Making captive screws with just "woodworking' tools

Just use correct sized E clips on the exposed threaded end. JR Dweller in the cellar

Norm Dresner wrote:

Thread the captive hole , file the threads off your bolt for the length that stays in that piece .

This way is good, downside is if the bolt must be short, and therefore the part with the threads removed is short, there is not room to thread the bolt all the way out of what it is threaded into without it binding in the 'captivating threads' or just threading out of the outer piece all together (if the piece getting bolted down can't move back as soon as the bolt is loosened).

Dave

When you do that they may want to jack up whatever they are attached to when you screw the first ones. If the captivating device isn't smooth it will gouge the wood.

I've had decent results using low-profile nylon-insert lock nuts to captivate screws, as long as they don't catch and unscrew.

Jim Wilkins

The OP's description of capturing it with wire wouldn't allow backing out, so Terry's approach would likely be OK. I like it.

Bob

They do make bolt retainers, I get them from the local Ace. Up to

1/2" bolt size. They're simply a thin stamped spring washer with 4 internal fingers that engage the threads, they can be pressed over the bolt. If they're going to be sandwiched between parts, you may want to bore a thin recess on the underside of one part with a Forstner bit so the parts mate properly. One use is on my lawnmower, I used them to hold the carriage bolts in place that the various chutes and guards fasten to, then I use wing nuts, too. Makes swapping over to the bagger about a 2 minute operation with no tools needed.

Stan

They do make bolt retainers, I get them from the local Ace. Up to

1/2" bolt size. They're simply a thin stamped spring washer with 4 internal fingers that engage the threads, they can be pressed over the bolt. If they're going to be sandwiched between parts, you may want to bore a thin recess on the underside of one part with a Forstner bit so the parts mate properly. One use is on my lawnmower, I used them to hold the carriage bolts in place that the various chutes and guards fasten to, then I use wing nuts, too. Makes swapping over to the bagger about a 2 minute operation with no tools needed.

Stan

turn some of the upper thread of your bolt off - thread on a nut and let it go to the unthreaded part - put the bolt in place and tighten to force nut into wood - add a little CA glue to hold it there - Poof - instant captive bolt, and it's easy to remove if you need to

Some applications where the part doesn't mate closely with the part it's being secured to, an O-ring on the threads will keep the screw/bolt held in place.

If the part has a clearance hole, an O-ring slipped onto the bolt threads will prevent the bolt from separating from the part.

One place I use O-rings is on hold-down clamp bolts for the mill table. The clamp bar isn't bolted down tightly to the mill table, instead, it's suspended over the mill table by the height of the parts being held to the table, so an O-ring keeps the bolt in the clamp bar(s) for immediate use.

Assortments of a hundred or more of cheap O-rings can be bought for a few (up to maybe five) dollars, at most.

If the bolted part does mate tightly up against another part, a chamfer or countersink at the top of the bolt hole is very likely to be enough clearance so as to not destroy the O-ring each time the part is secured.