I purchased the rivnuts on ebay, specfically from a seller who stated 8.0mm drill hole, rather than everyone else's 8.9. The rivnuts turned up. 8.6mm OD.
The samples that Tappex offered to send must have gotten lost somwhere along the way... Im not sure about spending £8 (probably +vat) per unit anyhow (as i mentioned) so, unless they were amazing (which they might have been, but ill never know!) im not sure how viable they were.
No AC tig here. Unfortunately. (i sold my DC after 'winning' an AC on ebay - that never came to anything - hence no TIG at all)
Ill check out the worth units, and the wood inserts. I had a bit of a look at the wood ones before, but the idea fell by the wayside for some reason.
There has been some interest in the boxes. If i can keep the cost down, they would sell in small numbers. If i just charge a reasonable cost, then i think they will sell occasionally. Im mostly looking at them as a vehicle to sell engraved panels on, rather than an earner in themselves, but they still need to pay their way
Wurth big sert's whilst VERY good are expensive so forget them
how about jacknuts @ 22p or cavity nuts they are cheap and will spread wide to fill and adapt their shape to the hole?, I have used them with washers in doors etc when window winder motors have ripped the threads and some of the surrounding metal out, they seem to do the job.
I spotted them before, but the issue will, i think, be that, as ill be gluing them in, rather than riveting them, the 'open' body will allow fouling of the threads by the adhesive.
I might end up going the rivnut route, but just having to shave the extrusion. Or just stick with the studding, but i would rather the ends were independent, and then i would be able to use more sensible visible fasteners.
I rekon the rivnuts would go in with a press without bother - but its not a tool i have here.