Threaded Reinstallation

[dinosaurs]

I'm refurbishing an old road bike and had taken everything apart to paint. I followed the "How To Overhaul a Threaded Headset" tutorial for headset removal without issue, and now that I'm putting it back together, the bolt to tighten the handlebar stem refuses to do just that - tighten. Is there a certain way I should be inserting the wedge and stem? Is there a certain distance the wedge should be up the bolt? Even if the stem is fully inserted into the head tube (which is not its original position), I turn the bolt and it just continues to spin.

I've included pictures of the stem and wedge, hoping that will help. This is the first time I've done this, so it's entirely possible I'm missing something obvious.

Thanks!

[cyclerUK]

The "wedge" at the bottom should be the other way up.

When tightening the bolt the wedge slides across the other half and grips the inside of the steerer tube.

See:-
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html

[dinosaurs]

I knew it had to be something simple (and embarrassing) - thanks so much! I've already got it back together.

[Bill]

Don't feel left out been there done that

[cyclerUK]

I like simple answers.
How do you get "smileys" in your posts?

[Joe_W]

e.g. : ) (without the space) results in
also: there is no need to be embarrassed, we all (well at least I and obviously Bill) have installed (or tried to install) stuff the wrong way. That is why we know some things: learning through mistakes. You are here so that you don't have to make those yourself...