screw eye required

[evad0582]

I am looking for a small screw-in eye, such as used in the ends of flexible net curtain wire, but with a longer-than-usual thread.
The application is to attach bells into the end-grain of a 20mm dia. wooden stick. I have searched the internet but found nothing siutable. The eye diameter should be ~5mm and the screw length >12mm. Anyone any ideas.

 

[NazNomad]

Anything suitable here?

http://www.tecni-cable.co.uk/Products/S ... Eyes-Hooks

 

[Eric The Viking]

Longer-than-usual thread is hard. Longer than usual shank is a 'vine eye' (as you might think, for viticulture). But they're only available in larger sizes, I think.

That said, you can achieve a good fixing into end grain by drilling across your stick close to the end and glueing a matching-diameter dowel into it. Then screw into the end, making a pilot hole first (pilot hole down through the dowel, then a clearance hole as far as the surface of the dowel). I've done this often when I want to screw something into the end grain, and it works very well and makes a strong fastening. I have the security light at the back of the house up on a wooden pole, screwed into the top that way: although it gets the force of the weather it shows no sign of coming loose. I've also done that with broom handles to get a screw into the end securely.

That said, the sizes you specify are rather small. The principle is sound though, so it's probably worth experimenting.
Obviously you want round dowel, rather than the fluted sort intended for glueing into blind holes.

Not quite what you asked, but might help.

E.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Drill a slightly oversized hole and epoxy a normal hook in it.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Drill a slightly oversized hole and epoxy a normal hook in it.

That's a lot faster than my method... but I needed mine to be removable too, hence the effort expended.