The ultimate guide on how to install Nutserts

Nutserts (also called rivet nuts or rivnuts) are blind-installed threaded inserts. They give you a strong, reusable machine thread in sheet metal, tube or panel that is too thin to tap, and they install entirely from one side - no access behind the panel is needed. This guide covers the standard tool method, the bolt-and-nut method when you do not have a tool, and the special cases for rubber nuts, jack nuts and plus nuts.

Every metric nutsert we stock is coarse thread, so a standard metric bolt or machine screw of the same size will fit straight in. We also carry UNC and BSW imperial thread nutserts.

Not sure which nutsert you need? Try our Nutsert Finder to choose the right size, material and grip.

Tools you need

For every install: a drill, a drill bit matching the recommended hole size on the product page, anti-seize paste for the mandrel threads, and safety glasses.

Method 1: a nutsert tool with the mandrel and nosepiece matching your thread size - the POP PNT110 hand plier tool (M3 to M6) for smaller sizes and occasional jobs, or a ratchet tool like the POP PNT210 (M6 to M12) or RT-512 (M5 to M12 and 3/16 to 1/2) for larger sizes and volume work.

Match the tool to the nutsert material: stainless steel nutserts are much harder to set and need a ratchet style tool like the PNT210 or RT-512. Plier style tools like the PNT110 suit aluminium nutserts and small steel sizes (M4 and M5) - they are not suitable for stainless.

Anti-galling paste: a dab of anti-seize paste on the mandrel threads reduces friction and prevents galling. For stainless steel nutserts use a nickel based anti-seize like the Molytec nickel anti-seize 65g tube - copper based anti-seize should not be used on stainless.

Method 2 (no nutsert tool): a bolt of the matching thread, a nut, a flat washer and two spanners.

Rubber nuts, jack nuts and plus nuts: no nutsert tool at all - just a spanner or screwdriver for your screw or bolt.

Setting capacity by tool

Each nutsert tool is rated to set a range of sizes. Use the table below to match your tool to the nutsert size you are installing. A green tick means the tool sets that size in at least one material; the individual tool product page shows the per-material (aluminium / steel / stainless) breakdown.

Before you start - three things to check

1. Hole size. The recommended hole size is product-specific - it depends on the body diameter, head style and grip range. The exact drill size for each nutsert is listed on its product page. Never guess: a hole even 0.5mm oversize is the most common cause of a nutsert spinning later.

2. Grip range. The grip range is the panel-thickness window the nutsert is designed to clamp on. Measure your panel and pick a nutsert whose grip range covers it. The grip range for each size is shown on the product page.

3. Open end or closed end. Open end suits general work and longer bolts. Closed end has a sealed body - choose it where the back of the panel must stay sealed against water, dust or fumes, or where a protruding bolt tip could touch wiring or fuel lines.

Method 1 - Installing with a nutsert tool

This is the standard method for hex and round body metal nutserts. It works with the POP PNT110 hand plier tool for occasional jobs, or a ratchet tool like the POP PNT210 or RT-512 for larger sizes and volume work. You can find the full range in our nutsert tools category.

Step 1 - Drill the hole

Drill the recommended hole size from the product page, square to the panel. For hex body nutserts a round hole is still used - the hex corners bite into the hole edge as the body is drawn up. Deburr both sides of the hole so the flange can sit flat.

Step 2 - Fit the correct mandrel

Fit the mandrel and nosepiece that match the nutsert thread size (an M6 nutsert needs the M6 mandrel). Wind the nutsert onto the mandrel until the flange sits flush against the nosepiece. It should spin on freely - if it binds, check the mandrel size before forcing it. We recommend applying a small amount of anti-seize paste to the mandrel threads to reduce friction - it makes setting smoother and extends the life of the mandrel, especially with stainless steel nutserts.

Step 3 - Insert into the hole

Push the nutsert fully into the hole, holding the tool square to the panel, until the flange sits flat on the surface. If the tool is tilted the body will collapse unevenly and the thread can distort.

Step 4 - Set the nutsert

Squeeze the handles (or work the ratchet) to pull the mandrel back. The body collapses behind the panel and clamps it against the flange. Stop when you feel firm resistance and the flange is tight on the panel. Do not keep compressing past that point - over-setting strips the thread or cracks the bulge.

Step 5 - Release and unwind

Release the tool and unwind the mandrel out of the nutsert. On a hand tool, wind the mandrel out by hand or with the tool's release - do not yank it, which can pull the fresh thread.

Step 6 - Check the set

The flange should be tight against the panel with no rock, and the nutsert should not spin when you run a bolt in and snug it by hand. If it spins, see the troubleshooting table below. If the thread feels slightly tight, run a tap of the matching size through it - setting can distort the thread fractionally and a quick chase restores a clean fit.

Getting the stroke setting right

The stroke is how far the tool draws the mandrel back when it sets the nutsert. Every thread size, material and panel thickness needs a different amount of pull, and a stroke set wrong for the nutsert you are using is the single biggest cause of failed installs. Too little stroke under-sets the nutsert: the body never folds fully, nothing clamps the panel, and the nutsert spins or pulls out later. Too much stroke over-sets it: the thread distorts or strips, the bulge cracks, the flange dishes, and on small thread sizes the mandrel itself can snap.

Before working on the job, always set a test nutsert in a scrap piece of the same panel thickness. Inspect the back: the bulge should be even, fully formed and tight against the panel without being crushed. Run a bolt in by hand - it should engage cleanly with no binding. Adjust the stroke in small increments and test again until the set is right. Five minutes on scrap saves drilling out failures later. If a test piece is under-set you can sometimes run the cycle again to finish the fold, but repeated stroking on small mandrels risks snapping them - adjust the stroke instead. On a plier or lever tool like the PNT110, set the nutsert in one full continuous squeeze - releasing part way and re-squeezing produces an uneven fold. Ratchet tools like the PNT210 and RT-512 are different: they set incrementally by design, click by click, so just keep ratcheting in one continuous operation until you feel firm resistance. They are controlled by feel rather than a fixed stroke, so the test piece matters even more: note how many turns a correct set takes and repeat that on the job.

The installed nutsert tells you whether the stroke was right:

To remove a failed nutsert, drill it out with a drill bit the same size as the original installation hole, then set a new one.

Method 2 - Installing without a tool (bolt, nut and washer)

For one-off jobs you can set a metal nutsert with a bolt of the matching thread, a nut and a flat washer:

1. Thread the nut all the way up the bolt, slide the washer on, then wind the bolt into the nutsert until it bottoms out and back it off about half a turn.

2. Insert the nutsert into the drilled hole with the washer and nut against the flange.

3. Hold the bolt head still with one spanner so the bolt cannot rotate, and wind the nut down against the washer with a second spanner. This draws the bolt back and collapses the nutsert body exactly as a tool would.

4. Stop when the flange is tight and resistance rises sharply, then unwind the bolt. A drop of oil on the bolt thread makes the job noticeably easier.

This method is slower and needs more care on stainless nutserts - work steadily and use anti-seize on the bolt thread to avoid galling.

Rubber nuts - no tool needed

Rubber nuts have a brass thread insert bonded into a rubber body, and they do not use a nutsert tool. Push the rubber nut into the hole, then fit your screw or bolt. As you tighten it with a spanner or screwdriver, the brass insert is drawn up and the rubber body bulges behind the panel to lock it in place. Tightening installs it; there is no separate setting step. They also absorb vibration and seal the hole, which is why they are popular on automotive panels, number plates and thin or brittle materials.

Jack nuts and plus nuts - no specialist tool

Jack nuts (splay-leg) and plus nuts collapse with the bolt-and-washer method above - there is no dedicated setting tool for them. Their legs or lobes fold out over a wide footprint behind the panel, which spreads the load. That makes them the right choice for very thin sheet, fibreglass, plastics and other brittle or soft materials where a standard nutsert bulge would crush or crack the panel. Set them gently - stop as soon as the legs have folded and the flange is snug.

Troubleshooting

A note on sizing

Nutsert length is measured overall, head included - from the top of the head to the end of the body, for every head style. The size that actually matters for installation is the grip range, which must cover your panel thickness, and the recommended hole size, which is listed on each product page.

Browse nutserts by style

Browse nutserts by material

Browse the full range of nutserts and rivet nuts or the matching nutsert installation tools.

This guide describes general installation practice. Always confirm hole size and grip range against the specifications on the individual product page before drilling.

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