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Where to get tamper-proof joystick bolts?
Jakobud:
Hey guys,
Been looking for bolts to use for my joysticks. Can't seem to find what I want at Home Depot. If you check out a genuine arcade cabinet, the 4 bolts used for the joystick are usually always smooth headed, like a carriage bolt head, making them tamper-proof. I can't seem to find bolts like this anywhere. I really don't want bolts that have torx, screw or hex holes in them. I want them smooth like carriage bolt heads. You ask "Why do I not just use carriage bolts?" then...well, have you ever looked closely at a carriage bolt? You know how they always have that square or hex shaped part underneath the head? I don't want that on there. With that, I don't think it will properly fit in Happ's joysticks anyways. I just want a plain bolt where the thread goes all the way to the head, and the head is smooth topped. And by the way, I will just fasten it but gripping the bottom of the bolt with plyers and then just screwing a nut on there. Anyways, the closest thing I can find at Home Depot is carriage bolts, but the heads on the carriage bolts are too big. The diameter I mean. They are larger than the heads on the normal arcade cabinets I have seen. Anyways, what do you guys think? Know where the hidden stash is? I looked all over Happ's website for them, but all I saw on there were carriage bolts. Not sure if those will work properly or not...
Jakobud
Jakobud:
By the way, I have checked Bob Robert's site. I see black 3/16" x 1-1/4" carriage bolts on there. But I need 1/4" ones, not 3/16" ones...unless anyone here knows whether or not those 3/16" ones will work with my Happ Competitions properly......
also by the way, I would prefer black bolts, not SS or Galv.
Jakobud
u_rebelscum:
--- Quote ---By the way, I have checked Bob Robert's site. I see black 3/16" x 1-1/4" carriage bolts on there. But I need 1/4" ones, not 3/16" ones...unless anyone here knows whether or not those 3/16" ones will work with my Happ Competitions properly......
also by the way, I would prefer black bolts, not SS or Galv.
Jakobud
--- End quote ---
I am using 3/16" carriage bolts on my 3/4" wood control panel with Happ Competitions. IIRC, 1/4" bolts are too tight for the competitions. (Use nuts instead of screwing into the plastic, since metal is stronger that plastic.)
Carriage bolts supposed to help make sure the nuts tighten well, and prevent the bolts from loosening by turning freely. I don't know what to do on metal panels, though.
BTW, I was looking for bolts like you discribed when I was buying the stuff, but couldn't find any. That and everyone* else used carriage bolts, so I went with the carriage bolts.
*Some people countersunk screws on the bottom side so nothing showed on top, but that was too fancy for me.
slug54:
If you haven't tried them already check
Ace Hardware . They have a great selection of screws and bolts . I haven't seen a bolt as you described but if all else fails buy the carriage bolts and modify them with a grinding wheel of a dremel tool or modify the bolt holes in your joystick.
Slug54
Jakobud:
Okay thanks guys. It looks like I might be chasing the wrong thing here anyways. From what I am hearing from here, and from Bob Roberts is that 1/4" bolts won't even fit real well and that 3/16" ones are what I should go with anyways.
Thanks
Jakobud