"Rabbit ear" wing nuts for battery posts: odd, but it works
The wing nuts on my battery posts are kind of tedious - they don't spin well, so it takes too long to connect and disconnect the batteries, especially in cold or wet weather, since my batteries are mounted on the tongue of my trailer. (This little project is probably not worth the effort if you rarely disconnect your batteries.)
So, I tried an experiment, and it worked! Using my drill press, I drilled 1/8 inch holes in the "wings." I then cut two 1 inch by 1/2 inch pieces of thin steel for the "ears." (Yes, the steel will eventually rust - I don't care. It's just camping, not a beauty contest.)
I then drilled matching holes in those two small pieces of steel. I used a simple "pop rivet" tool to join the extensions to the wings. I pounded down both sides of the rivets on an anvil and then used a flat file to smooth off the rough edges and to shape the "rabbit ears."
When I threaded the wing nut onto the battery post, the "ears" meant that I could flick the wing nut with a finger, and it would spin onto the post. The length of the "ears" provides a little more leverage, and the weight of the "ears" provides a little more momentum.
Note that the ears are not quite vertical -- I wanted to make sure that they did not interfere with the threaded battery post. And note that they are not horizontal -- otherwise, they would have come too close to the main battery terminals.
Here is a "before and after" photo - again, not pretty, but it works:
Click For Full-Size Image.
So, I tried an experiment, and it worked! Using my drill press, I drilled 1/8 inch holes in the "wings." I then cut two 1 inch by 1/2 inch pieces of thin steel for the "ears." (Yes, the steel will eventually rust - I don't care. It's just camping, not a beauty contest.)
I then drilled matching holes in those two small pieces of steel. I used a simple "pop rivet" tool to join the extensions to the wings. I pounded down both sides of the rivets on an anvil and then used a flat file to smooth off the rough edges and to shape the "rabbit ears."
When I threaded the wing nut onto the battery post, the "ears" meant that I could flick the wing nut with a finger, and it would spin onto the post. The length of the "ears" provides a little more leverage, and the weight of the "ears" provides a little more momentum.
Note that the ears are not quite vertical -- I wanted to make sure that they did not interfere with the threaded battery post. And note that they are not horizontal -- otherwise, they would have come too close to the main battery terminals.
Here is a "before and after" photo - again, not pretty, but it works:
Click For Full-Size Image.
