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East Bench BearsHello out there! I have a question for you all:
I have been using locknut and bolt joints, and just recently switched to using locknut washers and bolts- which are nice and tight! Unfortunately, though, there is always ONE leg that is a bit wobbly in all my bears!! WHY?? It is driving me absolutely batty- it seems that even when I sweat to death tightening the danged thing, it still loosens up? Any tips for a rather frustrated gal? :)
Hugs,
Anita
Posts: 3,540The only thing I can think of, is it an epoxied joint?? Sometimes when I crank down, I crank too hard, and bust the epoxy :doh: Then it doesn't matter how much I 'tighten' the nut, the whole thing still spins and is loose. To fix it, I have to really work at getting a flat head screwdriver to stay in place whilst I ratchet the nut on.
The only other thing that comes to mind, is to leave the ted overnight, and come back to it in the morning. I intentionally do the jointing, stuffing of limbs and then leave it to 'try out' the next day. I'm often surprised that one or more of the limbs seem looser to me by next morning, and then I'm able to tighten it up before finishing the bear.
Also, I'd say overtighten if you can, as the limbs do loosen over time (I usually crank down on my locknut joints, and then manipulate the daylights out of the joint, and retighten. Hubby thinks I'm a bit nuts, but there ya go 
)
One last tip, is to trim the fur around where the joint will be. Sometimes the fur can get swept up into the joint, and can keep it from working properly. 
East Bench BearsTHANK YOU!!!!!!!! You know, I am going to try that tomorrow night with my newest bear.
I do use epoxy, but my dad told me not to, because the epoxy got onto the nut, which made it almost impossible to tighten. Why is jointing the absolute worst part for me?? :)
Anyway, I thank you, and send you gigantic bear hugs!
-Anita
I dont use epoxy at all....hate the stuff! If you dont mix it JUST right, it doesn't dry. On my head joint, I use a dab of super glue....I put some on the back of the bolt head, then I put the washer on, then a put some on the back of the washer and place my hardboard disc on that...let them dry for a few minutes and it works like a charm!
As far as the loose joint. Im pretty certain I know what the problem is.....you didnt push the fabric all the way down and a small edge of it is getting caught in between the nut and washer when you tighten it down. I have done this several time and I about go nuts trying to tighten it. I simply have to slow down, take the whole joint apart and start the joint process all over. If the fur is caught, you will probably have a hard time removing the washer because the backing/fur is caught up in there.....
Be careful...if you keep trying to tighten your joint and this is indeed the problem, you will burn a hole right through your fabric and have to remake the entire body piece...been there, done that *smiles*
Good Luck to you!
Bear Hugs,
Kim
East Bench BearsAhhhh...makes perfect sense to me! Today, I ripped one of my older bears apart, and noticed that yes, indeed, there was fabric stuck in there. Unfortunately, the epoxy had gotten stuck to the fabric too, so I ended up ripping the leg off entirely! :(
But yes, I will be more careful now, and thank you so much for your help and insight!
Hugs,
Anita
Posts: 3,540Don't throw your older ted away, though! I was given a 'roughed up' older Ty bear that was given to me by Mother in law. She'd salvaged the poor thing from a garage sale. I washed it first (and picked up those plastic pellets for ages afterwards) then I sewed a patch of muslin over the damaged spot to reinforce the area, and replaced the joint. Once the leg was in place, the damaged area was completely hidden. Granted, the bear was given as a gift, not for sale, but at least the poor thing did not hit the garbage bin.
I'm positively scary when it comes to glue, so I admit, that I purchase my joints all ready epoxied by Out of Hand in Canada. I think it is MoBeary on here that also sells the joints epoxied as well.
Keep trying, and don't be afraid to ask questions :hug:
