How to install T-nuts into Baltic ply baffle?

[Michael A.]

I want to finish up a cabinet I've recently built. I have 1/2" Baltic plywood to use as the baffle. I like the idea of T-nuts and machine screws, but my limited experience with T-nuts is that they barely want to go cleanly into anything but soft woods and will be a challenge installing into this very hard plywood.

The only tip I've read about is starting the installation of each nut and pulling it out after the finger or prongs have made indentations into the wood. Then use a small diameter drill, say 1/16", at each of the dimples so the fingers can each have a pilot hole. Since the fingers aren't round, this seems a little dubious and possibly would leave the fingers a bit loose.

Any other suggestions? Or a better option?

By way of background, it will be a floating baffle for sonic reasons and because I want to pull the baffle and install different speakers that will be pre-mounted to extra baffles.

Thanks.

 

[Speedy454]

For a neat and tidy installation, try this.

After marking your location, use a forestner bit the same OD as the T nut.
Drill to the thickness of the base of the T nut.
Drill the correct diameter of the threaded section of the T nut into the dimple left by the forestner bit

I have used 2 methods to set the T nut.
You can use the correct threaded machine screw and a couple of fender washers to draw it up or my favorite method...

Lay the board on the concrete floor
Get the T nut started
Use a block of hard wood and a BFH to seat it fully in one good whack.
This should seat them fully and flush.

 

[Michael A.]

Thanks very much. I'll try that today on a scrap piece of plywood and see how it works. Good idea about recessing the base of the T-nut into the plywood face, that will be a nicer finish.

 

[wallybob]

What i have done in the past is used a C-clamp and pressed them in. It really wasn't that big of a deal...

 

[sds1]

You can use the correct threaded machine screw and a couple of fender washers to draw it up

My buddy showed me this technique and it worked great for me. Let the screw do the work!

 

[zook]

All the above are viable methods I use the drill bit method with a 5/64 bit They stay in fine, Be sure to use the long shaft T nuts

 

[Jsnwhite619]

If you have a reamer, I usually drill the hole a little smaller than would allow for an easy fit, then ream it out a little to taper it. It starts easier, but it keeps a tight fit. As said above, I've used clamps to push them in. If you have any screws with a strong head that won't strip out, you can run another tnut on there with the flat part opposite the screw head for your stop washer. Then use a drill to run the real ones in on the other side.

 

[SacDAve]

Way better https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/screws-original-fender-vintage-speaker-mounting-studnut

 

[tubeswell]

I use a small diameter sharp hole-saw that matches the tee-nut outer diameter and slowly and carefully cut 1/16" into the baffle front - precisely where I want the tee nut to go (after having drilled a smaller pilot hole for the hole-saw bit to follow). Then I use an ordinary drill bit that is the diameter of the tee nut's shaft to ream out the rest of the hole. Then I pop the tee nut in and pop the bolt on the other side with an oversized washer and tighten it until the tee nut sits flush with the front of the baffle. If necessary, I give the tee nut a light tap home with a hammer at this point.

 

[Axis29]

I install tee nuts day in and day out (I'm doing a bunch of custom boat parts these days inn my day job) into all kinds of materials. I use a BFH, like @Speedy454 ,mentioned. A lot of the time, I use a large headed punch to direct the blow as well. Kind of a surgical strike, as it were.