SET SCREW JOINTING

One main advantage to using setscrews is the strength and tightness of the joint. Metal screws give you the ability to tighten or loosen the joints without weakening the joint (as would happen with a cotter pin joint). Another advantage is that, you only need to have access to one end of the joint in order to tighten or loosen them. Putting a tap bolt in the head means having to leave an extra seam open to access the head of the bolt to tighten it. You could use a cotter pin, but you would lose the strength. Similarly, if your bearπs joints loosen with age, you need only to open the back of your bear and tighten all joints at once and not worry about weakening your bear at the same time.

Set screws come in two thicknesses. For small to medium bears, use 1/8 inch thickness set screws to fit our discs with 1/8 inch inner diameter. For medium to large bears, use 1/4 inch thickness set screws to fit our discs with 1/4 inch inner diameter.

The 1/8 inch thick set screws come in 3 different lengths. This allows you to accommodate for different bear sizes, fur thicknesses, and jointing methods. Many artists use shorter ones in the arms & legs and a longer one in the head to accommodate for the extra fabric when gathering the head closed.

Set Screw Jointing Instructions:

Push the shorter side of an allen key into the hole in the set screw. Hand screw a lock nut to the other end of the screw. Holding the allen key in one hand, tighten the lock nut with a wrench held in your other hand. Fasten it far enough that it can't be undone by hand.

Place a disc and a washer onto the set screw and insert the entire set screw assembly into the arm, leg or head that you are jointing and push the end of the screw out through the joint hole. See pattern instructions for more specific details.

Now push the end of the set screw in through the appropriate joint hole in the body. Reaching through the opening in the back of the body, add a disc and a washer onto the end of the set screw.

Hand screw the 2nd lock nut onto the set screw. To tighten it use your allen key and wrench as shown in the second diagram. You should be able to move the joint but not easily.

Fixing Loose Joints

If you find that the setscrew will not get any tighter yet the joint is still loose, chances are you have some pile hair caught in the threads of the screw. Undo the screw, clear out the fur from the threads and re-tighten. To help prevent this from happening, trim the fur away from the joint hole before jointing.

If you find that a joint is looser than expected after stuffing and closing, you can open up the body back, unstuff the body, tighten any of the 5 joints, re-stuff and close the bear back up without having to open any other parts.