Oh yeah that’s right, the re500 can hold an f350 while the 801 only a landcruiser. Sorry to hijack your thread Gareth. All the glues I mentioned are on the safercliffs website and are commonly used. Damp conditions? What, when you are placing the bolt or after the glue’s gone off? They’re using Sikaflex in Tassie! The glue holds the bolt to the wall and creates a barrier. If it’s a good bolt and placed in a well prepared hole, even a basic poly resin glue can be adequate to hold the sideways pull of a falling climber, or a small cummins, especially in granite, for many years. Obviously with improvements in adhesion products, there are a lot of different types available and of course the “better” alternatives are often quite expensive.
Yes it is easy to twist out some bolts! Belt it with a gympie and twist it out with vicegrips or a bar. A falling climber would never create these forces on a bolt.
Epoxy acrylate capsules which include an aggregate, if placed correctly with a machine bolt, are very strong, hard to remove and efficient. They also have the least amount of waste produced, no nozzles, no tube and nothing left except the small cardboard box.
Some of the bolts I have replaced at moses rocks are this type. Along with a 3/8 x 3in 316gr machine bolt, which is etched and notched on the shank above the thread until half an inch below the head, and tapered at the tip so it keys into the glue.
There are a lot of good options by hilti, ramset and others as far as glue goes.
Having replaced quite a few types of bolts in different rock including glue-ins, expansions and carrots (bashed and glued), it’s amazing to see what forces need to be applied to pull/break old bolts.. Replacing fixed protection requires a lot of thought and preparation, and money. The re-bolting I do is nearly totally self-funded with small donations from locals or the eastern states.
Neil I do have some 316gr fixe eyebolts that would go well with the hilti re500 on shaved cat if they are worthy of replacing. If what you say is correct, then the bolts on HM are 25 years old and are fh’s, think theyr’e expansions which aren’t ideal and on one of the classics probably qualify for re-bolting?. Have also looked at some of the lower-offs at wallcliffe on routes such as the sting and the hired gun which the bolts (gimb’s) still look quite ok although the rusted shackles could be replaced. Atleast there are no bees on these lines.
I would be keen to hear of any others that are noticeably average and worthy of a closer look in the south west.
P.S By the way, this couldn’t be the Neil who placed some bash-ins on the west face of Gib rock or used (apparently) sub-par glue at the northerth end of wily’s on a few routes?! I’ve climbed the lines mentioned and after what I’ve learned from replacing bolts, I have since realised how safe I was.