Most of the nuts came out with minimal force, but the last one just spins in place. I tried rubber gloves, painter’s tape, and duct tape to get a better grip. I’d rather not cut a slot in the domed nut if there’s another good strategy.
The rest of the restoration underway:



There’s no glue or epoxy on earth I’m aware of that will hold on metal well enough to handle the force of unscrewing a bolt.
You might solder nuts to either side, that might hold and be reversible.
The suggestions of drilling it out also won’t work well, if it’s already spinning in place, it will spin faster.
I know you don’t want to, but cutting a slot is your best bet. If you do it clean, it’ll just look like a screw. You could replace with a rivet if you really need a non-screw look for the finish
Also, I get it’s a restoration project, which are fun and wholesome, but Fuck push saws.
Pull saws are where it is at! Easier to keep on target, less work, and you can’t crease the blade on a cut and ruin the whole fucking saw
Though, I’ve never seen a pull saw you can play with a bow
I have the opposite experience with pull saws.
It might just be that I was trained on western style saws in shop class, I’ve used them my whole life, and I bought my first Ryoba from Lowe’s on impulse this summer. But I just can’t get the damn thing to behave.
I also can’t find any good videos on how to use them, particularly for ripping. More than once I’ve ruined a workpiece because the blade was tracking straight on one side and went sidewards on the far side.
Like, do you have any tips? Because if not I think I’m just gonna cut the handle and teeth off and reuse the plate as a card scraper.
Also: Jury’s out on backsaws, I haven’t tried a dozuki, but I’m not convinced ryobas aren’t a scam.
Sounds like you just need more practice.
I hold a thumb up against the middle of the blade when starting a cut, to keep it straight.
If you’re not dead on target, they cut curves, in the opposite direction of force. If that makes sense. It’s pretty fucking amazing for getting shit to fit right, once you’ve got the hang of it.
But for straight cuts, just make sure it’s angled correctly. Don’t put sideways forces on it. Your muscle memory is built for push saws, and holding a pull saw works differently
Yeah I’m probably going to stick to push saws. The way I’m looking at it, you know how some people like water stones, some oil stones, some diamond plates, some slow grinders for sharpening chisels? You’ll find fans of each saying they tried the others and didn’t get good results? Well I think they’re all right. They did get bad results from one type and good results out of the other. They’re all viable methods of sharpening tools, and it comes down to what works best for the craftsman in question.
Similarly, I don’t think pull saws are for me. I still haven’t tried a Dozuki, I’m willing to give that a try, but…especially when ripping, the ergonomics of a Ryoba are wrong. I can’t get an angle where my arms work and you’re not pulling against the grain.
Hold the tip as well as the grip, and take your time. Brace it against a flat piece like you’re planing it and use that as a guide.
Stick to Western saws. Got it.
This reply is the closest thing to good advice in this thread.
The only thing that’s going to get that out without cutting a slot is a tack weld. Which will likely burn the wood. Just cut a slot. You can find another aged carriage bolt to replace it.