Don t Screw This Up: The Threading System in Visual Studio .NET

Printing QR Code ISO/IEC18004 in Visual Studio .NET Don t Screw This Up: The Threading System

If you re like most people, you probably think you know the basics of how threads work, but we promise you ll be surprised by how much science there is to the basic concept behind a nut and bolt Why is this important Of all the activities you ll perform while working on a bike, tightening and loosening threads on a bike is at the top of the list Improperly handle something as seemingly innocuous as a nut or a bolt, and you could irreversibly damage the threads of an expensive component on your bike

Threaded fasteners are the unsung heroes of the biking world Although they re essential to keeping your bike together as it rolls on down the road, they re so inconspicuous that people rarely notice them About the only time they come to your attention is when something on your bike starts making a rattling sound, usually due to a fastener being loose Fasteners are heterosexual partners They consist of a male part (such as a bolt) and hollowed female part (such as a nut), as shown in Figure 2-4 Male and female parts, designed to work together, are cut with complementary matching grooves that allow them to be threaded together Different fasteners are designed to handle different amounts of force The bolt used to hold the water-bottle cage in place would not provide enough force to secure a crank

External thread (male)

Internal thread (female)

The one thing you need to know about fasteners and never forget is this: Never over-tighten a fastener When Dennis learned this concept, it was like a revelation He had always assumed that the rule was: The tighter, the better If someone had shared this all-important rule with him earlier, he could ve saved himself from ruining a number of fasteners Fasteners stretch and flex when tightened, which gives the joint force to stay in place Over-tightening the fastener can cause it to stretch to such a degree that the joint becomes damaged

You don t have to freak out the next time you have to tighten a nut or bolt The general principle is to tighten it a bit, and then check it: If there s still some play in the part, tighten it a little more If we ve made you paranoid about over-tightening, you can always purchase a torque wrench Bike mechanics use these in order to apply exactly the right amount of force when tightening a fastener If you ve made like the Incredible Hulk and ended up damaging a thread, the folks at your local bike shop may be able to recut it using a tool called a tap Of course, this assumes that the damage to the thread was minor and that there s still enough undamaged thread remaining If not, the thread may be irreversibly damaged Clean and lubricate all threads before tightening them For smaller fasteners, a liquid lubricant will do the job For thicker fasteners (such as the thread of a bottom bracket), a heavier lubricant such as grease is recommended

Sometimes a fastener will come loose In many cases, this is the result of not being tightened properly (Normally, vibration is not enough to overcome the force of a properly secured fastener) To prevent threads from loosening, bike manufacturers sometimes use devices such as locknuts or special washers to help hold the thread in place Washers are used to help distribute the pressure around the bolt s nut or head They also reduce friction as the nut and/or bolt is tightened To increase the chances that a fastener will stay in place once it s tightened, use a thread-locking compound When this compound is applied to a thread, it hardens and expands, helping to keep the joint secure