Theft deterrence - ball bearing in Allen head bolt
09-10-23, 06:06 PM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicago area
Posts: 2,551
Bikes: Airborne "Carpe Diem", Motobecane "Mirage", Trek 6000, Strida 2, Dahon "Helios XL", Dahon "Mu XL", Tern "Verge S11i"
Mentioned: 23 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 980 Post(s)
Liked 582 Times
in
399 Posts
)Use acetone with adequate ventilation!
09-11-23, 06:03 AM
#27
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,627
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1670 Post(s)
Liked 1,825 Times
in
1,062 Posts
One thing to keep in mind when "foolproofing" your bike is that you don't want to get carried away and screw yourself. Whatever you do has to be easily circumvented or you'll be facing a very difficult repair one day.
https://www.bicyclebolts.com/collect...security-bolts
09-11-23, 06:50 AM
#28
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,682
Bikes: too many sparkly Italians, some sweet Americans and a couple interesting Japanese
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 569 Post(s)
Liked 584 Times
in
410 Posts
+1 for TCS, we use the Penta Security Skewers with great success and easy flat repair if you need, at $8 they are a real bargain. Also have a couple with Ti skewers that work just as well.
09-11-23, 07:34 AM
#29
Generally bewildered
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Eastern PA, USA
Posts: 3,037
Bikes: 2014 Trek Domane 6.9, 1999 LeMond Zurich, 1978 Schwinn Superior
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1152 Post(s)
Liked 341 Times
in
251 Posts
No, not epoxy.
Clean the bearing and the allen head with some acetone and allow to dry. Put a single drop of Super Glue gel or other brand of cyanoacrylate adhesive in the hole and push the bearing into place and hold for 15-30 seconds being careful not to glue your finger to the bolt. It will be an absolute PITA to try to get the bearing out of the hole even with a knife tip or similar tool. When it comes time to remove the bearing, put a few drops of acetone into the hole around the bearing and wait a minute, then lift the ball out with a magnet or pry it out with a knife tip or other pointed implement.
Clean the bearing and the allen head with some acetone and allow to dry. Put a single drop of Super Glue gel or other brand of cyanoacrylate adhesive in the hole and push the bearing into place and hold for 15-30 seconds being careful not to glue your finger to the bolt. It will be an absolute PITA to try to get the bearing out of the hole even with a knife tip or similar tool. When it comes time to remove the bearing, put a few drops of acetone into the hole around the bearing and wait a minute, then lift the ball out with a magnet or pry it out with a knife tip or other pointed implement.
Steel (not stainless - check to ensure that its magnetic, which is why you don't want aluminum in the hole). Small amount of CA glue. Hold it down using a piece of parchment or wax paper (to avoid a bike-shaped wart attached to your finger). Then exactly as GravelMN says. A drop of acetone (which can be obtaines as fingernail polish remover - check ingredients). Let the acetone sit for a few minutes, then use a strong magnet to lift the ball out. Carefull, as acetone will likely dissove bike finishes.
Epoxy is what is known as a thermoset polymer. When it cures, it forms a network of bonds - like 3D net. This makes it impossilble to truly dissolve. And certainly anything that can soften epoxy, you don't want near your bike.
09-11-23, 02:41 PM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,725
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Mentioned: 140 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5793 Post(s)
Liked 2,584 Times
in
1,432 Posts
The ball in the hex trick works fine with recessed stem bolts, not so well if the bolt protrudes where you can grab the OD.
However, DO NOT USE ANY ADHESIVE. Even if melted or softened, there will still be some tackiness which will make the ball harder to remove.
Instead, melt wax into the hex to keep the ball home. To remove, invert the bike and melt the wax with a cigarette lighter or heat gun, and the ball will fall out.
However, DO NOT USE ANY ADHESIVE. Even if melted or softened, there will still be some tackiness which will make the ball harder to remove.
Instead, melt wax into the hex to keep the ball home. To remove, invert the bike and melt the wax with a cigarette lighter or heat gun, and the ball will fall out.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
09-12-23, 05:51 AM
#32
Generally bewildered
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Eastern PA, USA
Posts: 3,037
Bikes: 2014 Trek Domane 6.9, 1999 LeMond Zurich, 1978 Schwinn Superior
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1152 Post(s)
Liked 341 Times
in
251 Posts
I think that you’re correct, but if you have a cf bike, epoxy is what’s holding your frame together. 100° C Is pretty hot, so if I was going the thermal route I’d use wax as suggested above. For my time and effort, CA glue is easier to apply and with a drop of acetone, easier to remove. But you may live in a tough neighborhood - I think epoxy might be more secure.
Last edited by WizardOfBoz; 09-12-23 at 02:42 PM.
Likes For WizardOfBoz:
09-12-23, 07:19 AM
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 16,880
Bikes: 1980 Masi, 1984 Mondonico, 1984 Trek 610, 1980 Woodrup Giro, 2005 Mondonico Futura Leggera ELOS, 1967 PX10E, 1971 Peugeot UO-8
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1858 Post(s)
Liked 664 Times
in
506 Posts
If you were going to place a ball bearing in an Allen head bolt for theft deterrence, would you secure it with superglue, solder, or do something entirely different? This would be in a quill stem expander bolt, for example. Assume you might want to remove it yearly or less often, for maintenance.
Last edited by Road Fan; 09-12-23 at 07:24 AM.
09-12-23, 08:14 AM
#34
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,627
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1670 Post(s)
Liked 1,825 Times
in
1,062 Posts
The idea of the emplaced ball bearing is to block the hex key from gaining purchase.
Likes For tcs:
09-12-23, 05:17 PM
#35
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,627
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1670 Post(s)
Liked 1,825 Times
in
1,062 Posts
My commuter bike uses a mix of penta pin and security torx fasteners. Any fastener that sticks out has a tapered or button head.
Theft proof? Ha! Theft resistant.
09-12-23, 06:46 PM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,725
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Mentioned: 140 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5793 Post(s)
Liked 2,584 Times
in
1,432 Posts
Since this thread is about using a ball to make conventional cap screws theft resistant, your reference to one's designed for resistance isn't relevant.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
