Looking for a thread size

In my faster days the ol' 8-ball was considered de-rigeur, which was drilled to take a short length of plastic tubing. Even garden hose'd do in a pinch. This then "self-tapped" over the gear-lever.

When properly sized no glue was needed and one size fit all...

Use a threaded insert.

I've done it in the past. Different makes/models use different threads, but they are normal threads. If you can remove the knob, take it into the hardware store with you and have them see if they can find a bolt to match it. That'll tell you what the thread is. It's "probably" metric, so start there. OTOH, you can always take your nut jar out to the car and see if any of them fit.

Dave in Fairfax

Prometheus wrote: While I'm sure there is a tap with the

Nothing wrong with that idea, I'd drill the hole slightly undersize so the nut can be press-fit in the hole which contains a dab of epoxy. If the connection needs to be stronger, I'd use a coupling nut, which is longer and you wouldn't need any glue if it was driven tight into a hole.

Ken Grunke

Think I'll try this one first (hardware store is closed for the holliday)- if it splits, then I'll check out the hardware store on Monday. Thanks to everyone for the advice, looks like I've got quite a few different options there, and some of them I hadn't thought of.

"Prometheus" wrote: (clip)if it splits, then I'll check out the hardware store on Monday (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ My solution will also require you to wait 'til the stores open after the holiday. That's OK--enjoy the holiday. Loc-tite and Permatex both sell kits for repairing stripped threads. It's a two-part epoxy system, with a special release agent that you spray on the threads. You apply the mixed resin in the hole and on the threads, and then just shove it together. After it is cured, just unscrew it. In your case, you wouldn't even have to do that until you are ready to sell the car and want to keep the knob.

You may be pioneering into a new way to make money as a turner--get a booth at a car show and sell custom knobs.

A concept - drill a slightly oversized hole in the knob. Wrap the threads tightly with a wrap and a half of Teflon tape and epoxy in place.

On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 01:58:11 GMT, "Leo Lichtman" wrote: ^^^^^^^^^^^

Sounds a lot like the stuff I used to replace the handle on my splitting maul. To follow up, I did get the knob turned- though I used a bit of an oak burl cap rather than the cherry I had in mind. Sanded it until it was very shiny (1500 grit, and then burnished with the back of some sandpaper), wrapped it in a bit of clean cloth, then drilled a hole the same size as the small dimention of the threads to the proper depth with a forsner bit on the drill press. Left the cloth wrapped around the knob, and mounted it in the chuck again to hollow out the bit that the sliding handle you use to put the car into reverse slides into, using a bow caliper to get the correct ID. Then I threaded the knob onto the shaft of the shifter directly, and it seems to have taken the impressions of the threads very well. I was able to turn the knob about three turns at a time, and then back the piece completely off to clear the sawdust. Once it was fully on, it worked like a charm, and was nice and tight, but I was still able to put it on and take it off several times without stripping the threads I had got in there.

The burl I used had been soaking in LDD for about three weeks, so I'm hoping that will keep it from cracking or deforming as it dries, and the project is currently fully submerged in tung oil. I could have just finished it as normal, but this particular hunk of burl gave me a bit of trouble (deforming) with the bowl I turned out of it when I first cut it (no LDD soak with that one), so I figured getting that oil really deeply into the wood wasn't a bad idea. Finish coat will be spar polyurethane- I would have preferred shellac, but on reflection I decided that I didn't want to risk ruining it if I got into the car in the rain, and shifted with wet hands!

There may be some money in that- If it turns out really well, I already work as a fabricator for a place that makes custom trailer hitches for cars, so I might show it to the boss, and see if they're willing to display a few in the booths they've already got. But I'll have to think about that- I'd hate to get locked into doing nothing but turning little knobs in my spare time! Of course, if anyone else cares to do it, have at it. As I was putting on the shifter knob, I had the thought that I may do the same with the window crank handles, just to have a matching set, so there's another product to go with it. :)

I'll toss up a picture of the end result on ABPW once I've got it finished and installed, probably on Tuesday.

Way back when, I had a 1978 Chevy Luv with a wooden shift knob that was purchased at an auto parts store. It looked really cool and felt good to the touch, but it transmitted transmission noise. As I recall, it had a metal insert in the top of it that said "Luv" or something like that. It may have been the metal that was the cause, but I remember it was a really irritating sound because it would change when you would grip the knob and then let go. However, I love your idea and hopefully you won't experience that noise. Let us know how it goes.

Best Regards, Phil Visit my Web Site:

No noise that I noticed after I got it installed, but I did kinda screw up- I turned it out of oak burl instead of cherry, and got impatient witj the drying time of the spar polyurethane I put on it. So the first time I drove it, I wore some of the finish off, and got a bunch of little cracks and deformities where the wood was exposed. But, the experience of turning it was fun, and it worked really well well, so I'm just chalking that first one up to practice, and plan on making another one out of that cherry I had in mind in the first place. This time I'll wait the billion+ years for the poly to dry before I install it, though. :)

I'll toss a picture or two of the knob (installed) in ABPW. I'm not an excellent photographer, so they're the best I can come up with. As a matter of taste, I think the cherry will actually go better with the interior anyhow.

Hi Prometheus

Saw your pic. of the knob, pretty sharp, the cherry might not look any better, when you're done with it Did you get the size and the TPI for the shift knob ? Most of the threads used on the cars today are metric, the simplest way to find the thread size is to take your shift knob to HD and find a bold that fits, than get nut and glue it into your new knob, just my thinking.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Prometheus wrote:

Nah, I went with just threading it on. It's slightly larger than

3/8", so I drilled a pilot hole with a forsner bit, and then screwed it on slowly, backing it off every couple of turns to clear the dust- the oak took the thread impressions really well, and it wasn't going anywhere. I might spend a bit of time trying some nuts from my jar of random nuts & bolts for the cherry one, but I'm not sure it'd need it. After all, if it strips out, I can always drill it out and epoxy a nut in later.

That makes it most likely a 10mm at roughly .395" vs .375 for 3/8.

Reading the archives, Bill?

That one's almost a year and a half old! :)

another option is to find a bolt the right size and grind some flutes in it lengthwise to make your own tap. this works fine on wood and is a lot cheeper than a tap for just one use.

skeez

check out the pen turners sites and look at CA finishing. super hard finish and can be finnish sanded with micro mesk down to 12000 grit for a real good shine. CA isnot afected by bodily fluids much and will hold up much longer the poly.

skeez

Thanks for the interest, skeez- but the spar poly has held up just great for the last year and a half. (In spite of the fact that my hands are often dirty when driving home) In fact, it's done nothing but get smoother and shinier over time. The cherry has darkened nicely as well, and still no checks or warping.

It's a nice project for anyone who spends a lot of time in the car, and wants a little piece of the shop along for the ride.

Still wondering how this one floated back up to the surface, though!