I like RivNuts. If one's smithy be a shack, a shed, or a pallet glom, a rivnut and some unistrut for mee's the bom.

How do they stay in, Friction? How strong are they?

I know that "pretty darn strong" is not a real answer, but I will have to trace back the specs.

As for how they stay in:  See the corrugation on the non-installed nut? That mushrooms out when you draw the nut, as pictured.

Those wrenches, greasy nuts, & greasy washers, stand in for a $260.00 nut drawing tool. The GREASY part is VERY important.

Robert Taylor

Another sample:

They use them on simi tractor frames...

I have used them to relocate the cross member on a 84 Jeep XY to shoe horn a 700R4 in it. They come in a couple of 3 grades, in steel and aluminum. 

They are excellent until they spin with the bolt in them. 

27 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

They are excellent until they spin with the bolt in them. 

Is there something superior that I can look at? My current application is not a spin risk.

Ah, another specialty tool to look into - A Spunnut Extraction Tool, only $29.95!

They use them on cars. The good ones in metal parts are usually good. Cheaper ones not so good. And I pull my hair out when the put them in plastic parts. 

The ones you show look like the good ones as long as you squash them good and they are a snug fit to begin with so those splines do their job. If it isn't coming apart I don't think there would be an issue as long as you start the bolts in proper. 

Your method of installation is my preferred method. I don't like the fancy tool. 

I have a couple of installing devices for them. One is essentially a bolt with a roller bearing. The other is slightly more complicated but much quicker and easier. The expensive one was only 40 or 50 pounds.

Provided the preparation is good...you have a sharp drill which produces the right size hole and you take off any burrs... I have not managed to get one to spin yet. You could always put a star in the hole edge with a cold chisel if you were making something up which was going to get weathered and need to be dismantled regularly...most of the time I have used them in Box section which protects the threads...and if I was going to be undoing the bolt often I would use a bit of Copper Slip on the threads when assembling.

I suppose you could always melt the edges in with a Tig...if you were really worried about the turning risk.

Alan

 

 

This hole is reamed and the nut is driven in. By the time I installed #5, I am sure glad I turned my nose up at the 'official' install tool - I'm not on the clock, and this is a 12-off job. There will be no spin here. As long as it's drawn fully down in a good hole, we are phat and happy.

The low grade ones do suck, and getting the wrong guage sucks as well, right guage, good quality, they are the bomb. 

If you file a little notch or 2 in the hole prior to installing it will crimp into the notch and help prevent the spinning nutsert. 

Now all of this talk is making me itch to stipple, notch, dimple, knurl, section, and polish some test pieces.

But that's a lot of meat and taters to cough up, so no date of completion is offered.

 

Those are cool.  I had never seen a Rivnut before.  Thanks for posting.  You showed setting the nut in a open piece of steel (angle iron, maybe) with a bolt and backup nut on the backside.  How do you expand and set it in square tubing like you had pictured?  I have one of those metal carports with the square tubing posts and the rivnuts would be perfect for hanging stuff.

Arkie, I woke up dreaming this morning about eliminating one of the unwieldy stop wrenches from my design. I will post the upgrade here today, barring any unforseen eventualities.

In order to give you maximum satisfaction, I want to know what size machine screw you have in mind, plus the gauge and dimensions of your square tubing.  

Smaller gauge RivNuts install like pop rivets .

You COULD get a complete kit from Horrible Fate,  but you might end up with Daswulf's frowniface.

Shown in this thread are 1/2-13 overkill nutserts, but they come in virtually any size, imperial and metric. Below is the link to my Candy Store:

  http://www.ababaqa.com/

Robert Taylor

Robert,

I would most likely use 1/4" or 3/8" machine screws (or bolts).  The tubing is 12 ga, 2 1/4" square galv. tubing.  Length probably no more than 1" to 1 1/2".

I hit your website sig and now I know how you are so well versed on the Rivnuts! 

OK, that dream I dreamed was a good one, less is definitely more:

Here it is stripped of all the bells & whistles:

 

The angle isolates the RivNut from rotating. Next you can see how well the high grade ones dig in:

 

Here's the cheap HF set - aluminum and up to 1/4-20:

Here is the 3/8-16 from Ababa with $28 install tool:

And finally here are the not cheap 1/2-13 RivNuts. Someone else bought the cheap ones and made The Vulf mad:

One can hang quite a bit from a 1/4-20, or a 3/8-16, know your specs, have fun & be safe.

Robert

I sure do like having two swivel vises on the table.

Anachronist.

Thanks for the heads up concerning rivet nuts. I was not aware of their existence until now. I checked out the Ababa site you posted but did not see them. Not surprising as I often miss elephants in haystacks. Also, there did not seem to be a search function on the site. (passing strange). your comments/suggestions would be appreciated on this subject.

Wait a minute, maybe you might know of some other vendor that sells quality rivet nuts.

Thanks,

SLAG.

OK SLAG, let's try this:

http://fasteners.sherex.com/item/nd-rivet-nuts-american-style-rivet-nuts-cal-series/cal-series-steel-inches-/cal2-5013-200

I pulled the stock # from the bag pictured above, and this is the OEM. Please let me know if this site has the functionality you desire.

Ababa's site is only one layer deep, as I too discovered. They are a local full service commercial/industrial supplier - a pleasure to walk in and do business with.

If you hit any snags, give me a shout, 'cause I LIKE RIVNUTS.

Robert Taylor

Mr. Taylor,

Thank you for your prompt and informative reply. It is appreciated.

Ababa is a little far off as I am presently dwelling in St. Louis, Mo.

I shall try your reference, first thing in the morning.

Adios.

SLAG.

Yep I got that part figgered out. I spent six weeks in Missouri, Fort Leonard Wood, back in 1976.

Good night.

These are definitely 'go to  products ' but I've started using 'flowdrill' type product and that works like a dream.

Flowdrill has a nice website - check it out.

So Ian, where is the video, where are the pics?

Robert

Here is another OEM with extensive information:

http://www.rivnut.com/?mobile=no