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I have no clue what to call it, but the bolt that tightens the tripod on my Hercules stand can't be gripped by my fingers anymore. The plastic grip over the bolt is disintegrated.

Is it possible to find a replacement? If so, where can I look, and if not, what might be a good replacement from the local hardware store?

Edit: This is for the display stand, not the performance stand.

So it turns out Hercules was super easy to deal with, and they'll be sending me a few replacement parts to try, since it's an older model and they aren't sure which will fit.

I like Hercules products, all the ones I’ve got and have had have all worked just as they should have.

For someone with a similar problem get hold of a bolt of the correct thread form plus a plain nut and a wing nut. Cut the bolt head off and dress the now exposed surface to remove burrs and to give a finished surface. Add the plain nut onto the end of the bolt and then the wing nut, lock the two together (hold the lower plain nut and tighten the wing nut onto it). You now have what can be used as a thumb screw.

Hope that that helps someone.

I found a replacement/improvement for the adjustment screw on my Baltimore Brass stand at a local Ace Hardware store. You might take your old bolt to a hardware store to see if they have something similar.

Plastic grips molded over bolts have a limited life, no matter how high the quality of plastic. It’s probably a good idea to put some grease on their threads, and (when tightening) to support whatever type of stand in such a way that (when the it is time to loosen the bolt) it’s not under some secondary type of pressure.

bloke wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 7:23 am Plastic grips molded over bolts have a limited life, no matter how high the quality of plastic. It’s probably a good idea to put some grease on their threads, and (when tightening) to support whatever type of stand in such a way that (when the it is time to loosen the bolt) it’s not under some secondary type of pressure.

Oh, this is a great idea. I'll have to try that.

I've had this stand for years, and it never was a problem because it basically sits at home. I did a gig at Epcot a few weeks ago on the promenade, and was doing an upright/tuba double. I didn't want the horn on the concrete, so I took the stand, but the plastic grip was further crumbling while trying to tighten/loosen it. It's probably dry rotted. Figured it was time to get that replacement.