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We've got a pair of gates on the drive, one of which has a drop bolt into the drive.
Because of the slope of the drive, the hole for the bolt gets bunged up really easily with muck washed into it. I need to find something that'll keep it unbunged. I'm thinking some kind of slightly raised or slightly domed foot that goes around the hole that'll stop stuff washing into it, but that isn't going to wreck a passing car tyre. Thing is, I don't really know what I'm searching for other than 'bolt hole foot thing', any clues?
Go for the equivalent of a golf hole - a sunken plastic container you can just lift out and empty?
Possibly easier to do than keep muck out.
Try a column of sponge. Without the bolt the sponge rises up to level preventing much in the hole. Push the bolt in and the sponge gets squidged.
Depends on diameter of hole and sqidginess of sponge of course
Can you not just draw a ring of silicon round them to create a raised ring?
Spring with a rubber washer the diameter of the hole glued to the top of it?
Bleach it first, so you can get a proper look at it
Find a bit of steel conduit or pipe with an internal diameter large enough to take the bolt.
Drill a hole in the ground large enough to take the external diameter of the pipe and sink the pipe in but leave it 5-10mm longer than the hole so it sits proud of the ground to stop the crap gathering but is too short to be compressed if the car runs over it.
Give it a periodic clean out with a screwdriver and a squirt with silicone spray now and again.
You need an easy-clean bolt socket
https://www.e-hardware.co.uk/easy-clean-socket-60mm.html
They are designed for doors but I don't see why they shouldn't be used for gates, as long as the size is sufficient and there is a solid surface to screw to.
They are very easy to keep clean - simply wipe out any dirt with a cloth.
but that isn’t going to wreck a passing car tyre.
Unless your gates are very different sizes they will meet in the middle with alomst zero chance of ever seeing a car tyre.
[i]with alomst zero chance of ever seeing a car tyre.[/i]
That is Robin Reliant-ist!
Unless your gates are very different sizes
They are: one eight foot-ish one, one three foot-ish one
Easy clean for gates -
https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/monkey-tail-16mm-bolt-socket-easy-clean-cast-iron-363829
An essential device for those of us with gravel drives. Also allows for the expansion and contraction of our wooden 5 bar gates.
They are: one eight foot-ish one, one three foot-ish one
😫
If you've got an eight-foot gate, do you need the other one open at all?
Try a column of sponge. Without the bolt the sponge rises up to level preventing much in the hole. Push the bolt in and the sponge gets squidged.
That's genius. I've a similar issue with the hole for a rotary clothes airer.
If you’ve got an eight-foot gate, do you need the other one open at all?
Yep, cos of the angle of the drive and where the cars are parked. And that's a great STW answer BTW 🙂
Cheers all, some decent ideas.
Put something in it to keep it full and then nothing will get washed in.
If you are worried about misplacing the hole filler, fix it to a handy rotating device that can be swung out of the way when access is needed to your driveway, and it'll always be to hand and there to simply lower in and retract out as needed.
I see what you did there...
buy a 300mm long auger bit the same diameter of the hole, and clear it out once in a while?