There are many ways to fixing things to things; nails, screws, glue are but a few options available. When we look at fixings there are 2 mai...
There are many ways to fixing things to things; nails, screws, glue are but a few options available. When we look at fixings there are 2 main things we consider:
Does it really matter? We mean as long as that light, switch, radiator doesn't fall off/down/up job's a good'un surely? Well we'll have to agree to disagree - in our experience it's surprisingly important part of the overall design process. The option to have both a functionally and aesthetically effective fixing is something we always like to explore.
Whilst much of our installation work relies on modern fixing technology such as expanding sleeve anchor bolts, Intersets, resin bonded studding for it's function you're more often than not find us creating bespoke components to use with these modern systems to maintain a look.
The triptych below is a good example of the combination of modern fixing systems augmented with bespoke components.
We thought we'd take you through a recent example to illustrate the process of fixing design in the land of bokoshoko. Get a brew, pull up a chair and scroll down....
We looked at two primary options which really were variations on a theme:
Ultimately we decided to use the pin-drive fixing design. The deciding factor was the "simplicity" of the look - each fixing could be a single machined component incorporating a flange as part of the design. The design also echoed the design of the splashback mountings in terms of sizing, material and surface finish BUT was different enough to reflect the different purposes.
The downside to the design was, unfortunately, also simple; time. Whilst simple to look at this was not a simple design to realise. We needed eight fixings in total (we will be mounting a total of 6 linear meters of upstand), each fixing needed to appear visually identical and we would need to make not only the fixing but also the tool to install them.
The album of photos for this post has our traditional "warts 'n' all" photos of the entire process so we'll just call out some key things/thoughts/decisions...
The rear of the fixing which was threaded to accept the M6 studding was reduced to 12mm in diameter and 10mm length which would allow enough us enough depth for a sensible amount of thread but also allow us to hold the fixing "blank" in a collet to allow us to machine the front of the fixing
The drive tool was made from some 30mm A/F aluminium hexagon stock. We bored out a recess to match the inner diameter of the fixing and added a matching chamfer which provide "auto-centering" of the tool on the fixing
The rear of the tool was reduced to 20mm to allow it to be held in an ER32 20mm collet which was essential as we'd needed to hold it securely under a drill-press to create the pin drive mounting holes
The actual drive pins were 24mm long dowel pins (a dowel pin in this case is a very accurately machined and hardened steel pin). We took some time to decide on both the size of the pins and their spacing ultimately choosing to use 14mm diameter circle
Surface finishing was a multi-stage process designed to match the existing surface finished for the other machined aluminium components
The end result was a lot of swarf, a small bag of fittings and a sizable chunk of two days of workshop time let alone the time taken in the bokoshoko collective conscious CAD. We'll be using these fittings very soon and they'll feature in a soon to be published article.
The subject of fixings is something we'll no doubt revisit; it's such a key part of what we do and blurs the lines between function and form in what can be a very challenging way. You'll soon see a particularly difficult scenario we're facing where we need to attach a 50kg, difficultly shaped, fragile and potentially damaging item to an old wall.
You can view the album of photos associated with this article by clicking here
Note: Your eyes do not deceive you; in those photos where you see some rough drawings it does say Star Wars in the corner. This is what happens when every scrap of paper has disappeared from the workshop and you ask an elve to pick up some blank paper whilst buying a sandwich. At least they didn't choose the "My Little Pony" alternative
- The function - how well does the fixing do it's job? Can it handle the weight? Is the surface we're fixing into hollow, solid, brick, wood etc
- The Form - how does it look? Does it work with the "look" of the environment? Is it contextually correct (you don't tend to nail lightswitches to a wall for example or glue doors to hinges)? What material is it made from?
Does it really matter? We mean as long as that light, switch, radiator doesn't fall off/down/up job's a good'un surely? Well we'll have to agree to disagree - in our experience it's surprisingly important part of the overall design process. The option to have both a functionally and aesthetically effective fixing is something we always like to explore.
Whilst much of our installation work relies on modern fixing technology such as expanding sleeve anchor bolts, Intersets, resin bonded studding for it's function you're more often than not find us creating bespoke components to use with these modern systems to maintain a look.
The triptych below is a good example of the combination of modern fixing systems augmented with bespoke components.
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| Bolts, washers, spacers, studs and pipe-clips |
For the function aspect...
In these examples the common factor was a hollow substrate a fairly common situation faced in housing (think plasterboard walls with a gap behind them). Our "goto" for these situations is an Interset type fitting which in effect provides a captive M6 nut into which we can then either screw studding or a bolt.For the form aspect...
These are re-purposed industrial components some of which have considerable physical and visual weight. In their original environment they would have been bolted or possibly riveted in place - not screwed to the wall with a modern Turbogold screw and a big washer. For these, then, we machined up the brass mountings you see above. We finish these in a "special" way to create an aged/used look to further re-inforce the aesthetic |
| Old/New; machined bolt, washer, spacer nut. 6mm studding and Interset fitting |
We thought we'd take you through a recent example to illustrate the process of fixing design in the land of bokoshoko. Get a brew, pull up a chair and scroll down....
The Brief
Attach 3m long, 50mm high and 12mm deep aluminium upstands into a modern kitchen. Prevailing aesthetic is minimalistic with gloss white, handless cupboards, stainless steel domino appliances, bespoke aluminium extraction systemDesign Options
There are many options available here. The most common one used is to glue them to the wall BUT we don't like to do things the easy way.We looked at two primary options which really were variations on a theme:
- Use the same style mounting used to mount the copper splashback (see the Cu on Fe article here) which is an inverted nut/washer look where a hex aluminium component is used like a washer with a "nut" made from a simple turned aluminium cylinder
- Use a pin-drive fixing design. This is a type of fixing which is circular and is tightened and/or loosened using a special tool that engages pins into matching holes on the front surface of the fitting
Ultimately we decided to use the pin-drive fixing design. The deciding factor was the "simplicity" of the look - each fixing could be a single machined component incorporating a flange as part of the design. The design also echoed the design of the splashback mountings in terms of sizing, material and surface finish BUT was different enough to reflect the different purposes.
 |
| Scratch CAD again. The 7mm drill is used when setting the tool center offset later |
The album of photos for this post has our traditional "warts 'n' all" photos of the entire process so we'll just call out some key things/thoughts/decisions...
Machining time, time machining
Size was important or rather scale was important. We chose 32mm diameter stock which would define the final flange diameter with the pin-drive part of the fixing reduced down to 24mm. The transition from the flange diameter to the internal diameter was made with a standard 45 degree chamfering toolThe rear of the fixing which was threaded to accept the M6 studding was reduced to 12mm in diameter and 10mm length which would allow enough us enough depth for a sensible amount of thread but also allow us to hold the fixing "blank" in a collet to allow us to machine the front of the fixing
 |
| 8 pin-drive fixings half-way through the machining process |
The drive tool was made from some 30mm A/F aluminium hexagon stock. We bored out a recess to match the inner diameter of the fixing and added a matching chamfer which provide "auto-centering" of the tool on the fixing
The rear of the tool was reduced to 20mm to allow it to be held in an ER32 20mm collet which was essential as we'd needed to hold it securely under a drill-press to create the pin drive mounting holes
The actual drive pins were 24mm long dowel pins (a dowel pin in this case is a very accurately machined and hardened steel pin). We took some time to decide on both the size of the pins and their spacing ultimately choosing to use 14mm diameter circle
 |
| Choices, choices - dowel pin pick 'n' mix |
The end result was a lot of swarf, a small bag of fittings and a sizable chunk of two days of workshop time let alone the time taken in the bokoshoko collective conscious CAD. We'll be using these fittings very soon and they'll feature in a soon to be published article.
 |
| 8 pin-drive fixings and the drive tool |
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| Exploded view! drive tool to the left, pin-drive fixing to the right |
Note: Your eyes do not deceive you; in those photos where you see some rough drawings it does say Star Wars in the corner. This is what happens when every scrap of paper has disappeared from the workshop and you ask an elve to pick up some blank paper whilst buying a sandwich. At least they didn't choose the "My Little Pony" alternative
