T nut in the edge of plywood?

[LinuxRandal]

Has anyone ever used those T nuts with the fingers, in the edges of plywood? Would they be ok, or would I be better off with something like those things used in all that particle board furniture (my fathers suggestion)?


Thanks

Trying to make something removable, if it were real wood, I'd just consider taping it.

[RodKirby]

A T-nut will just fall off. How about this?



Look at: http://www.woodhaven.com/detail.aspx?ID=371

After you drill the hole, clamp support pieces either side before you tap it in, otherwise you will probably split the plywood.

[LinuxRandal]

A T-nut will just fall off. How about this?



Look at: http://www.woodhaven.com/detail.aspx?ID=371

After you drill the hole, clamp support pieces either side before you tap it in, otherwise you will probably split the plywood.

Thanks! Those are similar to the T nuts I was looking at (at least it's SOLD as a T nut). It's a pain when there are too many names for one item.

The ones I was looking at are item #90975A025 on McMaster Carr's site.

[Tom Slick]

I've used the exact tee nut you are talking about and they work well in plywood but I haven't used them in the edge of plywood.

[Stytooner]

T nuts will generally have a t shape when looked at in profile. The picture above is what I call threaded inserts. You can get flanged inserts that do look like a T, but still called inserts. These are also available with many different gription styles, shapes and sizes for different materials.
Standard pronged tnuts are designed for flat surface mounting. Inserts can be used in the edge or flat surfaces. There are also barrel inserts that are installed into a hole close to an edge for butt jointing another sheet to it. You typically see these in knock down furniture.
It is all a little confusing. While some inserts and tnuts can be used for the same type applications, theres usually at least one type that was made for the job you are doing. Standard tnuts are probably stronger than inserts in a flat surface. Barrel inserts are probably the strongest on edges. Threaded inserts are a little more versatile that the other types and really seem to reduce the common fiddle factor associated with the other two types. Press them in and forget them. They won't easily pop back out when installed correctly.

[JR]

A cross dowel is similar to the hardware suggested by your father. It would take the worry about the edge of the plywood holding. The connector bolt shown in the pic can be used whether you use a threaded insert or cross dowel.

[Tequila]

If it was me, I'd probably go with a cross nut as JR suggests. The threaded inserts work by drilling a hole and hammering them in so that the teeth bite into the wood. When you hammer it into the edge of plywood, it's going to spread the laminates out, and won't hold very tight.

[sacherjj]

I usually take a 3/4" forstner bit and drill down until almost breaking the surface (if looks matters on one side) and glue in a 3/4" hardwood dowel piece. Then, I've run lag bolts into this and they hold very well.

[LCHIEN]

I'd agree with the last three posters about a cross nut or inserting a dowel as a sort of cross nut.

I don't think a Tee nut or a threaded insert will hold very well in the edge of plywood or even in the edge of any material.

Uually Tee nuts hold in wood only if the force on them is pulling from the opposite face from which they were inserted, so the flange catches on the face. If you pull on them from the side they were inserted, they'll pull right out. Those little pointy teeth on the flange, only serve to keep in place when there's no load on it.

The threaded inserts work by compression of the surrounding wood in the serrated edges. Edge work will not have enough surrounding material to compress against these teeth.

[Stytooner]

I got the lingo wrong on the barrel nut. I was referring to the cross dowel type nuts.
Barrel bolts look like this.


I have heard these called sex bolts.

I agree that threaded inserts are not that good in an edge. Some do the final home seating by expanding and that would not be desirable on an edge. If it doesn't need the rigidity of a cross dowel on the joint, then they probably make special screws for the material you want to use. They make their own threads in some cases.