FILENAMES: NUTPLATE.JPG DESCRIPTION: This is a picture of an alignment tool for installing nutplates. Posted by Ted Edwards . Ted provided the following description: ================================================================= Installing Nutplates E.M. (Ted) Edwards Ted_E@bc.sympatico.ca See also NUTPLATE.JPG Nutplates make an excellent permanent fastener for sheet metal. These are a plate with a threaded center hole and one or two holes for mounting. The two hole type are the more common. The bad news is that they are a serious pain to install without a special installation tool. The good news is that it is very easy to make and use the tool. Take a look at the photo then come back here. The photo shows 6-32 self locking nutplates. Installation First, drill or punch a clearance hole for the screw (#28 or 9/64" for #6 screws) where you want the screw to be. Then insert the large pin on the tool into the hole with the side that has only one pin protruding toward the work piece. Orient the tool such that the drill guide hole is where you want one of the mounting holes for the nutplate to be and drill that hole. For the nutplates shown, that's a #40 drill. Now flip the tool over and set it against the work piece with both pins in the appropriate holes and drill the second mounting hole. I usually countersink the outside surface of the workpiece for fastening the nutplates with 3/32" flat head aluminum rivets. Before I rivet on the nutplates, I drill or punch the mating holes in the piece to be secured. Drilling or punching one hole and fastening with clecos as you go along drilling/punching the others makes this easy. The Tool The tool shown in the photo is made from a 6" long piece of 1/8 x 9/16" aluminum fished out of my scrap box. I drilled a tight #6 clearance hole and secured a nutplate to the tool with a 6-32 screw. I then used a transfer punch to mark the locations of the two mounting holes. All three holes were drilled and reamed to 0.185". The pins and drill guide were machined from 3/16" drill rod (silver steel to Brits). The guide was hardened and tempered for longevity but I didn't bother hardening the pins. The guide and pins were then pressed into the aluminum handle. Carefull, acurate work on the tool will make installing the nutplates a piece of cake.