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Old 09-13-2011, 12:42 AM   #11
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Re: Tee nuts for PH top.

Beautiful work. It is like what should have been there in the first place. Not only from a functional standpoint, but most certainly aesthetically too.

Now for a complete detour, (you can answer by PM if you don't want to dirty up your thread) what solar panels do you have mounted up? Wattage? Do you like them? Looks like I would be able to maybe squeeze in my garage with those - the standard 2" aluminum frame panel sits too high.

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Old 09-13-2011, 08:30 AM   #12
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Re: Tee nuts for PH top.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rockbender
Beautiful work. It is like what should have been there in the first place. Not only from a functional standpoint, but most certainly aesthetically too.

Now for a complete detour, (you can answer by PM if you don't want to dirty up your thread) what solar panels do you have mounted up? Wattage? Do you like them? Looks like I would be able to maybe squeeze in my garage with those - the standard 2" aluminum frame panel sits too high.
I'll PM you that info this evening.
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Old 05-08-2012, 09:32 PM   #13
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Re: Tee nuts for PH top.

Would each set have to be custom designed/made for each PH top? There seems to be a lot of variation in the tops and the installations.
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Old 05-10-2012, 01:12 PM   #14
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Re: Tee nuts for PH top.

My van's only two years old, but when the mastic on my penthouse bolt plates looks like yours did I would be willing to pay $300 to replace them all.
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Old 05-10-2012, 11:12 PM   #15
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Re: Tee nuts for PH top.

Quote:
Originally Posted by OldBear
Would each set have to be custom designed/made for each PH top? There seems to be a lot of variation in the tops and the installations.
I'm really not to sure about that. The way mine was put together, I don't see too much room for variation. I would want to talk with SMB West and get there input on that. That being said, I'm sure there is some variation and that is one of the problems that I thought of with producing these. And if I had to custom make each set and try to get accurate measurements from anyone that is interested, it would just be to difficult.
If I found out that they should all be the same, I think it could still be done.

So far, mine have held up beautifully, everything is good and secure.
In a few weeks I will be replacing my solar panels and will be happy to be able to pull the interior push panel off without having to completely take off all those through bolt.

Cheers,
John
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Old 05-11-2012, 10:45 AM   #16
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Re: Tee nuts for PH top.

I am in for this too. Need to upgrade. Let us know if you find out all PH tops are similar.
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Old 05-23-2012, 10:11 PM   #17
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Re: Tee nuts for PH top.

Very ingenious fix for replacement of the rusty PH roof hardware. I've been "admiring these for a couple weeks now and just have a few questions:
1. Did you use locktite on the 1/4-20 threads (into the 1/2" bar stock) to ensure these stay tight?
2. What are the dimensions of the little side bar stock "nubs"? they appear to be about 1/4"dia x 1/4.
3. Are the side nubs just to keep the assembly from spinning when tightening? Do you think just one nub would do the trick.
4. How did you drill the side holes, adjacent to the large center hole, while limiting the depth of the holes?

I agree with you that the gain in shear strength much exceeds the shear strength of original 1/4-20 bolts. Using a stainless or grade 8 bolt for the new bolt/screw that threads into this tee nut will also be a huge improvement in tensile strength as well.

I really like these and have a good friend who runs a machine shop who said the 1/8" plate cutting may be as easy as just feeding into a large press. My only agony comes from drilling more or enlarging the existing holes in the PH roof. Please tell me it wasn't a big deal.

After having these on your roof for sometime now, is there anything you see that could be improved or anything you would have done differently.

Thanks again for sharing this awesome idea. ~Steve
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Old 06-03-2012, 03:37 PM   #18
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Re: Tee nuts for PH top.

Hi Steve,
Sorry it has taken me so long to reply to your post. I've been out enjoying our SMB.
Happy to answer your questions.
1. Yes I did use Locktite, the blue removable one. You can also use teflon tape on the screw. I have not had any of them come loss on me since the install.
2. Yes that little nub is 1/4" rod and it is about a 1/4" long. To make the welding easier, I started with them about 1" long and then cut them to length after the welding was complete.
3. Yes that is what those nubs are for. I have thought about if they really are necessary or if one would do the job. And if I were to do it again I would do it the same way. My main goal was that I could remove these screws from the inside without having to have someone on the roof hold the top plate. If 3 or 4 years go by, I'm sure that the whole thing would start to spin before the threads let loss if those nubs weren't there. And if I'm putting one nub on it, a second one only takes another minute and will help keep things balanced while tightening and loosening.
4. I'm not sure I understand this question but I will try to answer. If you are asking about drilling holes on the disc plate, I did not do that. All of the rods were just welded to the plate. If you are asking about the threaded center rod, I drilled and tapped them on a lathe before they were welded to the plate. I drilled them all the way through with the right size drill for the tap. I then drilled the back side out with a 5/16" drill so there would only be about 3/4" of female thread. That was to make sure that the screw would not bottom out on the threads. If your friend has a machine shop, I'm sure he can do all of that. As for cutting the discs, I found that the cheapest way was to find someone with a water jet or a laser cutter.

Drilling more holes in my roof was absolutely a concern of mine. But if you look at all of the problems with leaking, you will see that the problem is rarely if ever from the big washer. It's always from the stacking of washers and the bolt running through them. The butyl putty works great between the roof and the plate and the 1/8" plate won't bend like the original washers do. So the butyl does not get squeezed out away from the holes.

Drilling the holes in the roof, I can't say it was easy but in the end was not a big deal. I was very careful and was in no rush. Making a mistake was not an option. At first I thought that I could drill a 1/2" hole for the main shaft but in the end I was drilling a 9/16" hole and reaming it out a little. The biggest problem was that the original holes weren't 90 degrees to the roof so the plates weren't making even contact with the roof. The only solution was to give it some wiggle room.
Since I have installed these things, I have not had one sign of a leak or any other problems. The only thing that I would do differently would be how I went about making them. I used a plasma cutter to cut out the discs and then cleaned them up with a grinder (way to much work). I would have the discs cut out with a laser cutter then weld the rods on and then put the whole thing back into a lathe to clean up and roll the edge of the disc.

Hope that helps. If you have more questions, don't hesitate.

Cheers,
John
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Old 08-02-2012, 05:42 PM   #19
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Re: Tee nuts for PH top.

Have you started selling these? Mine is in need... tired of dealing with the leaks.. I suppose its time to reinsulate underneath as well...
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Old 08-10-2012, 04:55 PM   #20
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Tee nuts for PH top.

Ok following the idea of this topic I just had some new T bolts made up.

They are welded 1/4 Allen pan heads welded to 1/8 inch as plate. The washers a cut out with a wire arc cutter that is way cool to see in action and super accurate

The instal will start in the am after a bike ride.


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