Square machine nuts for seats/thwarts

[Michael Grace]

I try to be as historically accurate as possible when restoring. I want to find square machine nuts in brass or bronze (the type many canoe makers used when attaching seats and thwarts) to replace missing ones, or to use when replacing steel seat/thwart bolts. Maybe some would rather call this "anal"- you can't normally see 'em, and most folks wouldn't know what was under that seat or thwart, but to me a square nut makes a big difference over a hex nut.

Question- does anyone know where to find such? I've looked all over to little avail. They are still made (in India, at least) but so far I haven't found any available in North America. Please respond if you know a source, OR if you might also want some- I don't need many, but I might have to purchase a substantial quantity.

Michael

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Hi Mike,

Other searching the internet like you, how many and what size are you looking for?

I routinely replace them with SS lock nuts and may have what you need. Pretty sure I could come up with a bunch of 1/4-20's.

Let me know.

Dan

 

[Michael Grace]

Hey, Dan-

Thanks very much for your kind offer, but I'm really looking for square brass or bronze 10-24 square nuts. These or similar size were used, and I want to use the same. Currently, I am replacing the old steel in a couple of courting canoes from the Charles River area. These are two very different styles, and of very different ages, but both have their wide thwarts attached with steel 10-24 machine screws and steel square nuts. Again, maybe no one else will ever know the difference, but I will. For me, part of the fun (and much of the frustration) is in the details.

Thanks again,
Michael

 

[Dan Miller]

Hi Michael,

I don't expect it would be hard to make your own starting with brass or bronze bar stock of the appropriate width (available from places like McMaster-Carr). Drill and tap a hole, then cut them to size.

Cheers,
Dan

 

[Michael Grace]

Hi Dan-

I was thinking the same- can cut square bar stock cleanly on the band saw. Maybe this way I would REALLY appreciate all the hidden work that no one will ever see, and that could have been done much more quickly and efficiently in any number of other ways... I should have my head examined, but my wife tells me there's not very much to examine!

Michael

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Mike,

I'll look tonight and post a response Monday.

(I replace the square brass/bronse with the SS (to get the locking feature), and so have a number of them in containers just waiting for......)

Dan

 

[Bill Whalen]

Mike:

Here you will find square nuts:

http://www.boltdepot.com/product.aspx?cc=7&cs=99&cm=7

whalen

(say, us FL guys have got to get together sometime....)

 

[Michael Grace]

Hey, Bill (that's a little bit of Southern comin' out),

Yep, I found that site...but really looking for brass or bronze. I know, I'm SOOOO hard to please! Thanks, though. And yeah, we've gotta get out and visit each other. You're always welcome to visit here. But we really oughta go do some paddling.

***If you live in the Great White North, DO NOT read on***

We're just getting into the finest weather of the year. That cold front the other day finally gave us a break from the heat, and it's easy livin' from here on 'till April or May! Were you down here last winter? I think so, but if not you're in for a great treat. At least where we are on the coast, even Jan. and Feb. are barefoot and shorts weather...gotta love it! Everglades never really seems to cool down, but we usually take a canoe trip through there in late January, and it's pretty nice. The Harrier mosqitoes can still be bad in the bush, but if you paddle a breezy channel through the mangroves, neither they nor the heat will likely kill you. And the crocs- oh, the crocs! When you see one of those rare beauties, the gators just look like so much fluff!

hoping we run into each other soon,
Michael

 

[Dan Miller]

At least where we are on the coast, even Jan. and Feb. are barefoot and shorts weather...gotta love it!

Hey Michael,

While you guys are stuck down there pickin' sand from between your toes, we'll be up here snowshoeing and canoe-bogganing, fixing up our boats for next summer, and havin' a good time! Plus, we don't need to worry about when the next hurricane is coming. I thought for sure we'd have to mount a rescue expedition to retrieve Whalen and Wanda from Panama or somewhere...

Cheers,
Dan, who successfully avoided San Diego, where they claim the weather is even better than Florida.

 

[davelanthier]

Michael,talk about rubbing sand in [ beach sand that is ]. All our small lakes are iced over and there's already plenty of snow on the ski hills .

 

[Michael Grace]

Ice already?! Snow?!! I must say, though- as nice as winters are here (oh yeah-thanks for reminding me of the hurricanes Dan!), we sure do miss those crisp mornings and cold nights warmed by the fire. You should see the huge hearth and fireplace we have here...we keep candles in it 'cause there's no way you'd ever want a real fire! (Though I suppose we could have a fire if we open the windows and turn up the ceiling fans up high!)

A few weeks ago, I travelled up through PA, NY, the length of VT, across NH, to the coast of ME, and then back down here. What a fantastic treat to see all stages of fall, and to see colors like I've never seen! We simply don't get such colorful Falls anywhere in the South, and I've never been in the North during the peak of colors. We do have maples here- they call 'em "swamp maples"- and they get some color before dropping leaves in December...but then by mid-January, they've already got seeds and leaves! What a strange world it is down here.

M

 

[dboles]

Yep for the ice and snow.We had near a foot of snow but it is fast disappearing with the last three days of rain.So Mike with all that travelling how about posting some pictures of the new addition to the fleet.You did travel all that way for a new canoe right??

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Yes, pics.

But, I'm not able to help with the square nuts Mike.
The 10-24's are already hex and the squares are 1/4-20.

Now make'en them, if you were to get a piece of 1/8 or so thick bar stock, and get it the correct width, then all you'd have to do is drill and tap a bunch of holes and cut them off.

Let us know what you end up doing.

Dan