# M10 barrel nuts required.



## rafezetter (24 Mar 2015)

Maybe I'm being too cheap but £15 for 10 barrel nuts 16mm long seems a bit steep to me - could they be made by someone here a bit cheaper?

I only really need 8 but would prefer them 20mm long to give a bit more meat as I'd like to make a pair of longnose screw clamps.

nothing fancy, no slot needed just basic steel rod with an m10 thread in the side. (M10 because I've got a bunch of 1m long m10 threaded rods slowly rusting in my shed.)

(if I am being cheap - please say so - I'd rather know if I'm not being realistic about this sort of stuff.)


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## chipmunk (24 Mar 2015)

Have you tried AHC in Camberley. Brilliant service and good pricing...

http://www.ahc-camberley.co.uk/metric-connecting-nuts.html

They also sell through Amazon market place if you prefer.

[Edit: Oooops Sorry. I thought you wanted connector nuts but you want cross-dowels.

Have you considered making your own if you only want 8? 
You'd probably need 5/8 or 3/4 EN1A round stock which'll thread very nicely. 
Chronos do 12" which should give you 8 ~30mm dowels after you've cut up it and postage is included but the minimum order is £15 on material only orders...

http://chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/Engineering_Menu_Round_Mild_Steel_EN1A_364.html

If you don't know the tapping drill for M10 is 8.5mm which you'll probably have already and you could get away with a cheap carbon tap for 8 holes in EN1A. For a through hole a taper tap would do the job...
http://chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/Engineering_Menu_Metric_Coarse_Carbon_Taps___Dies_195.html

and a tap wrench (1/2")...
http://chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/threading_accessories.html

That's all for about £12 and you can make 'em as long as you like then and as many as you need.

Drilling with the tapping drill will be tricky unless you centre-punch and pilot drill (~3 mm) first. A centre drill would also help. Use a vee-block (wooden ones work just as well) or a drill press vice.

Hope this helps
Jon


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## rafezetter (24 Mar 2015)

chipmunk":np1z3kgn said:


> Have you tried AHC in Camberley. Brilliant service and good pricing...
> 
> http://www.ahc-camberley.co.uk/metric-connecting-nuts.html
> 
> ...



Thanks for all that info! The chronos link I'll keep bookmarked.

I did consider making my own, but I've never tapped before, or have any taps and although this could be a good opportunity to learn I was being lazy  I do have a drill press with clamp block so the drilling part shouldn't be too hard.

I'll certainly bear all you said in mind though - all the info I need and links too


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## chipmunk (25 Mar 2015)

Well for an introduction to tapping you can do a lot worse than watch this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KILXWdcS_hU&index=2&list=PLBC69869E8CB708F2

Hand tapping for M10 is pretty easy, especially in EN1A (free machining mild steel), because the taps are pretty chunky and the steel is smooth cutting. Just use a little machine oil such as 3-in-1 if you haven't got any cutting/tapping fluid.

Go for it!
Jon


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