How to install rivnut, rivet nuts or nutserts, with no expensive tools 

**Update** Silicon spray or WD40 makes it easier, but Copper Slip grease is even better!

Use a brass washer between the nut and plate tool. Brass will allow the nut to slip around as you tighten it. The brass is almost like a lubricant but it doesn't get squeezed out.

Been doing it this way for roughly 40 years and it works fine. Although I use a 6mm plate and leave it flat so that I can fasten it with a clamp because then you only have to hold the ratchet. Which of course is according to where one needs to use it. A washer between the nut and plate kann possibly reduce the friction between both (he recommends lube for that reason) and improves the torque weil reducing the amount of pressure needed. Never owned a Rivet Gun, but also never needed Rivet Nuts on a regular basis either. So therefore this method was always practical. P.S.- Never tried this above 8 mm threads.

I followed your instructions to repair damaged threads of a friend's sailboat mast gate using aluminium Rivnut. Result was awesome 👍. Instead of rethreading the M8 for large M10 size bolt, with Rivnut we actually end up using M6 bolts 😁 Thank You Smoking Steel Garage 👍

Wrenchin' for many years and never used a Rivnut....the tightening up of a loose one was the clincher...... This video is getting saved. Thankx :)

I regularly use a rivnut or nutsert tool, and the method shown here when needed. One thing to remember is that with both , you only have to start the rivet compression until it bites on the sheet metal, then the final compression can be done when the final assembly occurs. Saves time and is vastly easier on the rivnut mandrels, which in the smaller sizes have a limited lifetime.

I do oven cleaning and repairs. Have found rivet nuts useful where some of the screw mount holes for the back panels or element have corroded. One of the original videos I saw for seating rivet nuts was using a nut, bolt and washers to set the rivet nuts. Only problem I was having was that the rivet nut was sometimes rotating when trying to tighten. They have a grip profile on the side but rivet nuts but they dont always stop the nut rotating. Love this shaped piece of metal with the hole which will stop the nut rotating. Unfortunately I failed trying to seat 2 rivet nuts yesterday wasting over 1 hour, and spent out on a tool. Will make up a couple of these metal profiles at the weekend. Thanks for this brilliant tip Smoking Steel Garage.

I have one of those Amazon Chinesium ones and it works quite well until your under a vehicle and need to use your chest as a brace. Thanks to your video I was able to quickly make my own lever thingy. Mine is ugly and lacks the quality look of child labor but worked like a charm. Thank you sir!

Thanks a lot man. You saved me 50 bucks for a silly tool I only use very little... I own a M3 to M6 one (which I use quite a bit) but I was looking to get the occasional M8 and M10 rivnut in every now and again... thanks again...

Great idea. I need to bolt a custom roof rack to my wagon. This will be better than buying a decent rivnut puller.

I have installed a rivnut on the inside of a square tube with a bolt, two nuts, a couple of washers and some lubricant. Crank the two nuts together to make an anvil, add two washers for slippage and turn the whole thing with a ratchet. It works as long as you start with a tight friction fit to keep the rivnut from spinning. There is always a risk of stripping the rivnut but if that happens you just drill it out and start over.

Ratcheting wrench would be a great upgrade and time saver! Thanks for the tip! JD

Wow! You just saved me $100 for the RivNut tool for 1/2" inserts! THANKS!

Excellent tip, thanks for sharing. Suggestion; could use a stud connector instead of a nut, and also a ratchet spanner. I only thought of this suggestion after watching this vid. Thanks again.

Probably the most useful watch I've found on RU-vid, cheers

Wonderful idea. I need to put a couple of riv nuts into my sailboat boom and this is just the way to do it. Simple little one day winter project. Thanks so much for the idea.

Thanks for that great video on alternative methods and ways to prevent the threaded nut, or the bolt from breaking in the event of a off set condition or confined work area. I can see the myriad of conditions where a nut cannot be added and this is a great time saver as well as a money saver. I had some similar situations and the threaded part was rusted stuck and thankfully, the threaded part was stainless steel, so using a chisel and prybar made short work of prying the screw enough to add WD 40, so I was able to remove it. I could also see that if the insert was damaged from inside from a bent condition, this method could also help to raise the screw enough to fit in a chisel or grinder to remove it. Five stars for communication since many videos have music all threw the video with no explanation of each step, as you've probably seen too. 👏👏✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

I don’t understand why this gets a thumbs down. As a DIY user I needed to fit 2 m10 ruvnuts to my van chassis. Laid on my back with very little ground clearance in the roadside, this worked perfectly for me. Because a. I don’t have the tool to deal with rivnuts that big. B. Even if I did, I don’t think I’d have the room to use it. So; fantastic tip, it’s much appreciated, and your link has been shared. Thanks k

I have been using this idea for the last forty years, especially when installing 5/8 size on trucks and earth moving equipment.

Brilliant. Trying to compress some jack nuts and my rivnut tool wont reach by a couple of mm. You gave me the idea how to make it work!

Man this help out seeing this in the field ….. I had the part but didn’t know how to replace it Thanks !!

thanks just purchased a rivet nut gun and Amazon amazon you tube clip explaining a cheap method.thanks again

Nice idea. I’ve got a couple of suggestions, a ratchet ring spanner would make things easier and a few high grade bolts would make it less likely that the bolt would snap when tightening up the rivnut.

Brilliant. Just broke my riv nut tool. Followed your instructions. Worked perfectly. 👍👍👍👍👍

Good solution! This will work in tight spaces where the rivnut tool doesn't fit.

Just what I was looking for, car application. I want to fix an oil cooler to factory holes and this comes very handy! Thanks man!

Thanks! I was lost on how to tighten up a loose rivnut for a bottle cage mount on an old bicycle. This worked!

Thanks for taking the time to make this helpful video. You're really patient with all these armchair critics. More people might more inclined to post content if it weren't for some of these basement dwellers.

Nice thanks for this. You can also use simple rings instead of the custom tool, same principle works well too.

This Helped me out tons. No one else's videos address the problem of the Rivnut spinning with the jamb nut and unscrewing from the installation bolt..Great solution!!

Been using a horn bracket to install the inserts for 20+ years lol have 2 of em, fast n easy. I don't use an extra nut, just a flat washer, then I don't need 2 wrenches to tighten it up and get nice & tight fit in the hole

Thanks for the great job very simple and easy appreciations and thanks once again for saving me time 🙏👍🇩🇰

good stuff, just a tip I noticed, your hand made tool with the holes, it could also work as a 90* angle and turned the handle bit down and let it jam against the frame so u didn't need to hold it. just a though.

Perfect! I bought several sizes of rivnuts from an ad on facebook. It represented including the tool, but . . . . . This is a great solution to save some money.

Good tip! i nherited a Used WorkVan that had Commercially purchased shelving and Storage racks in it utilizing those RivNuts and i stripped those to install Custom made Shelving built by me those Riv Nuts were a pain in the backside to remove and I just ran new Sheet Metal self tapping Screws into the Vans wall reinforcing Ribs that held those shelves in place for 25 years and 150,000 miles at that time i had no intention or need to purchase the RivNut tool or system

Thanks. You saved me money and disappointment in a cheap tool. I only have a couple of rivet nuts to do and was about to waste money on a low quality rivet nut tool.

Brilliant fix, will use the idea now - I bought a cheap one off fleabay first use the handle joint at the top just splayed open and it was knackered !

I’m concerned about Fred. It seems he can get hurt during this procedure.

I used to use Rivnuts back in the 1960's. Back then, they were patented by Goodyear. All it takes to install them is a Grade 8 screw of the right thread, and a high strength nut.

JCB using these on to hold everything inside the cab, and half the S.O.B. will spin, and Paccar use them to hold the cab lights on the trucks and the same thing there. They have their use but if your using a lot of these is time saver to buy the tool, if one or once an a while do it like you doing.

Porkchop porkchop, greasy greasy... Installed that rivnut fuckin easy easy! 😁 Big help! Much appreciated!! I was going to weld threads on my bike to install a second bottle cage. I don't have the skills to be confident enough to do it. Ran across this and got the whole job done for $11 (just the price of 150pc assorted rivnuts). Again, thanks!

This has solved a few of our issues on our 'square drop mini camper build' !!!!!

Am building a kit plane. Thanks for this info plus comment about brass washers. Rivnuts very useful items where you can't get a spanner behind to do up or undo the nut that holds the bolt. Thus you can secure a piece of equipment such as an instrument to a sheet of metal and it is then very easy to take it off and put back when required for servicing etc.

That was very useful information. If ever I need to use a Rivnut, I will remember this. One thing I would suggest that you didn't mention, is to use a high tensile bolt. All the best from Queensland Australia.

This video was really helpful, as someone who is just starting his journey trying to DIY some things, I thank you :D

Thank you so much. You saved me much frustration and another wasted trip to the hardware store 😳

Genius, man. Absolutely, brilliant.

Good video...Thanks. I normally jusy use a washer between nut and rivnut,,,no handle needed

I used these to install roof racks to the top of my van They work great

so in case of emergency this idea is really good. i myself am too stingy to buy an expensive tool because of the few m8 rivet nuts. but up to m6 you are faster and more relaxed with a suitable tool. anyways, thanks for your solution.

Thanks for the method. I only need to do a few every so often, so buying another $30CAD tool seems a waste. Your method saves me the trouble. Hello from Canada

Great video, easy simple tool, I’ve been considering buying a rivnut gun but not now!

Thanks for telling the cheap tools a junk,for the few I have to do. good grade 8 bolt will do the job.

Thank you watching your video has helped me take care

I figured this out in a tight spot jam works better then the tool more control. 👍

Sir thank you much, building my roof rack didn't want to buy a tool I would use once or twice in life🔩🚐

Brilliant - I’m now subscribed 😉 cheers Chris “The Aussie living in the Netherlands” 👍🇦🇺

wow. cool simple. that took more wrench bites than i would have thought.

You don't really need the 2mm metal strip. Just use some washers on the rivnut and under the nut works fine too.

I made the same tool but use a star washer between the top of the rivnut and the bottom of the tool. This holds the rivnut from spinning while you tighten the bolt. Much easier to hold onto when drawing the nut up.

Saved my bacon with this video, thanks a TON!

brilliant and good to know we use the same tools!

A washer or 2 would help, I got a few flat load bearings of different sizes, and use 1 between 2 washers below the bolt

Big thanks to you 🙏🙏🙏 From India 🇮🇳 ♥ India 🇮🇳

Good jobs SSG... Tnx.

You know what, this is better, you can fit this where the riv-nut tool cannot

I use a connector nut to tension bolt and crimp riv nut. Also apply grease and fit several greased washers to reduce friction. This way I can even crimp stainless steel riv nuts of any size.

the rivnut tool is less than $40 these days for a decent one. totally worth the investment

Good tip! For less chance of breaking, you could probably use a hardened bolt and nut.

Lowe’s has a little set up that you can use your drill for maybe less than $5 bucks. This is to much trouble. I picked up a Wetols nut tool several years ago for $ 26 still working great and a lot less hassle. Have faith in America.

Useful for persons who have a need for rivnuts, but don't have the 30$ to buy the tool to install them

Definitely going to try this. Thanks for sharing.

This is noted. Very helpful. Thanks.

Thanks for this My new rivnut tool broke today (partly from my harsh handling and partly because it was made from Chinese cheese) So i made one like yours and this saved my day today.

Expensive tools? Got a whole set for $30. Converted my whole van into an adventure van with it. Worked great.

This is the easiest way I’ve seen and it worked for me. The “tool” just keeps the friction from the head of the bolt from spinning the rivnut. I skipped the nut and only used a bolt (with the “tool”) with a little grease under the head. I spun my bolt with a cordless drill. Just be careful not to over tighten. Once the rivnut is gripping you can finish with a spanner by hand. Too tight and the bolt may snap.

Is that a wall clock on your wrist! Holly cow! 😂 Kool video though thanks for tip!!! Handy dandy!!

I've been using a rivet nut tool from HFT for many years with no problem myself.

I found this truly... riveting.

I have used a thrust bearing and big washers to reduce friction (offload the nut face) - when inserting M8 threaded insert - I used a HT - class 8.8 or better bolt as I did have a plain steel bolt strip threads. (antiseize is a great stuff to have- yep.) (adding a ratchet ringspanner to the kit is handy)

What ever bolt/nut size you want to use for this it needs to be grade 8. I tried this with standard #10 size screw and the threads on the screw I used all but stripped on the first riv-nut I set. Also use molly grease on the screw threads. In reality, the tool I make next for this will be tool steel, I will cut the threads and then harden it. I will probably just buy a set on mandrels for a quality nut setting tool as if those are going to last more then a few sets they have to be darn good grade of steel properly hardened.

Good vid if you don't have it or don't want to buy one for a couple times. ✌🍻

absolute genius

It is very good nj use the clampping pliers for pressing the auxiliary strip to the workpiece.

I made a similar tool to install rivnuts in tighter spots where that 50$ tool wont even fit ....

Slick, simple and works well.

Great video, great info, thanks for sharing. Cheers

thanks! exactly what i was looking for to build my own custom sim rig/cockpit.

Just saved me a wad of money. Cheers!!

Great Idea thx for sharing

A genius alternative, with replaceable components if needed.

was looking for a way to do this without buying that tool. Thanks and subswcribed.

I have always just stacked 3 or 4 washers under the nut, with some grease between them, never used a plate. Also a little grease on the bolt threads. Use a grade 8 /class 10 nut and bolt.

You're an amazing man I can solve my problems. Thank you so much

Thanks for sharing!

Great and very useful trick ! Thanks a lot for sharing and… for the money saved ! 👍👍👍

If you have access to a lathe, you could turn down the shank of a few bolts to the largest common pop rivet shank diameter and use a commonly available rivet tool with a spacer.

Somebody stole your biceps, as well as all the other muscle in your arms. CALL SECURITY

TXH from Sweden. Useful video.

Use a threaded bar connecting nut, much longer thread. Less stress on the bolt/ nut.