Is it possible to change out the brass barrel nuts in a tuttle head? Ive got a couple stripped threads which is ok but I'd prefer to change it out if its not a big deal....Ive tapped it a bit from the side but its pretty firm in there. Is there a trick to this? Thanks

It is only a press fit.

Get a bigger hammer

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SurferKris said..
It is only a press fit.

Well, most of the time maybe, but there's been a lot of different people making fins from all over the world, I wouldn't take it for granted. Mine quite often are bogged in because my drill is a bit bigger than the insert.
If you support the head as close as you can to the insert you should be able to hit it very hard without doing damage. Where it's unsupported there's a danger of delaminating some fibres. Ideally something with a hole in it a fraction bigger than the insert.

ok, thanks guys...I'll grow some bigger barrel nuts and flog it like a man.....

Dam good flogging

You might have sockets of precisely the correct size.

Maybe put it in the freezer to shrink the brass before you bang it?

use sockets and a vise to press them in/out

good thinking, a small socket on the nut and a bigger one on the other side

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fjdoug said..
use sockets and a vise to press them in/out

never done it, but pressing it out seems a lot safer.

Sit it on a socket slightly bigger ID than the nut and press the nut with a socket slightly smaller OD than the nut.

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remery said..
Sit it on a socket slightly bigger ID than the nut and press the nut with a socket slightly smaller OD than the nut.

you can also use a g-clamp instead of a vise

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fjdoug said..
use sockets and a vise to press them in/out

This is a good method as you don't run the risk of taking out a large chunk of the base. Touch of crc can help too.

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pepe47 said..

fjdoug said..
use sockets and a vise to press them in/out

This is a good method as you don't run the risk of taking out a large chunk of the base. Touch of crc can help too.

yeah, good ideas pepe and fjdoug, spray a solvent like crc or wd40 into the hole filling to the top of the barrel nut, then insert a long screw you use to attach fin to board into barrel nut and rock screw back and forth to get the solvent in between barrel nut and base before pressing out.

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fjdoug said..
use sockets and a vise to press them in/out

That is a good idea. I normally use an 8mm socket and hammer. I will try your idea with the vice next time.

They are like 30 bucks.
Could make them yourself for cheaper if you had a lathe.
Idk

Been thinking about it a couple days , and I'm not so sure if it's a good idea using WD 40 or any solvent on these nuts . It could soften the resin and then if it's a loose fit putting a new one in , the glue \ resin won't stick . I'd go with a solid punch or socket method . Also not sure of freezing the fin to shrink the nut , it will make the resin brittle .
Fun police

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Imax1 said..
Been thinking about it a couple days , and I'm not so sure if it's a good idea using WD 40 or any solvent on these nuts . It could soften the resin and then if it's a loose fit putting a new one in , the glue \ resin won't stick . I'd go with a solid punch or socket method . Also not sure of freezing the fin to shrink the nut , it will make the resin brittle .
Fun police

It's fine if the 12 day period of resin set is observed.
The crc can be cleaned up with acetone.
On the issue of expense, I have some if anyone needs them. Pm me if you are in need..

I have used WD40 to clean out wing and stab. screw inserts in the carbon fuselage that got gooked up with lithium grease, I soaked them repeatedly and used a Qtip to clean out the grease, I also use WD40 to lubricate all the foil screws, no way WD40 can harm cured carbon fiber, at least not on my AFS foil which was cured using heat and pressure. Just wiped fuselage with a rag to remove WD40, did not do anything to remove the WD40 in the inserts except for the Qtips.

I had a 100% carbon mast get stuck once, so I soaked the joint repeatedly with WD40, and let the mast stand overnight upside down so WD 40 could drain into the joint (used duck tape to make a collar around the joint to hold WD40 at the joint), in the morning used two boom hitch knots to lock lower half of mast and twisted mast apart, "inside" of joint was wet with WD40, so it got into it. Still using that same mast years later and the joint is in perfect condition. Just wiped joint with a rag to remove WD40.