Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

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cb4ever104
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by cb4ever104 »

Regarding the "stainless steel self tapping thread insert nut " that I posted above . I'm thinking that these could maybe be inserted and then secured from the inside with an additional nut to hold them in place . Just me thinking out loud ....
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by The Collector »

An additional nut won't stop one of those stainless fixings from turning. It'd unscrew out of the nut. You'd still have to use some threadlock to glue it in place or it may undo if the screw is tight to take out. Threadlock is cheap. I think I got my blue stuff from Aldi or Lidl lol. The "red" stuff would be a more permanent solution (excuse the deliberate pun), as it's usually stronger than the blue stuff.
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by cb4ever104 »

The Collector wrote: 30 Mar 2022, 17:36 An additional nut won't stop one of those stainless fixings from turning.
Maybe Dave . I was just thinking out loud . Still hard to believe that you can't buy the original rivet things somewhere .
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by The Collector »

cb4ever104 wrote: 01 Apr 2022, 10:26
The Collector wrote: 30 Mar 2022, 17:36 An additional nut won't stop one of those stainless fixings from turning.
Maybe Dave . I was just thinking out loud . Still hard to believe that you can't buy the original rivet things somewhere .

What COULD be a possiblity is that someone might be able to produce some of these things with a 3d printer, but they'd have to form the thread somehow during or after the process. The walls would be quite thin so they may not be durable, or even possible because of this?

You could just have a small hole in the middle - rather than a threaded shaft - and you'd replace the round-headed M3 machine bolts for self-tappers of a similar ilk.
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by cb4ever104 »

Funny. We've been using these things above for years in the Comms racks in work. In principle they might work , but you'd need to start cutting square holes in the chassis to get them to fit. And given the size of the hole (small) , that might be a tough task.
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by Mattylad »

What you are trying to replace are called PEMnuts (Self Clinching Nut), they are inserted using a press, not something that you can usually do at home.
Although a vice, some washers and a big lever can sometimes work.

The nearest alternative are Rivnuts like the ebay link shows and FWIW I'd suggest getting the linked tool.

I have that one but do not have the M5 Mandrel which to me is the most common size I use.
Rivnuts can sometimes be fitted without a tool, you use a hex head bolt/washer and tighten with a spanner but it's a right beach to do so the tool is much better. (this cannot be done with the stainless steel ones).

A bit of advice using it - wear safety gloves, if you squeeze too hard you strip the thread and squash your fingers.
Squeeze too little and it will spin round when using it.

The rear has a splayed body, the front has a little lip so not completely flush like the PEMnut.

Cage nuts need a square hole and are usually a lot larger than what your trying to do.
Can you tap the existing hole a larger size?
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by The Collector »

Mattylad - the "things" that we're on about (pictured below from inside too) are easily replaced and it took literally 2 seconds to gently squeeze them together a millimetre with pliers enough to pop them out of the chassis that I was sent and they pushed into my own chassis with my thumb. Being aluminium, you have to be gentle with them as they're only about a millimetre thick where the threaded part meets the ring. They stick out about 2mm on the outside. They meet the casings nicely then.

The ones that are pressed into the chassis sides are another matter. They'd be more fun to getnout, but they shouldn't suffer the same issue being made of brass or steel...the thread shouldn't get stripped as easily.
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by The Collector »

Claude, those would work in some situations where the square holes could be opened up to accept them and the holes could be "punched" in a little, but I think they'd be too thick as they are and the casings would struggle to fit over them without them possibly changing the angle and distorting the casings slightly.

Something that's a straight swap for the original little aluminium rawlplugs would be ideal.
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by cb4ever104 »

There's probably a million of them in a box somewhere in a desolate Uniden factory in Taiwan 😅
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by The Collector »

cb4ever104 wrote: 02 Apr 2022, 17:43 There's probably a million of them in a box somewhere in a desolate Uniden factory in Taiwan 😅
I'll email that Romanian guy and tell him to keep an eye out.. ;)
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by dcwuk »

Have look on Amazon for Rivet nut inserts or well nuts there are kits with various sizes of insert. I think the tool to fit them is expensive though if for only one job. The cheapest kit I have seen with a quick search is around £42 for the tool and a variety of inserts.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RHSXN3M? ... 6b34b&th=1
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I'm commenting on an internet forum, why should your facts sway my opinion?
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by The Collector »

dcwuk wrote: 09 Apr 2022, 17:47 Have look on Amazon for Rivet nut inserts or well nuts there are kits with various sizes of insert. I think the tool to fit them is expensive though if for only one job. The cheapest kit I have seen with a quick search is around £42 for the tool and a variety of inserts.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RHSXN3M? ... 6b34b&th=1
We've mentioned rivnuts a few times above, with cheap ebay kits being from £13 upwards, but would really like to source a direct replacement, rather than having to drill out the chassis and buy a kit of some description. It'd also keep its originality that way.

These original little aluminium plugs probably cost 5p each back in the day for Uniden/Dynascan...annoying that we can't seem to find something identical.
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by cb4ever104 »

The Collector wrote: 09 Apr 2022, 19:38 These original little aluminium plugs probably cost 5p each back in the day for Uniden/Dynascan.
Back in 77 you would probably have gotten a 100 for 5p 😀
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Handle "Fortune Hunter" back in "the day"
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Re: Radio chassis screw female rivet / rivnut thingies???

Post by The Collector »

I'll stick them on my list of "Things to go back and get" when I invent time travel ;)
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