Any Tips on Using PEM Nuts?

[ic-racer]

I have never used these before. Anyone else use these for the tube sockets? What size have you used? McMaster carr sells "broach style" and "clinch style" Any preference?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#pem-style-nuts/=5tki86

[M Fowler]

rj uses those on his chassis maybe talk with him.

[ampdork]

According to the link posted broach is for aluminium and cinch for sheet metal.

So start with that. Then figure what screw your using and your pretty much done picking. Have to make sure the hole you have for mounting them is the right size...so you might have to redrill?
Then you need to arbor press them in. Lots of work imho..

[ic-racer]

This is what I have been looking at. Looks to me like an M3 or M4. I'm not familiar with the SAE sizes. So would this be something like 8-32 or 6-32 that would have been readily available in California in the 80s.

[ampdork]

Yeah I would guess it is a 6/32.

[glasman]

When I have my chassis made, I have PEM nuts installed for all of the tube sockets and several other locations. If you are planning on building a LOT of amps it is a good thing. For onzy twozy kinda pricey.

They are easy to install in soft aluminum. I can install one a less than a minute with a screw of the right size, washer and nut.

Place the nut on the screw, then the wash. Now place the PEM nut on top of the hole you have drilled and screw in screw, nut and washer from the other side. Now simple tighten the nut until the PEM is flush with the aluminum.

[jaysg]

Some of the novals are only drilled to pass a 4-40.

[David Root]

For us onesey-twosey guys, I like KEPS nuts. This is the nut with the captive outside teeth washer. (Stainless of course!). I use lots in 4-40 and 6-32.

[glasman]

For us onesey-twosey guys, I like KEPS nuts. This is the nut with the captive outside teeth washer. (Stainless of course!). I use lots in 4-40 and 6-32.

I like them as well. For the amps that I build where a nut is used, I opt for nylock 4-40's and 6-32's. I also keep a bottle of loctite handy for certain locations.

[heisthl]

ditto on the chassis place using pem nuts everywhere they can be used if you're doing multiples. Poor man's locktite is to put a little silicone caulk on the screws, works even if its already tightened too. I especially like to use it in the standoff threads - nothing worse than a spinning standoff under a board you want to remove. Also handy on the OT mounting screw heads if your build has them inside the chassis and under the board. If you ever have to replace the OT you'll be glad the screw heads are stuck there.

[Structo]

I have used clear nail polish for poor mans Locktite before.

[Wayne]

Liquid Paper works too in a pinch, but nail polish works better.

[RJ Guitars]

I did use the McMaster "cinch nuts" for a while and they actually work well. They are a bit of a pain to install although I think a press would make them easy. I found that if you rock the screw back and forth any little bit they will pop out pretty easy.

I've gone to a threaded pop rivet for most of that stuff and they are more reliable and way easier to deal with. The down side is that they don't allow a flush surface which the cinch nuts do.

rj