Started Working on Replacement U-Bolt, Back Door Strategies at Matthew's

I need to replace the U-bolt that goes around the gas pipe for droid #2. I apparently managed to strip the threads quite some time ago on one of the legs. Furthermore, one of the legs needs to be cut down to avoid interfering with some of the nuts on the back of the electronics panel that help secure mounting screws on the other side.



I have an extra U-bolt, so I started hacking it down to size. Even without the electronics panel, the bolt needs to be cut down to accommodate a socket wrench.



The top also needs to be filed to more easily get the nut on.



I also started hacking notches on the "U" portion, which helps with friction around the gas pipe. I ran out of time before I got very far.



Next, it was off to Matthew Henrick's, where he is re-reoofing his house himself!



I'm considering using magnets to mount the back door on droid #2, so I wanted to check out Matthew's setup, which is based on Frank Cerney's. Matthew attached a wooden rib to the inside of the back panel, toward the bottom. On the underside of the rib is a steel pin and a screw on each side.



This attaches on the frame to a matching hole for the pin, and a rare earth magnet for the screw head.



Likewise, there is another rare earth magnet that magnetically attracts a steel washer that is attached near the top of the door on each side.



Matthew reports he's had no trouble with this setup.

I see the pros and cons of this approach versus using screws, which I use for droid #1.

With screws, you never have to worry about the door falling off, or possibly some curious kid (or adult) pulling the door off unexpectedly.

On the other hand, with screws, you had better have a screwdriver handy if the door needs to be removed, and it does not come off quickly. There are times I've needed to take the door off droid #1 for a quick autograph or some maintenance job on short notice.

Since droid #1 will probably be the droid that goes out in public the most, and because I can always try the screw method later, I am likely to try the magnet approach first with droid #2, and see how it goes.