Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).

On 18/09/2016 13:08, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).



http://technifast.co.uk/threaded-spacers-pillars ?

On Sun, 18 Sep 2016 22:35:14 +0100, dennis@home
wrote:

On 18/09/2016 13:08, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).



http://technifast.co.uk/threaded-spacers-pillars ?

Oooh, thanks for that dennis ... and they may be able to do something,
even though they don't seem to list exactly what I need:

http://technifast.co.uk/uploads/file...sun3l1i5c6.pdf

Their smallest diameter (internal thread) is M5 looks like the closest
(to M3-4 I think I need) but is 8mm OD (which is a bit big).

I'll drop them a line. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On 18/09/2016 13:08, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).


Try this chap. He does small specialist component runs.

www.dormanengineering.co.uk/

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On Mon, 19 Sep 2016 15:51:58 +0100, DavenPort wrote:

On 18/09/2016 13:08, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).


Try this chap. He does small specialist component runs.

www.dormanengineering.co.uk/


Thanks for that, they seem to offer the sort of services I was
thinking of. I'll drop them a line. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Sun, 18 Sep 2016 23:07:13 +0100, T i m wrote:

On Sun, 18 Sep 2016 22:35:14 +0100, dennis@home
wrote:

On 18/09/2016 13:08, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).



http://technifast.co.uk/threaded-spacers-pillars ?

Oooh, thanks for that dennis ... and they may be able to do something,
even though they don't seem to list exactly what I need:

http://technifast.co.uk/uploads/file...sun3l1i5c6.pdf

Their smallest diameter (internal thread) is M5 looks like the closest
(to M3-4 I think I need) but is 8mm OD (which is a bit big).


Look into the rc model business, they use lots of m2/m3/m4 spacers.

Don't know about stainless, but they do do brass and ally...

On Mon, 19 Sep 2016 23:37:29 +0000 (UTC), unk wrote:

On Sun, 18 Sep 2016 23:07:13 +0100, T i m wrote:

On Sun, 18 Sep 2016 22:35:14 +0100, dennis@home
wrote:

On 18/09/2016 13:08, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).



http://technifast.co.uk/threaded-spacers-pillars ?

Oooh, thanks for that dennis ... and they may be able to do something,
even though they don't seem to list exactly what I need:

http://technifast.co.uk/uploads/file...sun3l1i5c6.pdf

Their smallest diameter (internal thread) is M5 looks like the closest
(to M3-4 I think I need) but is 8mm OD (which is a bit big).


Look into the rc model business, they use lots of m2/m3/m4 spacers.

Don't know about stainless, but they do do brass and ally...

Another good thought (thanks). I am a long term RC Modeller (inc RC /
IC catamarans) so I know where you are coming from. [1]

Unfortunately this is for 'marine use' and so I feel it would have to
be stainless and I'd be even less likely to get what I need in
phosphor bronze (as I don't think 'brass' is recommended for marine
use below the waterline).

Cheers, T i m

[1] Daughter bought me an RC Forklift for my 60th recently. Great fun.
;-)

On Sunday, 18 September 2016 13:08:31 UTC+1, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

rapid do something like that at

https://www.rapidonline.com/Catalogu...rSearchScope=0

On Tue, 20 Sep 2016 05:24:56 -0700 (PDT), whisky-dave
wrote:

On Sunday, 18 September 2016 13:08:31 UTC+1, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

rapid do something like that at

https://www.rapidonline.com/Catalogu...rSearchScope=0

Thanks for that Dave, you are right in that they are 'something like
that', I don't think the actually do what I need.

This is for a 3m long, folding, marine ply and a heavy-duty PVC
'hinge' boat where the hinge is a strip of PVC glued to each side of
the hull and a strip of marine ply glued and nailed though on top
(making a ply-PVC-ply sandwich).

Now, one builder of said folding boats puts a 3/4" 'Gripfast'
(ring-barbed) nail though the sandwich and then folds the top of the
nail over and back into the surface of the ply like a staple. The
builder of mine simply put the nail straight through (still possibly
'Gripfast') but just snipped it off. In some places the binding effect
of the ply overstrip has become weak (and a couple of nails have
pulled out) so I was looking for an alternative.

Whilst I could use the nail and staple technique, if you ever have to
replace the hinges, digging the staple-nails out is a right PITA. So,
I was thinking of getting the nail(s) out (one-at-a-time), drilling
through with a close interference fit drill and pushing said threaded
inserts though the 'sandwich' and using a flat / pan-head SS screw
(either side) to nip it all up.

The spacer therefore doesn't need to be hex as the two screws would
find a balance in the threaded insert between them and could be undone
easily in the future, should it ever be required.

Cheers, T i m

T i m wrote:

I was thinking of getting the nail(s) out (one-at-a-time), drilling
through with a close interference fit drill and pushing said threaded
inserts though the 'sandwich' and using a flat / pan-head SS screw
(either side) to nip it all up.

What about connector bolts? e.g.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361475063257

On Tue, 20 Sep 2016 18:42:07 +0100, Andy Burns
wrote:

T i m wrote:

I was thinking of getting the nail(s) out (one-at-a-time), drilling
through with a close interference fit drill and pushing said threaded
inserts though the 'sandwich' and using a flat / pan-head SS screw
(either side) to nip it all up.

What about connector bolts? e.g.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361475063257

Yes, they really would be perfect Andy, as long as they came in
stainless steel, 3-4mm diameter thread and ~10mm internal length. ;-)

That's why I was trying to d-i-y (to some degree) the same sort of
things but just with a simple threaded spacer and two conventional
threaded pan / flat head screws [1] of some sort (that would be cheap
and easy to locate with all sorts of different heads).

It's just getting ~300 of the 10mm long stainless steel threaded
inserts that is the goal now I think.

Had they been a slightly bigger diameter (say 6mm) I might have done
it in my lathe myself but drilling and tapping 3-4m threads in
stainless isn't fun (I've done similar making bits for a 3d printer
extruder hot-end).

Cheers, T i m

[1] The heads need to be as flat as possible for where the hull folds
inwards.

On Sunday, September 18, 2016 at 1:08:31 PM UTC+1, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).

https://www.fabhub.io

T i m wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

What about connector bolts?

Yes, they really would be perfect Andy, as long as they came in
stainless steel, 3-4mm diameter thread and ~10mm internal length. ;-)

Well, look around e.g. http://www.theinsertcompany.com

they certainly have some that are M4, some that are stainless (perhaps
brass would also suit a boat?), some that are flat head, some caps that
are 10mm internal length, presumably cutting the bolts wouldn't be to
tedious if necessary?

All you need to do is see if they do the right combination you're
looking for :-)

On Tue, 20 Sep 2016 20:04:53 +0100, Andy Burns
wrote:

T i m wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

What about connector bolts?

Yes, they really would be perfect Andy, as long as they came in
stainless steel, 3-4mm diameter thread and ~10mm internal length. ;-)

Well, look around

I had. ;-(

e.g. http://www.theinsertcompany.com

One thing I had spotted on there was their stainless 'T-Nuts' :M4 x
8mm

http://www.theinsertcompany.com/stee...s_for_wood.php


they certainly have some that are M4, some that are stainless (perhaps
brass would also suit a boat?),

Apparently not, well not when used under the waterline and in salt
water.

some that are flat head, some caps that
are 10mm internal length, presumably cutting the bolts wouldn't be to
tedious if necessary?

No, that could be done but as we are talking ~300, I'd rather not. ;-(

All you need to do is see if they do the right combination you're
looking for :-)

And I don't think they do ... hence the suggestion of having something
made.

It *has* to be stainless (I don't think a phosphor bronze M3 diameter
thread would be strong enough, if such existed), can't be bigger in OD
than the minimum required for an M3 worst case, M4 tapped hole
(through said spacer) and to be able to secure a ~10mm sandwich.

You would think there would be loads of options out there but in spite
of the best efforts of some good folk here, nothing has as yet been
offered (especially off_the_peg) to suit.

That said, those M4 'T-Nuts' *could* be an option but they would have
been better if they were a bit longer (so they went though most of the
sandwich) or shorter (so they only went through one of the ply
layers). Now, if they had done the M3 x 5 in stainless ... ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:58:06 -0700 (PDT), Adam Aglionby
wrote:

On Sunday, September 18, 2016 at 1:08:31 PM UTC+1, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).

https://www.fabhub.io

Assuming I've done the search correctly Adam,

CNC Lathing, United Kingdom, Stainless Steel ... No results. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

T i m wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

look around

I had. ;-(

Any good?

http://www.interscrew.co.uk/marine-interscrew/marine-un-slotted-interscrews

On Tue, 20 Sep 2016 22:55:28 +0100, Andy Burns
wrote:

T i m wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

look around

I had. ;-(

Any good?

http://www.interscrew.co.uk/marine-interscrew/marine-un-slotted-interscrews

I'll let you know when the samples they said they'd send the other day
arrive. ;-)

However, whilst an unslotted sleeve-nut may well be ok whilst
initially being tightened (subject to a clean thread and a reasonable
nut-fit in the hole in the ply), I'm not sure how easy it would be to
remove if / when required (and sort of part of the remit or I just use
Gripfast nails and bend the tips over).

Thank you very much for your continuing quest on my behalf though
Andy! ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 10:11:26 PM UTC+1, T i m wrote:
On Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:58:06 -0700 (PDT), Adam Aglionby
wrote:

On Sunday, September 18, 2016 at 1:08:31 PM UTC+1, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Does anyone have personable experience of a 'small engineering Co' who
might be able to produce a small (maybe 200 or so) stainless steel
(M3-4) internally threaded 'inserts / spacers' at a reasonable price
please?

I could do 'a few' myself (and might as a proof of concept) but I
don't fancy doing a couple of hundred.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I have some sample sleeve nuts on their way but it may be
difficult to get such with the right head and in the right length,
off_the_shelf. If I can find something suitable they will probably be
quite expensive (50p+ each).

https://www.fabhub.io

Assuming I've done the search correctly Adam,

CNC Lathing, United Kingdom, Stainless Steel ... No results. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

hmmm, cnc lathing in stainless seems to be NA anywhere including China and US.

fabhub not as well subscribed as 3dhubs.com which is exclusively 3D printing though possible to get metals done that way, would a tough printed plastic part work in your ap?

There is also http://www.emachineshop.com and both mycncuk.com and cnczone.com have RFQ sections.

On Wed, 21 Sep 2016 04:26:08 -0700 (PDT), Adam Aglionby
wrote:

snip

CNC Lathing, United Kingdom, Stainless Steel ... No results. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

hmmm, cnc lathing in stainless seems to be NA anywhere including China and US.

fabhub not as well subscribed as 3dhubs.com which is exclusively 3D printing though possible to get metals done that way, would a tough printed plastic part work in your ap?

There is also http://www.emachineshop.com

Interesting. I tried to go for a basic written quote but got to:

"IMPORTANT: Size must be in INCHES and must be accurate."

How quaint the Yanks are. ;-)

and both mycncuk.com and cnczone.com have RFQ sections.

They look more likely, I'll check them out later (thanks).

(Going to try to clean some dinghy sails while the sun is out). ;-)

Cheers, T i m