Need a white plastic nut

[branimal]

I installed an exhaust fan into my vent and the original cover won’t cover up the hole in the sheetrock. I bought an after market cover which covers the sheetrock hole. It comes with a white plastic screw while the fan has a metal bolt. Both the screw and the bolt coming out of the fan are about similar sizes but different threads - fine vs coarse.

I’ve messed around with coupling nuts with no success. Any ideas on how to connect them?

Thinking I’m might just get a Nut for the fan bolt and paint it white.

Any more elegant solutions?

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[SILVERPLATE]

I would check an Ace Hardware.

 

[MEngineer]

If that fails, McMaster.com will definitely work

 

[NUTTSGT]

How about a wood cabinet knob ? After you get the threads "made" take it back off and paint it white.

 

[bob15]

McMasterr Carr has all shapes, types and sizes of plastic nuts

 

[D45]

True Value has a good selection

 

[Scott H in Wheaton]

Swap out the metal screw for the plastic one

 

[branimal]

True value has better selection than say Home Depot for nuts? Never knew that.

Scott - the screw in the fan is “Machined” in there - I’m pretty sure. I’ll double check.

Some good tips here. Thx as always.


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[bwringer]

True value has better selection than say Home Depot for nuts? Never knew that.

Yes, any REAL hardware store (True Value, Ace, DoItBest) will have a much better selection of fasteners than bLowes, Home Despot, or Meanards.

 

[Jimithing616]

Menards, if you've got em by you. They have an insane amount of hardware, ten times what HD or lowes stock.

If not, eBay. Or as other posters said.

Good luck

 

[Jimithing616]

Yes, any REAL hardware store (True Value, Ace, DoItBest) will have a much better selection of fasteners than bLowes, Home Despot, or Meanards.

In my area the small REAL hardware stores Dont by any measure stock as many fasteners as menards does. But, YMMV

 

[gungatim]

I would think, you could easily re-thread the plastic fine nut to course using the steel stud in the fan if you didn't have a tap handy...many plastic nuts are form-a-thread anyway...if it were me, I'd just get a wing nut from the hardware store and be done...

 

[Zippercat]

White nail polish on metal nut. Fast, easy and durable. Plus, your wife, daughter or son (NTTAWWT) might already have some.

 

[machine_punk]

Ace Hardware has a great selection of plastic nuts.

 

[cdestuck]

Zip that stud off with a dremel tool. Drill a hole there and JB weld a nut onto the bracket. On the top side of the bracket if your screws long enough

 

[MikeF2316]

That looks like it may be ¼-20. Usually plastic license plate hardware is that.

 

[James-W]

I think you had the right idea with using a nut and paint it white. I would suggest possibly using a fender washer as well, but that is something which would be optional.

If you live close to me you could bring it over and I will make a plastic nut for you. I have a chunk of really strong plastic that would work quite well for making a small nut. I live in Southeast Wisconsin, where do you live?

 

[fivespdcat]

Amazon has tons of nylon screws and nuts.

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[RStewart]

White out might work in a pinch?

 

[rslaback]

If you have taps just make your own coupling nut. From the looks of the install you don't really need the two screws to be perfectly concentric. Take a block that is about 1/2 x 3/4 and thread through holes of both sizes. Then just thread that onto the fan and then screw the cover into the coupler.

 

[kbs2244]

Why is that nut above the screw there?
It looks like the universal 1/4 x 20 nut.
You can find a white bolt that will screw in there.