Typically no, the bite of a large diameter thread into compressed wood is much better than small diameter steel on steel threads
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What Zach said, although I have had a couple back out before.
BUT, if you use a tiny bit of epoxy when you put them in, then it becomes much less likely they will back out and much more likely that you will use too much epoxy and get it into the threads by accident 
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I’m not using them on wood. It will be either into the ABS or epoxy once I figure out the layout of everything. I just drill holes for wood and use bolts and nuts since I know those work and won’t come undone. Also threaded inserts are expensive af
Got pics of the inserts you use?
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I’d recommend using 3M scotchlite/engineer grade reflective on the helmet instead of the 3430. The prismatic films like 3430, 3930, 4090 etc will reflect a lot (since they’re traffic sign material) but they have open cells in it that you would be cutting into and they don’t seal unless you cut it with a specialty hot knife cutter. The open cells will collect dirt and junk and if you get water in it,
It will eventually delaminate and get crappy. The scotchlite stuff will still reflect plenty but is way more conformable (they make wrap films with it).
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There was one company selling these years ago… Ridesafe maybe?
Rydesafe. I’m still counting it.
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They’re also all over AliExpress
Quality not guaranteed
That particular post is not relevant to how I am using them. They are going into blind holes and are not being used to secure the enclosure to the deck. Also my threaded inserts fit size # 4 - 40 bolts and I don’t have any that are longer than the inserts to even try your method with.
Very smol but they have to be small to put them on the black circles at the corners of the box:
Basically, the plan is to have the enclosure have two lids: the bottom with the heat sink epoxied to it, and then the top which will be bolted onto the enclosure. Just to make it easy to get into the enclosure to adjust everything, or at least that was the idea. Currently I am not doubting how that feature will make anything easier once it is on the deck…
I may also create little tabs on the outside of the enclosure and leave the top open completely and just not use the inserts at all.
I still need to decide what I’m doing for the phase wires first though. I’m not sure I want the connectors to be outside of the enclosure but they may end up having to be on the outside to reach the motors.
Also the surface of the VESC looks weird on camera because of a thick layer of conformal coating. I didn’t really bother to coat it with a level layer because I wasn’t going to ruin a good paint brush to put it on
As were mine. You can use the inserts however you like, just showing how I use them.
Edit: your inserts are different. The flat head slot on yours ARE for driving the insert in.
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I’m guessing that means other versions are not for driving it in? also that would explain why everyone was saying I can’t use it to drive it in even though it clearly looks like it is meant for that. I can screw a bolt into either end of the insert as well which doesn’t help clarify anything
You’ve got the EZ-Knife inserts which are much different
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The bolts need to be shorter than the inserts. Just screw a bolt into the insert then drive the insert in using the bolt. Then unscrew the bolt.
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They are called E-Z LOK on the package so that checks out
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Those are totally different, and, as I understand, only available in the USA last I checked.
If I used inserts for wood, I’d use those. (But I wouldn’t, I’d drill through…)
For plastic and composites, I’d probably prefer the other global variety of inserts Al showed above.
Yep engineering grade film cut into hexagons. Not a bad price for a variety pack of colors. You could probably go to your local sign shop or even better, local traffic sign shop and ask if they have any scraps kicking around. I used to give away a ton of that stuff if people asked for it at my old shop.
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That’s a brilliant idea honestly. I bet they’ve got tons of it to toss depending on the day.
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I ran a traffic shop for years and we had TONS of leftover material. Cutoffs from weird sign shapes like Yield triangles etc. We’d have big piles of scrap that we’d try and use up on small signs but most went to waste. It’s all expensive so we hated tossing it but I had no problem giving away some of it if people asked for it.
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on your version that is what the slot is for, but from experience I can tell you you’re almost certainly better off getting a short screw or putting a nut (or a few) onto a longer screw so that it doesn’t go all the way through the insert and then screwing that into the insert until it bottoms out and using that to drive it in. If you use a socket cap screw you can just put the head of the screw directly into a drill chuck and use that to drive them in. Id still put the slot facing up (so that it’s visible) though as it makes removal a bit more possible.
Also, I totally understand why this option may not be desirable but I’m pro “driling right through the deck” after my experience with inserts in both eskate and other applications. One bonus of this method is threadlocker can be replaced by nylock nuts which i value as a big +
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