I am fabricating some leveling feet tubes that will reside under my Bridgeport clone (similar to the pic below, but 2in x 3in and thicker wall).
The leveling feet will be spaced a little wider apart than those in the pic to accommodate the forks on my pallet jack, consequently the rectangular tube will be longer.
I need to "attach" a fastener inside the tube in order to screw in the long 1/2-13 bolts circled in white. The 1/4 inch thick tube wall would not provide adequate thread engagement if I were to simply tap the hole.
I originally thought I would simply turn a shoulder on some standard nuts, carefully located them inside the tube, and weld them in place at the outside surface, but then I thought that this might anneal the nut ruining it's strength.
I can't simply run the bolt through both sides of the the tube and apply a nut on the far side because it needs to clear the forks on the pallet jack.
I'm not finding any nutsert type system for 1/2-13.
Now I'm thinking I may drill and tap some appropriately thick flat stock for 1/2-13 and "pin it" in place inside the tube for a no-weld solution.
I know I'm probably over thinking this but...
Can anyone offer some pears of wisdom, or an alternative approach?
The leveling feet will be spaced a little wider apart than those in the pic to accommodate the forks on my pallet jack, consequently the rectangular tube will be longer.
I need to "attach" a fastener inside the tube in order to screw in the long 1/2-13 bolts circled in white. The 1/4 inch thick tube wall would not provide adequate thread engagement if I were to simply tap the hole.
I originally thought I would simply turn a shoulder on some standard nuts, carefully located them inside the tube, and weld them in place at the outside surface, but then I thought that this might anneal the nut ruining it's strength.
I can't simply run the bolt through both sides of the the tube and apply a nut on the far side because it needs to clear the forks on the pallet jack.
I'm not finding any nutsert type system for 1/2-13.
Now I'm thinking I may drill and tap some appropriately thick flat stock for 1/2-13 and "pin it" in place inside the tube for a no-weld solution.
I know I'm probably over thinking this but...
Can anyone offer some pears of wisdom, or an alternative approach?