OK blunt head, if you shave down a 1/2" shaft a bit to fit. A .38 or 9mm shell will fit a 3/8" shaft; I used these a lot on hand-bow arrows.

Xamllew: Tinkerer
If there is a will, there is a way.; Posts : 72
Join date : 2015-06-13
Age : 32
Location : Florida

Post n°8

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Xamllew Sun Jan 10, 2016 4:03 am

OrienM wrote:

Xamllew wrote:Had one of my hex bolts snap right at the end of the nut after I shot it at a tree stump leaving the tip embedded inside the stump, took quite a beating.

Now I'm curious to see what else can be stuck on the end of a bolt, haha.

I broke a few shafts that way too, hitting rocks...they tend to break right behind the head. Clearly needs some reinforcement, but I haven't quite figured out an easy option yet. Possibly wrapping behind the head with epoxy coated cord would strengthen it up, I may try this next time.

Another cheap option: a .45 pistol shell makes an OK blunt head, if you shave down a 1/2" shaft a bit to fit. A .38 or 9mm shell will fit a 3/8" shaft; I used these a lot on hand-bow arrows.

I've used brass casings and I've used copper pipe fittings as blunt tips as well, they work perfectly for arrows, but for bolts they come out on the light side.

As for the reinforcement for the bolt head, nothing I can think of doesn't involve more time and effort than the entire bolt itself, though I suppose the epoxy coated wrapping might work.

Onager Lovac: Workshop Savvy
Did you see my tool collection?; Posts : 120
Join date : 2015-06-18
Age : 33

Post n°9

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Onager Lovac Mon Jan 11, 2016 6:09 pm

Ive done the exact same thing but with 3/8" dowels, Very Happy

Very Happy

.

Xamllew: Tinkerer
If there is a will, there is a way.; Posts : 72
Join date : 2015-06-13
Age : 32
Location : Florida

Post n°10

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Xamllew Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:18 am

A full batch I made yesterday
Hex Nut Plinking Bolts 04rHawA

Hex Nut Plinking Bolts 04rHawA

Hermit: Workshop Savvy
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Join date : 2013-09-10

Post n°11

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Hermit Fri Jan 15, 2016 10:25 am

In the U.S. and Canada,most good hardware stores sell Redirod,this is threaded rod in various lengths that can be coupled together with coupling nuts.These nuts are usually an inch or longer,and would probably serve better than several nuts on one shaft.Several nuts on a shaft obviously works,but I can't help thinking that the nuts may cause damage to the deck of the crossbow over the long term.
Hermit.

Onager Lovac: Workshop Savvy
Did you see my tool collection?; Posts : 120
Join date : 2015-06-18
Age : 33

Post n°12

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Onager Lovac Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:21 pm

Hermit, they won't damage the deck if they aren't resting on it.

Xamllew: Tinkerer
If there is a will, there is a way.; Posts : 72
Join date : 2015-06-13
Age : 32
Location : Florida

Post n°13

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Xamllew Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:15 pm

Yes, my nuts don't rest on the deck (yes I just typed that), they hang just over the front, but I might look into that Redirod, though if it's any more then a buck a piece it'll cancel out the point of the bolts being able to be cheaply made in bulk.

phuphuphnik: Workshop Savvy
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Join date : 2013-12-02
Location : The wastes West of Chicago

Post n°14

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by phuphuphnik Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:32 pm

Hex Nut Plinking Bolts Spit10

I'm not sure I want to google redirod either...

Onager Lovac: Workshop Savvy
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Join date : 2015-06-18
Age : 33

Post n°15

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Onager Lovac Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:16 pm

Hahahahaha! lol!

lol!

why didn't i think of that, anyway, threaded rod would damage the rail on your crossbow. i always wanted to use a threaded rod to make a screw with a handle to spawn my crossbow.

Hermit: Workshop Savvy
Did you see my tool collection?; Posts : 245
Join date : 2013-09-10

Post n°16

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Hermit Mon Jan 18, 2016 9:56 am

Googling redirod is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut Phu,just look,or ask in your local hardware store.The length of redirod coupling nuts should provide 2-4 blunt heads.From the length of the bolts in the photos,I assumed that the bolts would likely rest on the deck.My mistake.Lastly,allowing nuts to rest on the deck is never a good idea for social,health or economic reasons.
Hermit.

Onager Lovac: Workshop Savvy
Did you see my tool collection?; Posts : 120
Join date : 2015-06-18
Age : 33

Post n°17

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by Onager Lovac Mon Jan 18, 2016 4:16 pm

Lol

Laughing

phuphuphnik: Workshop Savvy
Did you see my tool collection?; Posts : 151
Join date : 2013-12-02
Location : The wastes West of Chicago

Post n°18

Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

by phuphuphnik Wed Jan 20, 2016 12:03 am

We have always called it allthread or just threaded rod.

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Re: Hex Nut Plinking Bolts

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