Description
Removing old mechanical wedge or sleeve bolts with the intention of patching or re-using the original hole is gaining in popularity as developers try to reduce the impact of their re-bolting work.
Extracting old bolts presents two principle issues however:
- All current methods adapt existing tools or fabricate entirely new ones so requiring access to a reasonably well-equipped workshop and experience with metalworking.
- Not all cordless power drills have sufficient torque to spin old bolts in-situ.
Machining metal parts or the 'do it yourself' fabrication of 'ball screws' is often beyond the capability of climbers who are unfamiliar with metalworking or simply lack a workshop (or access to one).
Through our experience we have also found that many power drills used by climbers lack sufficient torque to spin wedge bolts thereby rendering extraction methods based on 'ball screws' incapable of 'pulling' out old fixings.
Modifying parts requires professional milling and machining to ensure exacting tolerances are met and that all components can sustain the high loads they are subjected to.
While an expensive and heavier tool, our preference is to adapt a Greenlee hydraulic punch driver for the simple reason that it is readily available and has more than sufficient capacity (70kN) to extract old bolts without the need to spin them first. We sell the adaptors ready to go and while spinning tools are included, we normally only spin wedge bolts if due to metal corrosion, there is a possibility the shaft may snap under tension.
- Eliminates the need to spin wedge bolts.
- Faster extraction process - typical wedge bolt extraction in a minute.
- Battery energy used for spinning can now be used for drilling instead.
- 70kN of available force can overcome typical certified bolts in use.
- Driver can be easily adapted to extract displacement style fixings that other methods lack sufficient force to accomplish.
Application
We provide professionally machined adaptors to suit Greenlee drivers for:
- Wedge bolts
- Sleeve bolts
- Displacement bolts involving threaded sleeves
- Metric or imperial diameters consistent with those used for rock climbing
Specification
Complete extraction kit includes:
- Greenlee hydraulic punch press driver (1 pce)
- SDS Plus adaptor (1 pce)
- Hex shanks to couple expansion bolt to SDS Plus adaptor (2 pcs each of 10mm and 12mm supplied)
- Modified draw studs to couple driver to expansion bolt (5 pcs each of 10mm and 12mm supplied)
- Spacer group (3 different length spacers - short / medium / long)
- Spacer short (2 pce)
- Carry case