Calling Joel to the construction site....

[Beekissed]

Got a question for you that I hope you can answer. I want to put wheels on my coop and need a metal sleeve of some kind to place in the hole I drill into the wood base so I can put my bolt through. I don't want my bolt threads to wear on the wood and I'd like to distribute the weight more evenly between the tires. This sleeve need only be approx. 4 in. long.

Where would I find something like that and what would it be called? Or will I have to just cut a piece of pipe to serve this need?

 

[Joel_BC]

Got a question for you that I hope you can answer. I want to put wheels on my coop and need a metal sleeve of some kind to place in the hole I drill into the wood base so I can put my bolt through. I don't want my bolt threads to wear on the wood and I'd like to distribute the weight more evenly between the tires. This sleeve need only be approx. 4 in. long.

Where would I find something like that and what would it be called? Or will I have to just cut a piece of pipe to serve this need?

Before I read your last line, I was thinking 'if she just needs to move this once in a while (like once a week or so), best easy solution would be steel pipe'. You'd already thought of pipe. This would be cheaper than finding & buying bearings.

What's the diameter of the wheel's axle (the bolt)? Let's say it's 1/2 inch. Then I'd try to get some steel pipe that was about 5/8 inch inside diameter.

Pipe is going to be thicker-walled than steel tubing, which would be desirable. I might want to put a bit of grease in there (into the space between the bolt). It might catch dirt in the grease, but that shouldn't matter with any coop that will be moved only every week or month or something like that.

Do you have friends at metal-scrap yards or junk yards? Tell them you want steel pipe with a certain diameter and a fairly thick wall.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't...but Dad may have something up in his junk pile...though it was pretty well stripped by metal hunters awhile ago. I'll think of something, though. And thanks for the grease reminder, THAT I have and can do.