Help finding suitable small rod/attachment for sculptures on a plinth base.

[davedoublem]

I had someone make some wood plinth bases for small gypsum sculptures I intend to sell. I wasn't sure how I was going to attach my sculpture until these were received and I feel the only suitable method that offers a reasonable hold based on the design of the plinth is using some kind of small attachment that is screwed into the top of the plinth that the sculpture will then sit over via a drilled hole within the base of sculpture and filled with strong adhesive.

The plinth is only approx 18mm thick and I don't want to drill all the way through. I also cannot drill upwards through the base of plinth so whatever I use needs to be attached to the top of plinth.


Ideally the width of rod or alternative attachment would be say 10-15mm. Are there any small metal attachments that can be easily. screwed into wood that could work for this purpose and that could be purchased easily online or from a local DIY centre?

 

[ChaiLatte]

See:

https://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/insert-nuts/cat7280108
They will go in from the top, into a blind hole.

If the shortest (13mm) is too long, you can reduce its length.

You would need some short lengths of threaded rod to go into them and project upwards onto which you can impale your sculpture.

There is a high chance of error trying to screw those inserts freehand into a hole. Using a cut-off allen key in a drilling machine (turned by hand) ensures they go in square.

Screw the rod into the insert and then glue the sculpture to it. If you glue the rod into the sculpture first, there is a good chance that when you screw it onto the base, it will be facing the wrong direction when the screw goes tight (unless the base is circular and then it is direction-agnostic).

Edit: you might need to 'spot face' or very lightly countersink the top of the hole to ensure the insert is level with the top surface of the base.

Second edit: a brad point drill bit might be best for the hole. File or grind the point smaller if it goes in too deep and starts to show on the bottom surface.

 

[Richard_C]

If you don't ever need it to come off, just buy some steel bar or threaded bar, cut to length with a hacksaw, glue into hole in plinth with 10 min epoxy then glue the sculpture on. Toolstation do 10mm and 12mm threaded bar for (if i recall) about £4 per meter. If you need it to come off, the inserts suggeted above will be fine.

 

[ChaiLatte]

...glue into hole in plinth with 10 min epoxy then glue the sculpture on.

Whichever one you do first, you would need to be extremely careful with the volume of glue for the one you do second. Too much and it will splurge out and make a mess; too little and the joint will not be secure. The correct volume of glue is also dependent on the accuracy with which you can control the depth of the hole.

 

[davedoublem]

If you don't ever need it to come off, just buy some steel bar or threaded bar, cut to length with a hacksaw, glue into hole in plinth with 10 min epoxy then glue the sculpture on. Toolstation do 10mm and 12mm threaded bar for (if i recall) about £4 per meter. If you need it to come off, the inserts suggeted above will be fine.

thanks, this is probably the most simple to do since i don't want the sculpture to come off. Would an M10 threaded bar be a sufficient width?

thanks to those that have replied in this thread, its very much appreciated.

 

[paulrbarnard]

thanks, this is probably the most simple to do since i don't want the sculpture to come off. Would an M10 threaded bar be a sufficient width?

thanks to those that have replied in this thread, its very much appreciated.

10mm will be plenty strong. Also easier to drill a hole for.

 

[Richard_C]

I suppose it depends on scale and what the OP means by small. 10mm is more than enough for a gallery piece, Hepworth divided circles, 3m + high bronze, in a windy courtyard maybe not so good

 

[davedoublem]

Sorry to come back to this thread but I've been having issues using epoxy glue to hold the threaded bar in place. I'll give it another go but wondered if there is anything close to a dowel screw or hanger bolt where there is say a 20mm screw one end that I can drive into the wooden plinth and the opposite end is a threaded bar of say 50mm (8mm diameter). This would make things a fair bit quicker and easier for me. I could then glue the threaded end into a larger hole drilled under the sculpture.

I can only seem to find dowel screws of equal length ie 20mm screw one end and 20mm threaded bar opposite end and I'd like it to go deeper into the sculpture. If anyone had any other ideas of something simple I could buy it would be appreciated.

 

[Jacob]

Some overthinking going on here?
Can't you cast the sculpture with a say 15mm wooden dowel in the base, which you then pop into a 15mm hole in the plinth, with a blob of glue?
A photo would help.

 

[davedoublem]

Some overthinking going on here?
Can't you cast the sculpture with a say 15mm wooden dowel in the base, which you then pop into a 15mm hole in the plinth, with a blob of glue?
A photo would help.

Unfortunately the mould used doesn't allow me to insert a dowel or similar into the base. This specific mould doesn't have the base of sculpture facing upwards to allow me to do this. This is my first time attaching a plinth to a sculpture.

 

[Jacob]

Unfortunately the mould used doesn't allow me to insert a dowel or similar into the base. This specific mould doesn't have the base of sculpture facing upwards to allow me to do this. This is my first time attaching a plinth to a sculpture.

Photo might help? Sounds a very simple problem.

 

[Phill05]

Sorry to come back to this thread but I've been having issues using epoxy glue to hold the threaded bar in place. I'll give it another go but wondered if there is anything close to a dowel screw or hanger bolt where there is say a 20mm screw one end that I can drive into the wooden plinth and the opposite end is a threaded bar of say 50mm (8mm diameter). This would make things a fair bit quicker and easier for me. I could then glue the threaded end into a larger hole drilled under the sculpture.

I can only seem to find dowel screws of equal length ie 20mm screw one end and 20mm threaded bar opposite end and I'd like it to go deeper into the sculpture. If anyone had any other ideas of something simple I could buy it would be appreciated.

Have a look here all different sizes:

 

[davedoublem]

Photo might help? Sounds a very simple problem.

I have/am probably over complicating things since I'm new fo using plinths with my sculptures and attempting to get something that is fairly easy for me to use as I have lots of these to produce.

As mentioned previously, the sculpture will sit flush onto the plinth so the threaded rod/dowel won't be seen but I've only got approx 15mm depth within the plinth to place a threaded rod into. Maybe I've used the wrong type of resin adhesive to hold the rod so will try another. Could milliput be strong enough to fill the hole in the plinth and then insert a rod, since I've got plenty of this stuff?