5/16 in.-18 tpi Solid Brass Wood Insert Nut

Ignore the other guy's the 2 star review. The slot in this insert is to cut threads....not to put a screw driver in. The slotted side goes in the hole first. Then take your bolt....put two nuts on it, back the insert up to the nuts.....screw it in....back off the nuts....and unscrew the bolt. You're done. You may also want to put a dab of super glue or epoxy on the insert before installing it. If you have a drill press....even easier. But turn the chuck by hand...DON"T turn the press on.

I would comment on the other review that the slot goes in 1st. This is designed for the available tool to drive the insert in. It has nothing to do with cutting threads and you will see the 1st thread at the bottom is a lead in diameter. It also enables removal if need be. I wouldn't use a screwdriver to install, as if your hole is too tight these are brass, you can easily break out of the slots with a screwdriver which is tapered and doesn't provide full contact square to the slots. That's why it's best to use the tool or fab one yourself and of course you can always use 2 nuts on a bolt to install... Overall though, these are nice if you really want to include brass in your workpiece but as it's a soft metal, it will flex if any angular load is applied like if you use these to affix table legs. You should consider carbon steel or stainless E-Z Loks which actually are fine for installing with any screwdriver that will fit in the slot, as those are tough materials and can handle some good force. 0.625 length is ok length for stability. I have used epoxy and just naked inserts and they don't wiggle out but if it's a table that gets moved or leaned on sometimes, bolts will wear the internal thread over time. Again I recommend the steel variants of these for any use other than decorative pieces but these are a good value from HD

Try one before you use in real work. The product is very soft. So soft, using the flat screw driver to drive the Inset Nut even into the softest wood will definitely clip-off the head. I had better success using a machine screw and tighten the Insert Nut into a pre-drilled hole, and then remove the machine screw. Even then, I had to drive the Insert Nut in reverse (the end with flat screwdriver head goes into the pre-drilled hole), else, the head just jams on to the threads of machine screw. May be, I might be using it wrong, nevertheless, I would strongly recommend trying the nut on a scrap piece of similar wood before trying it on your project, this way you get a better idea on how soft the brass nut is. ITS NOT brass-plated, IT IS brass. Or may be, its is a brass nut with brass-plating :-)