On Dec 12, 9:02 pm, Jeepwolf wrote:
I went to a metal shop today to see what sort of gizmo they might have
to hold a handle on my car door. This handle closes the door from the
inside and all it was held on by was a sheet metal screw into a piece
of very thin tin. What was originally a #8 screw grew to be a 5/16
lag bolt in the last few years, and that recently pulled out. I
needed something that would hold the thing. I told the guy the handle
must come off if I need to remove the door panel, so a pop rivet would
not work. The guy got out a special tool that looks like a pop rivet
tool, except it was not a rivet. Instead there are small cylinders
that go into the hole, and with a press of the handle of the tool, the
thing expands just like a pop rivet, except it's threaded to the tool,
and when the tool is unthreaded from it, a standard bolt can go into
the hole. It worked like a charm. He first drilled the hole to 3/8".
Inserted the tool, squeezed the handle, and unscrewed the tip of the
tool. Then it was just a matter of screwing on the handle with a 1/4"
bolt.

When he finished, I asked him what that thing is called. He did not
know. He said the boss would know the name but he was gone.

I'd like to add this tool to my tool kit. I could see all kinds of
uses for it. But what the heck is it called?
Anyone know?

JW

Started using these in our auto repair business some 30 years ago.
They were called NutSerts then. To reinforce the grip to aluminum
sheet metal particularly in our race car we also used a dab of red
LocTite ( not on the threads). Really handy critters for awkward
situations and fixing dumb designs by the automotive engineers.

Joe