The Ford Barn

Conaway2 · 03-19-2025, 09:07 AM

As I’m replacing some top wood pieces on a 29 Sport Coupe, I may not be able to salvage all the special recessed nuts pressed into some of the wood pieces. Does anyone know of a source for these nuts ?
Thanks very much - Jim

rotorwrench · 03-19-2025, 03:13 PM

I gave up looking a long time ago but I have fabricated them with my lathe when needed. Cutting the slot is tricky though. I had to make a tool to hold them. The alternative is to use T nuts since they are covered up pretty well.

Those tapered nuts always rust out for the most part. A person has to start with a smaller counter bore to get them to fit tight. A T-nut needs very little counter bore to make it flush but then a person has to watch how much the screw protrudes. Hardware for these installations always seems to be a fabrication game to get an authentic restoration.

JoeCB · 03-19-2025, 04:19 PM

Search "Wood EZ-LOK" brass inserts ... these should work, depending on the internal thread size required. There are on e-bay and other places

Joe B

noboD · 03-19-2025, 04:49 PM

If you are making them cut the slot in first with a woodruff key cutter. Then thread them on a screw held in the lathe chuck and cut the angle, Easy Peazy.

Conaway2 · 03-22-2025, 09:03 AM

Thanks everyone for responding. Looks like I may have to fabricate a few of these. Since these attach to carriage bolts, the nut has to be tightened with a special screwdriver. I don’t the think EZ lok inserts will work without some modification.
Jim

rotorwrench · 03-22-2025, 10:04 AM

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Ford Wood offers hardware kits for their sport and business coupe top wood kits but I've never purchased any of that stuff from them so I don't know what they offer. Other than the brad type Tee nuts, the only other alternative is the Tubular Nuts such as the ones that hold the rear bow braces to the bow but the holes would have to be undrilled to do that. I'm not sure how there wood pieces come either but most require some finishing.

A person that has mill and lathe equipment could set up to make them pretty easy using a mill with a thin blade cutter to cut the slot in several blanks at a time and then use the lathe to do final shaping and the drill/tap operation for the threaded part.

03-19-2025, 03:13 PM	#2
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 17,410	Re: Top Wood Nuts and Bolts ?? I gave up looking a long time ago but I have fabricated them with my lathe when needed. Cutting the slot is tricky though. I had to make a tool to hold them. The alternative is to use T nuts since they are covered up pretty well. Those tapered nuts always rust out for the most part. A person has to start with a smaller counter bore to get them to fit tight. A T-nut needs very little counter bore to make it flush but then a person has to watch how much the screw protrudes. Hardware for these installations always seems to be a fabrication game to get an authentic restoration.

03-19-2025, 04:19 PM	#3
JoeCB Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Farmington MI Posts: 366	Re: Top Wood Nuts and Bolts ?? Search "Wood EZ-LOK" brass inserts ... these should work, depending on the internal thread size required. There are on e-bay and other places Joe B

03-19-2025, 04:49 PM	#4
noboD Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 370	Re: Top Wood Nuts and Bolts ?? If you are making them cut the slot in first with a woodruff key cutter. Then thread them on a screw held in the lathe chuck and cut the angle, Easy Peazy.

03-22-2025, 09:03 AM	#5
Conaway2 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Mt. Pleasant, SC Posts: 632	Re: Top Wood Nuts and Bolts ?? Thanks everyone for responding. Looks like I may have to fabricate a few of these. Since these attach to carriage bolts, the nut has to be tightened with a special screwdriver. I don’t the think EZ lok inserts will work without some modification. Jim

03-22-2025, 10:04 AM	#6
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 17,410	Re: Top Wood Nuts and Bolts ?? Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Ford Wood offers hardware kits for their sport and business coupe top wood kits but I've never purchased any of that stuff from them so I don't know what they offer. Other than the brad type Tee nuts, the only other alternative is the Tubular Nuts such as the ones that hold the rear bow braces to the bow but the holes would have to be undrilled to do that. I'm not sure how there wood pieces come either but most require some finishing. A person that has mill and lathe equipment could set up to make them pretty easy using a mill with a thin blade cutter to cut the slot in several blanks at a time and then use the lathe to do final shaping and the drill/tap operation for the threaded part.