Tool for installing rivet nuts, nutserts rivnuts, etc

I'm looking for a recommended tool to install rivnuts.

I'm going to lay down some l-track like the post below.

Thanks.

McMaster-Carr sells one which look like the one pictured below.

 

Harbor Freight sells one, threaded insert tool. I picked one up for $18, does multiple sae threads and so far it hasn't failed me. I use one at work all the time but it was a little more expensive, $2400...

 

Nice on the HF one. I may get that one in the future. I ended up making my own tool for my project. I pulled 6 rivnuts and will probably do 6 more. Good stuff!

 

I went the cheap for the install tool. A 2"x1/4-20 bolt, nut and 2 fender washers. I also used a piece of flat steel to keep the rivet nut from spinning. Two 7/16" box wrenches. Place a little oil onto the bolt threads to help the nut from binding. This work great for 10-12 rivet nuts before you will want to replace the bolt.

 

Looks good David. Nice pics.

Here is a picture of my home made tool:


I did break a few bolts and foul some threads (because I mixed different hardware (galvy/stainless/grade-8)), but I just swapped out for new ones. I tried pretty hard to find a full threaded grade-8 bolt, but I could not find one. Anyways, I'm real happy with how mine turned out.

I pulled (12) rivnuts on (4) 12" pieces of L-Track at the front of the Tacoma bed.

 

Looks great! can't wait to get some L-track in my bed.

Love the home made tools. I have the harbor freight tool, and it's perfect for what it does, but what it does is SAE hardware, and I've got a love affair with metric hardware. All the metric tools I've seen are about $60+. I'll buy one someday, but definitely need to make one of these tools in the mean time. I tried to just tighten a bolt into one with some washers but all it did was spin the threaded insert. It didn't occur to me to use a separate nut and hold the bolt still.

 

Best 1 I've found....



Also from McMaster Carr

 

Subbed. I use these on some roof racks so this is a good reference for me.

 

I bought this one a couple years back, along with about 100 6mm rivnuts, I knew I'd be using it a bunch for various projects and I wanted a tool to save time on those little buggers. It's paid for itself several times over. I used it the other day to put 8 rivnuts in my bed for a bedslide project, between drilling and installing, I was done with that step in less than 5 minutes.

Astro 1427 Hand Rivet Nut Kit

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004KLVJAA?psc=1

 

That's the exact one I was looking at.

Good to know it's working well!

 

It'd increase in value for me by tenfold if I found a 1/4-20 die for it. Damn local stores don't stock a halfway decent 6mm fastener selection.

 

How thick is the bed material anyway? I think I'm going to use some rivet nuts to install a few Grip Fists for various items and would like to make sure that there is plenty of grip on the backside.

 

I used the pre bulbed rivnuts (per @Crom suggestion) as they have more space between the face and the crimped part. The listing says for .28-.50", but they seemed to grab the bed pretty good. The regular rivnuts seem to be for sheet metal and stuff a little thicker, like 1/8". I'm using the prebulbed ones to mount my co2 and fireX

Edit regular rivet-nuts are for the following thickness "sheet metal grip range: 26 – 13ga" 13g is 3/32"
Amazon has lots of different grip ranges available these are the ones I used (.28-.50")

$21 S25MG500 Steel PRE-BULBED Shank, Multi-Grip Rivet-NUT Gold ZINC Finish, 1/4-20 X ..280-.500 Grip Range (Pack of 25)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010GQXMAW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These might work even better as they have a grip range of .02-.28"

$17 S25MG280 Steel PRE-BULBED Shank, Multi-Grip Rivet-NUT Gold ZINC Finish, 1/4-20 X .020-.280 Grip Range (Pack of 25)

https://www.amazon.com/S25MG280-PRE...rd_wg=Sj2tx&psc=1&refRID=6A0SFK4AEC4YX3Z5RWNB

 

The Astro Pneumatic M4 to M6 one has been one of the best investments i ever made. It works well with steel flangeless nutserts. If you have ever replaced the window regulator on older BMW's, youll know what i mean. Its far more elegant then using a 1/4" bolt and lock nut.