t nuts for 520 fence

[Ed in Tampa]

You guys may be way ahead of me on this but I think I have solved my problem finding nuts and bolts to mount jigs on my 520 fence.

SS sells a t nut that works but it is a nut that you screw into. The bolt has to be the correct length or it bottoms out against the fence making burrs and marks on it, it it too short you only engage a few threads which will eventually strip out.

I got a toilet flange bolt but the flange is too small for the t track on 520 fence. I found 1 1/16" fender washers at Home Depot that are very thin.
The holes through the fender washer is 1/8 inch so I had to drill out the hole to 1/4" for the toilet flange bolt to go through and then carefully soldered the head of flange bolt to the washer. After cleaning it up with a file and grinding the flats on opposite sides I now have 3 1/2 inch studs that fit perfectly in my fence t track. A few through 1/4 inch t handle plastic knobs and I'm all set. Since the bolts are brass I can cut them to any length I need and I think since the bolt goes through the washer and all pull is against the washer I think the solder joint is strong enough.
Ed

[james.miller]

I went to Ace Hardware and bought 5/16 t-nuts and machine screws. The flange of the t-nut fits inside of the track on the fence. These worked well until I could get some of the better ones from Shopsmith.

To prepare your board or jig to attach it to the fence. First boar a large hole just deep enough for the head of the machine screw and a flat washer to be below the surface of the board you’re attaching to the fence, then drill the hole big enough for the shank of the t-nut to go the rest of the way through.

I think the correct distance from the bottom of the board to the center of the hole is 1&7/8” to line up with the slot on the fence.

Check the length of the bolt to make sure it won't bottom out on the fence slot when seated in the counter boar.

If the counter boar is too deap then the machine screw will seat on the t-nut and not lock it in the slot of the fence.

Jim in Tucson

[jsburger]

Hi Ed,

I use the SS T nuts for this purpose. I use 1/4-20 theraded rod cut to the proper length fot the application. I screw it into the SS T nut flush with the bottom using Locktite. Then I stake it on the bottom side in four places with a center punch. Add your favorite knob and it works like a charm.

[deanthom]

john, I thought the use of threaded rod was ingenious. Could easily do the same with bolts so that the visible end was always safer, too, since the threads are formed on a rolled end to begin with. Easier on, less chance of catching.

Good, good ideas there.

[tchwrtr55]

Damn. Maybe I have been doing this all wrong. I have been using 1/4 in. carriage bolts. The bolt head runs down the fence slot and the square shoulder keeps it from turning. I counter-bore for the nut and washer, and cut the bolt to below the surface of the surface of the jig. I run the jig down the fence slots and tighten with a 1/4" drive socket. My reason for doing it this way is that I usually have an assortment of carriage bolts with nuts and washers in the shop already.

Mark

[dusty]

Are you guys trying to do something that is not satisfied by the SS t-nut (part number 514491).

These cost 2$-3$ each plus shipping but they are a couple inches long so they get a good grip with well dispursed surface pressure.

Other than stop blocks and sacrificial fences, what do you attach to your rip fence. I'd sure like to see some of the fixtures that you have devised.

The second t-track on the 520 fence has me scatching my head. Why two??

I miss the predrilled holes that were in the 510 fence. I had two or three different sacrificials and a tall rip fence that I had made for the 510. These are soon to be used for backer boards or stop blocks. But -- I'm not about to drill holes in my new fence!!!

___________________
Making Sawdust Safely

[jsburger]

Hi tchwrtr55,

I do it the other way around for jigs that need to have the bolt below the surface of the jig. I get 1/4-20 stainless steel bolts frome Home Depot that have a round head and have a hex drive the same size as the SS allen wrench. I use a stainless steel washer, counter bore the jig for the washer and deep enough so the head is below the surface and you can use the SS T nuts and the allen wrench that is always handy.

[jsburger]

So, just use the SS T nuts with the method I described in a privious post to attach your sacrificials and tall fences. That is how I do it and it works like a charm.