Improving Drilling Accuracy after Center Punching

**mklotz** · Jan 31, 2018, 08:52 AM

The Amazon description for those nuts says...

7/16" wide by about 1" long

so, obviously, they won't work in 9/16" wide T-slots.

Another thing to consider... Real T-nuts are not threaded all the way through. This is to make it impossible for the stud to emerge from the bottom of the nut, touch the bottom of the slot, and begin jacking the T-nut up against the bottom of the ledges. If this happens and enough force is applied the T-slot can be broken. If you ever get T-nuts that are fully threaded, use a chisel to damage the bottom threads so a stud can not pass all the way through.

If real T-nuts are too pricey for you, try buying some carriage bolts with a head diameter greater than 9/16" and grinding them to fit into the T-slots.

**Douglas Rome** · Jan 31, 2018, 10:06 AM

These Amazon things will work in a pinch, I just have to take more care installing them.
The real slot nuts are not expensive, it’s the shipping price that I take exception to.
Thanks. Douglas

**jjr2001** · Jan 31, 2018, 10:18 AM

Excellent points to all. One thing to remember with the thin flat "nuts" like Marv pointed out is the risk of
putting pressure from the base of the table to the top of the T-slot and breaking it out.

Back to the shop.

Cheers, JR

**mklotz** · Jan 31, 2018, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by Douglas Rome

These Amazon things will work in a pinch, I just have to take more care installing them.
The real slot nuts are not expensive, it’s the shipping price that I take exception to.

Have you searched Amazon for T-nuts? For example...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SWGFB4/ref=biss_dp_t_asn

Many of their offerings have free shipping on orders of $25 or more. Given the scope of Amazon products, putting a $25 order together should be easy.

Aside: Many of the one-star reviews on the T-nuts complain that the threads do not go all the way through the nut. I can't understand why people buying such a specialty item wouldn't understand that they're supposed to be that way.