Rivet nuts are collapsible shells with internal threads used to place structural threads in thin materials. Specialized tools are required to set them properly. Drill bits are needed to create the hole for installation, and variable speed drill motors are useful for harder materials. Rivet nut tools consist of a threaded mandrel and two handles, and the correct material thickness is required for a strong connection. Improper use of tools can lead to weak connections.
A rivet nut has a collapsible shell with internal threads that allow an installer to place structural threads in thin materials without reaching into the material to thread a nut onto the end of a fastener. Specialized tools are required to set a rivet nut into a material and provide a strong connection in the thin material. Some of the tools are designed to provide the hole for installation and others are designed to compress the outer shell of the nut to hold it in place in the material. Incorrect use of tools will allow the installed rivet nut to spin in the mounting hole or pull from the thin material. Either situation results in a weak connection that will require the installer to install another rivet nut.
Drill bits are the first tool needed to install a rivet nut into the base material. Rivet nut size indicates the size of drill bit needed to drill a hole in the material. Because rivet nuts operate within tight tolerances, an exactly sized hole is required to ensure the rivet nut does not loosen after installation. Each rivet nut comes with the required hole diameter to ensure a tight installation, and the drill bit size cannot be substituted. A drill motor holds and rotates the drill bit during the drilling process.
Variable speed drill motors allow an installer to change the rotational speed of the drill bit, which is a valuable asset when drilling harder materials that harden as you drill. Work hardening will cause the end of the drill bit to darken, glow, and finally melt before it has a chance to drill through the base material. When the hardened area cools, the installer will have difficulty inserting a rivet nut into the drilled hole. Once you have drilled the correct size hole in the material, you need another specialized tool to drive the nut into the base material.
Rivet nut tools consist of a threaded mandrel attached to two handles. Above the handles is a head that has an adjustment that allows the installer to adjust the amount of pull the tool exerts. The correct material thickness is required to ensure that the collapsed portion of the nut remains gripped into the material. Improper use of a rivet nut tool will cause the threaded mandrel to snap out and mar the threads that are within the collapsed portion of the nut body.
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