Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 23

Thread: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

  1. #1
    SEC Member Stratos Fear's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    West Sussex
    Posts
    1,400
    Rep Power
    24

    Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    I cant remember the name of the fasteners which consist of a loosely held nut in a rectangle of steel with a hole at each end for pop rivetting. I need some for my door cards - can anybody advise me what they are called so I can find them on E-bay ?

    As an alternative, I have tried "well nuts" (sounds like slang for an earnest vegan!) which are the compressible rubber things with a brass threaded insert but in my experience they pull out fairly easily.

    Any ideas? (and I dont want to use self-tapping screws - sorry!)

    Thanks

    Peter
    Last edited by Stratos Fear; 09-04-2020 at 17:08.

  2. #2

    Re: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    See LB Derby, Neil63 stream post 169, curtesy of Chris the Wiz, and Neil.

    Robin

  3. #3
    Site Supporter ProtoTipo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Outer Mongolia
    Posts
    4,725
    Rep Power
    60

    Re: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    As Robin says, I got some recently from here:
    http://race.parts/Catalogue/Nuts-Bol...ic-Anchor-Nuts

    'Floating Anchor Nuts'

  4. #4
    SEC Member Gordon Caro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Derbyshire
    Posts
    130
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    The rubber version is called a rawlnut. I first used these when I worked at Lotus in the 80's and 90's. The benefit or these when used with glass fibre panels is that you don't have to torque them up. Craig specifies these for the door panels and they worked OK for me. With a anchor nut or cage nut, these are best suited to metal panels which fit tightly together and can be torqued up.

  5. #5
    SEC Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Greenhead
    Posts
    2,353
    Rep Power
    31

    Re: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    Might get shot down for this suggestion....but what about velcro? A few short strips of that along the bottom should hold the card in place just fine. Although, I've not got a car to look at, so don't know (and can't remember from my last Stratos 28 years ago) if it'd be a goer.

  6. #6
    SEC Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Woodbridge, Suffolk
    Posts
    364
    Rep Power
    16

    Re: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    Caged Nuts too.

  7. #7
    SEC Member Stratos Fear's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    West Sussex
    Posts
    1,400
    Rep Power
    24

    Re: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    Thanks everyone for your replies - I now know what to call these things for my E-Bay search ! Didnt realise there was such a variety. I've ordered a few well-nuts(Rawl nuts) and a few splay nuts as recommended by Craig.

    Norm the velcro might work for perspex windows but almost certainly wouldn't be strong enough for glass side windows - there would be quite a bit of weight bearing down on the slider mechanism - and it would have to withstand lateral forces as well with hard cornering !
    Chris - I'll check out Race-parts - thanks for the pointer. (having checked, these are the parts I recall from the earlier post but couldnt remember what they are called or where to get them)
    Last edited by Stratos Fear; 10-04-2020 at 10:01.

  8. #8
    SEC Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Cheshire
    Posts
    2,535
    Rep Power
    38

    Re: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    Velcro can be a really good fix, especially if it can be kept clean and not fill up with stray fibres. Though I think you are right Peter and not suitable for the door cards.
    I have made small square plates of aluminium with a rivnut fixed in the centre before now, fixed to the rear of the fibreglass with polyurethane adhesive. Not as professional as bought in items, but if you are accurate in placing them they work well. I used these on door cards and on headlamp pod covers.
    I am considering making a removable Grp4 dash top panel fixed with velcro to hide my fuse box and relay panels, but it's only at the idea stage at the moment.
    Last edited by john; 10-04-2020 at 13:16.

  9. #9
    SEC Member Guy Mayers's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Liverpool
    Posts
    3,301
    Rep Power
    46

    Re: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    Back in the day, when I didn't know any better. I put ally (I think) rivnuts straight into the fibreglass to holt the inner door panels in place. With a liberal coating of grease they're still in place 30 years later, never had one seize.
    Guy

  10. #10
    SEC Member Fingers's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Christchurch, New Zealand
    Posts
    1,024
    Rep Power
    23

    Re: Fasteners for thin (ish) GRP panels

    Those anchor nuts that Chris posted above are used absolutely everywhere on the likes of Boeings and Airbusses, just about every external panel you see uses them, with 3/16" screws. Usually fairly thin kevlar panels fastened through light aluminium structure, they do the job of holding on really well. I trust them. I bought some metric anchor nuts from Demon Tweeks for my door cards. You can always rivet them to an aluminium strip or plate to spread the load.
    Paul.

    Sat in a real one, may never wash again!

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 2
    Last Post: 07-06-2019, 22:31
  2. Coating the underside of the panels
    By ah_sprite in forum Technical Common
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 15-10-2018, 18:49
  3. Clamsheĺl overcentre catches/X1/9 Targa top fasteners.
    By ironman523 in forum Stratos Forum
    Replies: 24
    Last Post: 10-04-2018, 16:18
  4. Lancia Stratos Panels
    By ProtoTipo in forum For Sale
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 30-03-2018, 22:47
  5. Body Panels
    By Guy Mayers in forum Stratos Forum
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: 26-11-2017, 10:58

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •