Making a box to hold a solar panel

**ratchet** · 18th September 2009, 01:35 PM

I am making a box to hold a solar panel

because I want to store the box in the back of a car I want the top and bottom of the box to be flush and the inside to have minimal obstruction

I am making the sides out of 100 mm channel as the total width of the box needs to able to fit across the flat area of the station wagon

I want to place the bolts from the inside of the channel up and into the MDF

I am trying to find the "nuts" which are flush on the top and shaped a bit like funnels which fit into the wood , They have a slot across the top or two holes so you can tighten them

cannot find them , probably help if I knew what they were called and what they were generally used in , ie furniture , cars , Ikea ???

I can probably make holes in the MDF and use normal nuts , but my MDF is 12mm ( to minimize weight ) and a nut and washer would take about 6mm of space)

I have thought of usinf metal plate screws , but access is a bit tight from the inside , and outside would have the screw protrude into the box

Can anybody help find out where to buy some

**Rocker** · 18th September 2009, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by ratchet

I am trying to find the "nuts" which are flush on the top and shaped a bit like funnels which fit into the wood , They have a slot across the top or two holes so you can tighten them

Sounds as though you mean 'threaded inserts'; but you might actually find that tee-nuts would be more suitable for your application. I would not trust threaded inserts to hold for long in MDF. Tee-nuts have a wide flange which could be countersunk about 2 mm into the MDF.

Rocker

**cultana** · 18th September 2009, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by ratchet

I want to place the bolts from the inside of the channel up and into the MDF

I am trying to find the "nuts" which are flush on the top and shaped a bit like funnels which fit into the wood , They have a slot across the top or two holes so you can tighten them

you could try:
https://www.bolt.com.au/index.php?cPath=1010_1086

In some ways you are talking about connector bolts:
https://www.bolt.com.au/index.php?cPath=1010_1098

just a thought

**Harry72** · 19th September 2009, 09:36 AM

Yep T nuts and 6M 12mm demon bolts, with 3mm thick ali its possible to countersink them near flush

IMHO I wouldnt trust 12mm mdf to protect a expensive solar panel if things are getting stacked on top of it. 12mm MDF is to flexible too span over 300mm to bear any real weight.

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