Help please

Try 41/64” for soft wood or 21/32” for hard.

Use the 11/16” to bearly break the surfice of the piece, maybe 1/64”. Then driill the center with the smaller bit. The 11/16” entry will help keep the insert centered, until the threads begin to bite.

Most of the threaded inserts are not intended for endgrain. Adding a little was to lubricate the outer threads will help.

-- The more I work with wood the more I recognize only God can make something as beautiful as a tree. I hope my humble attempts at this craft do justice by His masterpiece. -- Tim

I presume that you’re talkin’ about threaded (brass) inserts. Gotta get the correct tap and drill for the insert. Look at a thread chart. 3/8” x 16 takes a 5/16” bit and the appropriate tap. You’ll need a blind hole tap, not a “thru” hole tap. You can get a standard tap and grind off the end for bottoming holes if that is what you’re after.
I wax my inserts with a toilet bowl wax ring. Cheap and effective.
Bill

-- bill@magraphics.us

If the OD of the insert is .375 (3/8”), then the insert is meant for a 1/4-20 bolt. The drill size should be 11/32”, not 11/16”.

The inserts I’ve used for bed frames come with a Hex head before the start of the thread for insertion with an allen key. If yours are the same, I managed to get mine in square by first drilling a hole on the PD in a piece of scrap, winding the insert in – 1/2 turn forward, 1/3 turn back, when the insert bottomed out of the scrap, put that piece over the hole in the workpiece and repeat the winding in like you’re cutting a die. The scrap will keep the insert square as long as it’s firmly held against the hole the insert is going into.
As a precaution, I wound the insert in and out of the work piece till it wasn’t so stiff and then Gorilla Glued to permanently anchor it.

-- Do or do not, there is no try

Hey guys. I just got a reply from Lee Valley . they have a Propell nut 00n2302 needs a 29/64 hole and epoxy. this should make it a lot easier. Thanks to all who replied. keep smiling John

-- retired and smiling

This is the way to install threaded inserts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIhEqoKE8Dc&feature=player_embedded

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Excellent video Jim, I’ll give that a try next time.

-- Do or do not, there is no try

Thanks Jim, very good info. On the side bar there are videos from scrollsaw.com . This turner is fearless and excellent. keep smiling John

-- retired and smiling