T-slot nuts

[Eric Mims]

I got a few feet of Shop Fox brand t-slot today for a jig I'm making. I am having a very hard time finding a nut that will fit in the channel. I need a nut (square, rectangular, whatever) and not a bolt..I know the bolt heads fit but that won't work for me. Standard 1/4-20 jam nuts from the Borg fit but I'm afraid they'll spin, and regular 1/4-20's are too thick.

the t-track is 3/4" wide x 11/32" thick. Inside channel is a hair under 1/2" x 3/16".

[Doug Shepard]

What about these?
http://www.woodpeck.com/rectangularnut.html#591

[Ron Blaise]

used on toilets, they might fit and just about everybody carries them.

[Al Killian]

If you are going to go with a nut, you might have to go with metric. Got to a auto store the have different thickness nuts. You might have to tak it to the grind if is to thick.

[Joe Chritz]

What about just drilling and tapping some mild steel?

Then you can make it any size you want.

Joe

[glenn bradley]

Doug's got it. Woodcraft and others carry them as weel.

[Eric Mims]

I think what Doug linked will work great for my need. I'll check out the toilet nuts also. I have a unique situation where I have wooden stops that will be tightened down but can't be too thick and can't have a bolt or handle sticking up as another fixture will go ontop of the jig.. confusing.. :)

[Ben Grunow]

Whoa, holster that credit card. Take whatever nuts you have that fit the bolts to the sanding station and mow em down to fit. Just remember to hold them with locking pliers as they will be HOT.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Ben

[Larry Rasmussen]

Or in your neighborhood they may be in some spinning display modules. That's what it was up here until they re did the hardware section. Same style set up as the Borg now in the mechanics tool drawers but better labeled and a wider variety of stuff including the square nuts that work so well with tracks.
Larry

[Eric Mims]

Well, I tried the square nuts at Lowes, but I'd have to grind them down, and at $1+ for a 4 pack, it's not worth the trouble over the price of 10@$3.20 of the special rectangular nuts.

I think tomorrow I'll drill and tap some nuts made from oak to make sure the jig will work as I hope it will. :)

[Rob Will]

It is a posibility that some of the machine shop supply houses have t-slot nuts that will work. Try ENCO and J&L Industrial Supply.

Rob

[Curt Harms]

Here's a couple possiblities:

http://www.rockler.com/search_results.cfm?CatExpand=Jigs%2C%20JIG%20IT%27 s%20and%20T%2DTracks&OrigCatPath=All+Products%2F%2F%2F%2FUserSearch%3Dt +track&fp=All+Products%2F%2F%2F%2FUserSearch%3Dt+track&filter=t%20tracj


http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=52399&cat=1,43455,52799

I wonder when that sharpen-6-chisels-at-once jig that Lee Valley had on their web site yesterday is gonna be available:confused:



:rolleyes:

:D

Perhaps the answer is date related

Curt

[Ron Hedrick]

Eric, I have used these "Special Nuts", they work quite well. You can find them at this website, http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11305

[Eric Mims]

Well, for a quick fix I stopped by the Bolt and Screw manuf./supplier downtown. . They didn't have the rectangular but they had some 1/4-20 square nuts that work great. He was just going to give me 20 for free since they usually sell thousands at a time, but I picked up some
hex set screws and some threadlock for another project.

Thanks again for all the leads, I may end up ordering some to have on hand.

[James Carmichael]

Before Kreg bought them, FastTrack used to sell t-bar stock that fit their T-track. I bought a 4' bar to cut, drill and tap when I need a t-nut.

[Jim Heffner]

Eric, contact Klingspor woodworking shop stores...they sell the Shop Fox brand of t-track, nuts, bolts and other accessories as well. I ran into this same situation a couple of weeks ago, went over there and got some of the things I needed as well, including some of the Shop Fox t-track.
And by the way, the Incra t-track bolts won't work with the Shop Fox track, I already tried it.... hope this helps....Jim

[JayStPeter]

I usually buy Incra or Woodpeck track specifically because they accept standard 1/4" nuts/bolts. Many other brands do also. I won't buy any track that doesn't anymore. The more t-track based jigs/fixtures you make, the more things you have to slide on them. Standardize what you use and buy lots of spare stuff that fits for the future. Otherwise, you'll always be hassling with it.