The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Installing bed wood - fastener question

I'm installing the bed wood on my 57 and am wondering if anyone has any good suggestions on how to get the nuts started on the bolts that are up inside the bed crossmembers. There's not enough room for my fat fingers and I've tried putting masking tape on the end of the socket then putting the nut on the masking tape. That sort of works, but try putting a flat washer and lock washer on top of the nut and it becomes very frustrating. Would sure appreciate some "tricks of the trade" on this. Thanks, Don

Bought a set of magnets that fit inside the sockets, 6 for about 3 bucks. auto parts store.

Magnets don't work on Stainless Steel. What ya need is that Gnome from the Travelocity commercials. (He's got little fingers)

Try a nut driver with some spray on contact cement to help hold the washers in place while ya start em. If the nut driver is too deep, put 2 nuts in. Good luck.

Texas Aggie Solution: Hold the nut in place and spin the bed.

Shipwright,

Just for the record, all stainless isn't non-magnetic.


Stuart.

I used Dum-dum, or what is known also as 3M strip-calk, a black sticky rope-like pliable sealer used to seal holes in auto bodies. Stuff some in the socket, holds real well. Brian

Thanks for the ideas, I have 3 of my friends coming over today, one will hold the nut while the others spin the bed. Sounds good to me. There's always a solution out there somewhere. Don

Sounds like you need someone to hand out beers and take pictures.

I'll be there in an hour to *help*.

mark.
'51 KY 3100

Blue painter's masking tape, for those hard-to-reach ones. I have a '53 shortbed, but encountered the same problem. Small pieces of tape, to tape together the flat washer, lock washer and nut. Then very carefully starting it all with a socket. And don't drink too much beer.