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Author Topic: T Nuts  (Read 34362 times)

Offline Darren

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T Nuts
« on: May 16, 2009, 08:06:34 PM »
Seeing all the superb projects on the go around here of late I'm almost embarrassed to post this  :ddb:

I'm in need of some T nuts for my mill, I didn't get very far tonight cos I've been doing other more taxing things. So I fancied winding down in the workshop doing something simple......well, that's my excuse.

Nothing much to show, I took a rough bar of unknown steel that Ralph kindly donated and ran the fly cutter over it a few times.
Nothing fancy, but the practice was good.
I started with small cuts and took it easy, as you can see I took a fair bit off the width. 0.05mm with each pass got tedious, even with power feed.
I ended up taking 0.5mm per pass at full wiper setting  :)

It seemed pretty fast going to me, but the machine didn't complain at all even if it was a bit noisy.

Made a right mess of the workshop though this fly cutting, must make some sort of screen up.



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bogstandard

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2009, 12:28:10 AM »
Darren,

While you are feeling like doing some, make up a few extras (say 4 or 5) of each size of t-nut you will use in your shop (mill table, topslide, toolpost, RT, faceplate etc), make a few different lengths as well, but don't drill and tap them.

Then if you need to quickly mount up something in the future, it is just a matter of drilling and tapping a blank to get the job fixed down. Sometimes you will find that you need to make the holes off centre, so blanks really come in handy at a time like that.

John
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2009, 01:36:45 AM »
Darren as John said T nuts are something you can't have enough of,

Don't forget to burr the back of the thread over so the bolt won't pass through or you could damage your T slots in your mill  :bang:

 :beer:
Stew
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2009, 03:38:02 AM »
Well done Darren!

T nuts..... Hmmmmm......  ::)

I`ve just received 4 tiny ones for me new r/ table.  :thumbup:

At £1 each, I couldn`t stir meself to go into a cold workshop to make some...... Sorry! (Blush)....

David D
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bogstandard

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2009, 04:05:14 AM »
David,

That is what I normally do, buy them in. But sometimes the size you want are just not available and you have to resign yourself, as Darren has done, to make a few yourself.

Over the years, t-nuts seem to have been attracted to me, and I can usually just pick one out of a rummage box, but sometimes you have to go ahead and DIY.

Some people just make lengths of t-nut stock, and cut a bit off as and when required. In fact many years ago, you could buy it like that, but I haven't seen any in a long time.

Just get out in that cold shop and knock up a few thousand t-nuts, that'll soon warm you up.

John
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Offline Darren

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2009, 07:06:03 AM »
John, will do  :thumbup:

David, I could have bought some, but I wanted to practice fly cutting as I've hardly done any yet and I'm not wasting material just to do that. So some T nuts it is then  :)

Stew, I don't know much about these things, but I could weld some studs in at the bottom end? Or am I better off just having a selection of different lengths of studs?

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Offline sbwhart

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2009, 07:07:47 AM »
Just wack the back end of the tapped hole to burr the thread over to stop the stud comming through.

Stew
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Offline Darren

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2009, 07:18:53 AM »
Will do, ta  :thumbup:
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2009, 07:23:11 AM »
Her's a pic you can see how I've burred the back up with the one on the right.



Stew
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Offline websterz

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2009, 08:23:54 AM »
Quote from: sbwhart on May 17, 2009, 07:23:11 AM
Her's a pic you can see how I've burred the back up with the one on the right.



Stew

I used to think you were crazy...now I see your nuts.  :lol:
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Offline kvom

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2009, 09:14:50 AM »
Not sure why you are using a flycutter; seems an endmill would be more efficient in sizing the bar.
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Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2009, 09:42:05 AM »
Quote from: kvom on May 17, 2009, 09:14:50 AM
Not sure why you are using a flycutter; seems an endmill would be more efficient in sizing the bar.

For the practice I believe he said earlier.

Eric
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Offline Darren

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2009, 09:44:21 AM »
Yes I agree, but I've done next to no flycutting and just wanted to practice to get a feel for it.

I will be using a milling cutter for the next bit  :thumbup:

I daresay, I could use a flycutter or the shaper, but I'm not going to give myself "that" much of a hard time  :lol:
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #13 on: May 17, 2009, 12:08:58 PM »
Quote from: websterz on May 17, 2009, 08:23:54 AM

I used to think you were crazy...now I see your nuts.  :lol:

Fruit and Nuts   :lol:

Stew
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bogstandard

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #14 on: May 17, 2009, 01:06:54 PM »
Quote
I've done next to no flycutting and just wanted to practice to get a feel for it.

Way to go Darren :clap:

Practice makes perfect.

Bogs
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Offline rleete

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #15 on: May 18, 2009, 12:22:05 PM »
Quote from: bogstandard on May 17, 2009, 01:06:54 PM
Practice makes perfect.

Absolutely.  I can make scrap in half the time I used to!
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Offline Darren

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #16 on: May 18, 2009, 03:18:03 PM »
In the quest to flog a dead horse,


I have 3 machines with similar, but not quite the same size T-slot.

If I made the t-nuts to fit the smallest, they would prob still work in the other machines, albeit a little loose.
Or should I be making them in different sizes to fit each? I dunno....

As long as they don't turn that's all that's required init?  :scratch:

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Offline sbwhart

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #17 on: May 18, 2009, 03:28:59 PM »
Quote from: Darren on May 18, 2009, 03:18:03 PM
If I made the t-nuts to fit the smallest, they would prob still work in the other machines, albeit a little loose.
Or should I be making them in different sizes to fit each? I dunno....

As long as they don't turn that's all that's required init?  :scratch:


Depend on how much grunt you give them, the slacker ones wouldn't take as much, and you may damage the edge of T slots in the machine as the load wouldn't be spread over as much surface.

Stew
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bogstandard

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #18 on: May 18, 2009, 04:59:42 PM »
Actually Darren, your t-nuts should be a nice slide fit in the slot, with no wobbling side to side. It is when they are offset slightly that unequal pressures are put onto the slot edges, and then the slots are liable to fail. It is the same if you use hex nuts under the slots.

999 times out of a thousand, it will be OK.

It is totally up to you if you feel lucky or not. Well do you, punk!!!?    That was my Dirty Harry text. ::)



Bogs
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Offline CrewCab

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #19 on: May 18, 2009, 05:01:20 PM »
For the amount of work required to mill the individual size bars I'd be tempted to make em' a good fit for each machine

again just my 2c worth  :med:

CC
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Offline Darren

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #20 on: May 18, 2009, 06:25:52 PM »
Thanks guys,

Been in the workshop tonight and I just couldn't bring myself to "make do" so I have been making them to fit properly.

I come and read all these good replies and now feel a whole lot better for my efforts  :D :D :D


Indecently, seeing that I have four instances of similar sized slots but really not the same at all, how does one go about buying them in the proper sizes  :scratch:
« Last Edit: May 18, 2009, 06:58:00 PM by Darren »
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Offline CrewCab

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #21 on: May 18, 2009, 06:35:04 PM »
Quote from: Darren on May 18, 2009, 06:25:52 PM
how does one go about buying them in the proper sizes  :scratch:

One doesn't ............. that's why God invented the milling machine  ::)

CC
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Offline Darren

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #22 on: May 18, 2009, 06:40:52 PM »
Quote from: CrewCab on May 18, 2009, 06:35:04 PM


One doesn't ............. that's why God invented the milling machine  ::)



David D does  :poke:

Lazy git... :lol:

Seriously, I looked at the adverts, 8mm 12mm whatever, but thought, that just isn't enough info to know if they will fit....

That's why I'm making some.... :nrocks:
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Offline Darren

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #23 on: May 18, 2009, 07:27:13 PM »
Four previously grubby steel bars machined to size




Just two bars later and I'm so glad I've fitted a power drive to my mill  :)
I'd have given up by now.....

Look Ralph, no hands, they're holding the camera  :ddb: :ddb: :ddb:



Dead good this motor thingymibod doo da..... :nrocks:



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Offline sbwhart

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Re: T Nuts
« Reply #24 on: May 19, 2009, 01:07:42 AM »
Way to go Darren  :thumbup:

Nice finish you're getting

Stew
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