If you have a metal lathe just looking for some work, why not make your own lock nuts? That’s what [my mechanics insight] did when faced with a peculiar lock nut that needed replacing in a car. We can’t decide what we enjoyed more in the video you can watch below: the cross-section cut of a lock nut or the oddly calming videos of the new nut being turned on a lathe.

The mystery of the lock nut, though, isn’t how it works. The nylon insert is just a little too small for the bolt, and the bolt, being harder than nylon, taps a very close-fitting hole in the nylon as you tighten it. The real mystery is how that nylon got in there to start with.

As the video shows, you fabricate the nut with an open area to accept the nylon ring. Then, you use a tool to crimp the edges down to trap the ring. The video shows all the pieces being made: the nut, the ring, and the crimping tool.

As you might deduce, the crimping tool has to be harder than the nut material, so that takes some extra effort. But all the work is done on the lathe except the crimping. He uses a vise, but we’d imagine that an arbor press is more commonly used.

Lock washers and nuts seem like a simple topic, but it is way more complex than you probably thought. Way more complex.

Thanks to [the gambler] for the tip!