I am actively working on a number of new products (hopefully to be sold via the Grenadier Works forum store some day) that will be mounted to the Utility Belt. The Grenadier "Utility Belt" is actually a system called L-track that came originally (I think) from aircraft freighter interior tie-down rails. The available off-the-shelf items for use with this rail is limited mostly to repositionable tie-down points, which are only designed to hold in tension. The aluminum extruded shape is fairly (but not perfectly) standardized, and you can but it from lots of sources. The insertion hole pattern is on a 1.0 inch spacing.
The snap-in repositionable items are great for tie-downs, but I want to attach items to the rail using threaded hardware for rigidity and theft deterrent. In this case items can still be readily removed with tools. I can find only one rigid mounting option out there for L-track; a threaded stud that is very common. This stud seems to be standardized on a 3/8"-24 thread (probably dates back to early aviation applications), and always engages such that it is aligned with a hole position, which requires the hardware to span about 1-1/2in (40mm). This width is inconvenient in some cases, particularly on the lower door mount locations (blocks) because they are very short sections of track and the hardware hangs out of the block.
Pic of threaded stud:
I have used these studs successfully and they are stout, but I am hoping for something more low-profile. Ideally I want to find a tapped T-nut that fits into the rail. I have searched with no success. I found steel plate style hardware that fits, but not well enough to be confidence-inspiring (it easily slips out of position vertically prior to tightening).
I designed a couple things that could work well, shown below:
I think this could be a great solution for some of the products I am working on, however getting them made economically requires a commitment to high volumes. This may be feasible, but I am really hoping someone out there can help me find something.
Any ideas??
The snap-in repositionable items are great for tie-downs, but I want to attach items to the rail using threaded hardware for rigidity and theft deterrent. In this case items can still be readily removed with tools. I can find only one rigid mounting option out there for L-track; a threaded stud that is very common. This stud seems to be standardized on a 3/8"-24 thread (probably dates back to early aviation applications), and always engages such that it is aligned with a hole position, which requires the hardware to span about 1-1/2in (40mm). This width is inconvenient in some cases, particularly on the lower door mount locations (blocks) because they are very short sections of track and the hardware hangs out of the block.
Pic of threaded stud:
I have used these studs successfully and they are stout, but I am hoping for something more low-profile. Ideally I want to find a tapped T-nut that fits into the rail. I have searched with no success. I found steel plate style hardware that fits, but not well enough to be confidence-inspiring (it easily slips out of position vertically prior to tightening).
I designed a couple things that could work well, shown below:
I think this could be a great solution for some of the products I am working on, however getting them made economically requires a commitment to high volumes. This may be feasible, but I am really hoping someone out there can help me find something.
Any ideas??
