# Where to buy T bolts?



## Eazygeezer (Sep 23, 2013)

Hi, can anyone guide me to a stockist of t Bolts, I have bought some t track to help with my table fences but cannot seem to find t bolts anywhere?
Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere but I ran t bolt into the search bar and couldnt find anything

thanks

lee


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Plumbing dept at Lowes. Get the bolts used to anchor the toilet.


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## Badlandsbuzz (Jul 21, 2010)

Lee;
Mr. Stringer is correct, but he may not of realized just where you are from and "Lowes" may not be a store that you have in the United Kingdom. 

What he was talking about is what you may refer to as a loo bolt - closet bolt or commode bolt. 

Some t-track maybe able to use standard hex head bolts such as a 1/4" - 20 or your metric equivalent. 

Most woodworking store should handle them. Not sure if you have access to Rockler or Woodcraft. 

Jim


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## rwbaker (Feb 25, 2010)

I ran into the same problem several years ago and got some carriage bolts and filed 2 parallel sides until they would slide, another option is to check the UK Amazon site. Woodcraft, a US wood workers chain carries them here (over priced, but available)

Other than that, good luck - Baker


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## Eazygeezer (Sep 23, 2013)

its bizarre, the US site carries them and the UK one doesn't. However I was thinking that the toilet bolts over here are not t shaped anymore so I might have to grind something. I thought Axminster might have something seeing as how that was where I bought the t track from but no joy.
It's kind of like selling glasses with no glass in them, the one is pretty much useless without the other lol.
I'll keep searching but might have to resort to carriage bolts and my grinder, joy!


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Approximately 3 years ago, I started a thread entitled, "T-Bolts: The Ugly Truth". Let's see, I can get a 2- pack for $8.99 from one store *or* go to the plumbing supply house and buy a 5 pound bag for the same cost...Let me get out my calculator!

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Just a thought, Easy. My saw table fence has slots for feather boards and other jigs that came with the fence. They use a bolt (head is six sided I think) in the slot and then a threaded knob on the threaded end to lock it down.
A square head would work. That, or epoxy a nut on the threads, if you need the head to be exposed.
Over here, a 1/4-20 bolt and nut is pretty standard on these tracks.


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## tvman44 (Jun 25, 2013)

Rockler, Woodcraft if you have access to them.:stop:


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## deputydawg42 (Dec 22, 2013)

Try Amazon.com. I made many purchases on jig accessory kits.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Sorry Lee. I didn't realize you live across the pond. I have had some problems with t track and hex head bolts, because the bolt head hits the screws supplied with the track. Short of grinding the head thinner, I looked for alternatives. The toilet flange bolts seem to work well.

Good luck...and post some pics of your set up when you get time.
Mike


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

*2nd Vote for Letting the Toilet Rock*

I have a bag of them and they all look, suspiciously, like toilet flange bolts. some of them have grooves every so far along the threads so you can break them off to the height you want.

I believe all mine are 1/4" x 20 threads. They play nicely with the bag of 1/4" 20 knobs I have (some store bought, some made from wood and "T" nuts).




OPG3 said:


> Approximately 3 years ago, I started a thread entitled, "T-Bolts: The Ugly Truth". Let's see, I can get a 2- pack for $8.99 from one store *or* go to the plumbing supply house and buy a 5 pound bag for the same cost...Let me get out my calculator!
> 
> Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Buy Dakota T Slot Bolts online at Rutlands.co.uk


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Semipro said:


> Buy Dakota T Slot Bolts online at Rutlands.co.uk


John wins! Good work on the research.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Dejure said:


> I have a bag of them and they all look, suspiciously, like toilet flange bolts. some of them have grooves every so far along the threads so you can break them off to the height you want.
> 
> I believe all mine are 1/4" x 20 threads. They play nicely with the bag of 1/4" 20 knobs I have (some store bought, some made from wood and "T" nuts).


You are right Kelly.... you have a sack full of Anchor/toilet/flange/commode/crapper/john/[email protected]##* Bolts. The place I work gets commodes to install that come with their own bolts plus we buy our own (Like yours that you can snap to size) for installation. So I'll grab a jar full of the throw away bolts when needed..... one mans trash is another mans treasure!!!


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

rwbaker said:


> i ran into the same problem several years ago and got some carriage bolts and filed 2 parallel sides until they would slide


+1


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## Eazygeezer (Sep 23, 2013)

I had a quick look on the axminster website again this morning and they sell a jig accessory kit for £35, however it has a ton of t bolts of different sizes, plastic knobs and all manner of other useful bits. 

Plus they are made specifically for the t track that axminster sell.

I did want to buy just the bolts and make my own knobs but I think I need to prioritise my work as I seem to be jumping from one project to the next without finishing any at all.

I want to complete my bench first, but I need my bandsaw working so I can cut some 1/8" hardwood springs for my bench dogs, currently waiting for the band saw tires which are going to take at least 7 working days to be delivered.

I am also waiting for a shoulder vice to come back into stock so I can put my vice assembly in the bench as well which will turn my bench into something other than a big ugly table.

At the moment I'm in the middle of making my bench, my router table fence, a marking gauge and a drill press jig.

I guess I'm just a little impatient and want to make whatever I can while I'm waiting for my other hardware etc to arrive 

Once I have completed the bench with all slots etc I will be able to better organise everything, plus the wife is nagging me to move all my gear from inside the house and into the shed. I'll take some shots when everything is done, space is most definitely at a premium so I might well be asking you guys for some ideas on storage and space conservation!!!

Thanks for all the advice


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

I'm often horrible about finishing my thoughts, or leaving them dangling. Truth is, the T bolts I described were from my handyman business (i.e., toilet installs).

I, too have done the "grind a carriage bolt down" thing. As well, I found grinding the face of standard bolts works too, when I need a longer bolt for the smaller T tracks. 





Marco said:


> You are right Kelly.... you have a sack full of Anchor/toilet/flange/commode/crapper/john/[email protected]##* Bolts. The place I work gets commodes to install that come with their own bolts plus we buy our own (Like yours that you can snap to size) for installation. So I'll grab a jar full of the throw away bolts when needed..... one mans trash is another mans treasure!!!


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## OldEd (Feb 4, 2014)

*I don't believe...*

I went to the Rutlands site: I just DON'T BELIEVE the prices they are charging for their stuff. What a rip-off...

I feel like sending the poor guy a care package...


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Edward that was for 10 bolts about the same price as in the states depends on lenght


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

OldEd said:


> I went to the Rutlands site: I just DON'T BELIEVE the prices they are charging for their stuff. What a rip-off...


And welcome to the rip-off world that is the UK.

We don't make anything anymore so you have to add a stupid amount for shipping to get it here.:angry:


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## OldEd (Feb 4, 2014)

I believe you. The U.S. of A. is getting to be the same way. Just about everything is made in China these days. And you wouldn't believe the lousy quality. My wife and I bought a "futon" - in case you aren't familiar with these, they are a sort of couch in which the "seat" and "back" are all one mattressy thing, and the frame back folds down to make a bed sort of thing. Actually the seat lifts-and-pulls up-and-forwards while the back sort of folds down and back and slides forward to form a bed-thing that won't tip over.

It came disassembled...

Theoretically, it was no sweat to put together. After all I have a lot of mechanical experience, and have full sets of wrenches and things: both metric and inch. 

First of all parts were missing. Secondly, some of the parts that were sent were unusable: three machine screws with threads that were neither inch-standard or metric-standard with malformed heads - unusable.

The ones that were usable had a odd-sized allen wrench to fasten them with - except that the wrench was too short to drive two of the (very important) screws.

And things went on like that. The screws were only the start of missing or unusable parts.

It took two days to speak to someone who could help us get the proper replacement parts. Then they took a week to arrive, after supposedly being sent next day air. 

All in all, I managed to get the thing put together properly, despite some of the instructions having been translated by someone who knew no english.

I had to drill out some of the threaded holes and use inch standard parts.

Sorry to vent on you this way, but for the country that was the arsenal of democracy in WWII, turning out bombers and battleships almost as fast as we turned out coke bottles to have descended so far makes me sick, sick, sick.


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## db5 (Nov 12, 2013)

If you have a bench grinder you can make your own from regular bolts. Much less expensive than the ones for attaching the toilet to the floor and you can determine the size (otherwise you have a choice of two sizes). Look in your "hell box", where you throw stuff and it is hell to find it later for the bolts you want. If you don't have a "hell" box it is time to start one. In a few years you will seldom have to go to the hardware store for anything. In the meantime, sort out that "hell" box and store things in easily identifiable boxes or drawers so it won't be hell to find it when you want it.


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## fleetinglyshort (Oct 22, 2013)

I don't have a bench grinder (yet) but I was wondering if you found the cheapest place in the UK for T-Bolts?

Did you buy the UJK Universal T-Track from Axminster? I can only see the UJK stuff on their router table accessories. 

Just wondering before I buy my own stuff!


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## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

Hi Lee, you might want to check eBay, I think I remember someone from the UK saying that's where they found them.

Dick


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Eazygeezer said:


> Hi, can anyone guide me to a stockist of t Bolts, I have bought some t track to help with my table fences but cannot seem to find t bolts anywhere?
> Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere but I ran t bolt into the search bar and couldnt find anything
> 
> thanks
> ...


As another option, lawn mowers typically use thru-carriage-tbolts to secure the handle. They are typically crowned but will fit tracks with a bit of filing/polishing...Nick


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