Material for tee nuts

[Gazz292]

I want to make some tee nuts for my rotary table, and a few extra ones for the mill table whilst i'm at it,
What would be a good metal to get for making them out of? i only have HSS end mills and have never really had to think about metal types before,
I've got a fair bit of EN1A and EN3B i think, but round bars and i dont fancy turning a round into a square bar for this, so will just buy a meter maybe of ~12mm square bar.

Also, should i try hardening / heat treating them once made, i want to get a mapp gas torch sometime as trying to heat steel to bend with a plumbing torch is not fun, so i could hopefully also use it to try hardening things.

 

[brightspark]

cheap enough to buy ready made

 

[cheb]

I'm planning on making some soon, I was going to use whatever I have in the steel stock bin.

I could buy some, but where's the fun in that?

 

[pressbrake1]

With small tee slots I make tee bolts for longevity.
I make the tee nut then screw in a countersunk higher tensile bolt from underneath.
I’ve done this on boring heads and small rotary tables

 

[8ob]

I made some in mild steel many years ago and they have lasted , studs must have well over ten threads engaged in the"tee`s" so do the tee`s need hardening

Bob

 

[brightspark]

I'm planning on making some soon, I was going to use whatever I have in the steel stock bin.

I could buy some, but where's the fun in that?

I made some in mild steel many years ago and they have lasted , studs must have well over ten threads engaged in the"tee`s" so do they need hardening

Bob

only if your using them day in day out

 

[Barking Mat]

I found them in various sizes on Arc Euro Trade I think, 3 quid a pair, not ordered yet, but on the endless list of milling bits to procure.

 

[Kram]

All that Ive bought needed to be filed/machined to fit... They are quite rough machined from rdg/china. Amazon had some at a silly price
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Y8LZWLV/

I would be wanting a high tensile or a carbon steel grade rather than mild.
Key steel is probably the cheapest, decent grades are not common in square.

 

[Gazz292]

i did buy some 'ready made' ones for my rotary table, and i really don't want to use them as they are crap, keeping the clamps from the set but the tee nuts are very loose and very thin, and the type that arent even Tee shaped... a square with a short round bit protruding from the top, probably get 4 maybe 5 threads in them before the stud is out the bottom (tapped right through and nothing done to prevent the stud hitting the bottom of the slot etc).

so i'd rather make some up that fit the slots nicely... i've read not to make them too 'nice' a fit.

 

[My Old Landy]

I made mine out of mild steel

 

[Barking Mat]

All that Ive bought needed to be filed/machined to fit... They are quite rough machined from rdg/china. Amazon had some at a silly price
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Y8LZWLV/

I would be wanting a high tensile or a carbon steel grade rather than mild.
Key steel is probably the cheapest, decent grades are not common in square.

Where does it say the T slot size ? Or am I daft?

Thanks.

 

[cheb]

I think that's the M8/10 bit. M8 is the thread size, 10 refers to the slot size in mm.

Added. They couldn't even be bothered finding some good looking ones for the promo picture. They look to have the level of finish that even I would consider rough.

 

[Kram]

If they are the same as these ones Ive already got, M8, 15mm wide, 9.5mm and 9.5mm deep, 19.5 long. I ordered some so will find out tomorrow.

 

[Barking Mat]

So for an inch T slot at the bottom anyone? Thanks...

 

[Agroshield]

So for an inch T slot at the bottom anyone? Thanks...

See:

T-nut dimensions - The Home Shop Machinist & Machinist's Workshop Magazine's BBS

 

[rory1]

I’ve made a batch out of round, no need to mill them fully square. Il take a picture tommorow. Speaks a thousand words

 

[My Old Landy]

My mild steel ones in action. I have not had one break unlike the hardened cheapies from China I got in a milling fixing kit.

 

[Agroshield]

...and the type that aren't even Tee shaped... a square with a short round bit protruding from the top...

That is usually the style supplied with a RT. If you look, the Tee slots on the table are blind, with a semi-circular end near the table's centre. A traditional size and shape of T-nut limits how close you can clamp to the centre of the table. For a RT, a T-nut with a semi-circular end, to suit the blind slot and a non-central tapping can help.

 

[Gazz292]

ahh, never thought of that

 

[mtt.tr]

given that sets with clamps can be had for £50 unless i need something special i just buy sets