Kinda spire nut to go over ply?

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

zak99

Established Member
Joined
10 Apr 2009
Messages
81
Reaction score
6
Is there a captive nut for a ply edge please. existing holes are too close to the edge for the screw in or spiked tap in type.


I’m imagining something like the ones that go over sheet steel.

It’s for something in a camper that once fitted is difficult to access the rear. The best idea I have so far is epoxy m6 nuts on the back 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Rivnuts are brilliant to fix into metal, used them in my camper build last year after a recommendation on here. Not sure if they would rip through ply though.
To fix ply to metal you could use trifold rivets if there's not much load.
 
Is it going to be removed often.?
Good quality ply with enough thickness and you may find tapping the thread into it sufficient.
Maybe wick in some superglue and set it for more durability?
Cheers, Andy
 

How do you prevent them turning? When you install a rivnut into metal, you compress it so it grips the sheet into which it is installed.

Rivnuts have a minimum edge distance in metal. That minimum would not be reduced in wood. The OP stated that there is not space for traditional threaded inserts used in wood.

---

To the OP.

Could you confirm that it is M6 you need. Could you tell us the edge distance you have available (i.e. edge of plywood to centre of screw).

I wonder if an option might be a long barrel nut inserted from the side and cut off anything that projects.

Another option might be an M6 Unistrut nut epoxied into place with the excess cut off. This would give more bearing than the plain nut in the OP.

The ones used for sheet steel are called 'spire nuts' for the self-tapping variety and 'chimney nuts' for the metric female threaded version. The largest available (thread size increases with maximum thickness) might go over 1/4" plywood, nothing thicker. They also have a minimum edge distance.
 
Hi Zak, not sure what exactly the problem is but would this method of fastening to the edge of sheet materials do?
Ian
0713F711-AAB4-4ED2-83C1-16846E6E74A2.jpeg
 
"Spire nuts" are the ones that are slid onto the edge of sheet metal. There are 'captive nuts' that are used on aircraft which are a plate with 2 holes for for bolting, riveting, or screwing to the frame, and a threaded central nut that is used to bolt on the cover.
 
It's just occurred to me: I worked for Ford for years, and as well as model specific Parts books and fiches, there was a "Hardware Book" that listed all the nuts, bolts, screws, trim clips, brackets, washers etc., that were common across the Company's products. I'm sure that they will still have some sort of reference for these parts, and I can remember that there were a lot of the type of thing that you first mentioned, so it might be a solution to go to a Ford dealer. HTH!
 
Had I looked and found it I would have posted it...

Please could you clarify. Did you look and not find it? Or did you not look at all?

If the fastener is not in the book despite your looking, might that not reduce the 'cracking' of the book and disincline someone to purchase it?

If you did not look, please could you do so as success would enhance the 'cracking' and reinforce your endorsement.
 
Rivnuts are brilliant to fix into metal, used them in my camper build last year after a recommendation on here. Not sure if they would rip through ply though.
To fix ply to metal you could use trifold rivets if there's not much load.
Rivnuts might work. I would try inserting them with some epoxy glue, rather than using the setting tool. If you insert them so the shoulder is at the back of the panel I can't see why they wouldn't work. They come in various lengths, so just choose a size that suits the thickness of the ply.
 
Last edited:
Please could you clarify. Did you look and not find it? Or did you not look at all?

If the fastener is not in the book despite your looking, might that not reduce the 'cracking' of the book and disincline someone to purchase it?

If you did not look, please could you do so as success would enhance the 'cracking' and reinforce your endorsement.
Wow, did someone get out of bed on the wrong side this morning?
 
Please could you clarify. Did you look and not find it? Or did you not look at all?

If the fastener is not in the book despite your looking, might that not reduce the 'cracking' of the book and disincline someone to purchase it?

If you did not look, please could you do so as success would enhance the 'cracking' and reinforce your endorsement.
No.
 
Hi All,

It’s to fix an an old electrical control unit in a ply hole in my Vw camper. I ordered some rivnuts, I may have said m6 in original post (?) but m5 better size. It’s to go in plywood very (too) close to the edge. One rivnut worked, the next bust out. Realised the person that cut the hole in my camper in 1986 cut it too big ! So have epoxied a thin strip of ply on the edges by the holes, the unit will still fit. In hindsight reading the comments I could have glued one of the kind of nuts in at the same time but didn’t. At least will have a little more thickness at edge of hole on next attempt.

Which nut to use 🤔 now

Rivnuts which I have in M5 or one of these I’d need to order

Either way I’m glad to learn of Rivnuts and grateful for all the advice

👍
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2619.jpeg
    IMG_2619.jpeg
    2.4 MB · Views: 0
Back
Top