fencescrewssteel
I have a regular round 1 1/4" steel tube, and I want to insert and eyebolt in it. The tube only has one hole (where the eyebolt goes) so I can't use a nut.
What options do I have and can I find it at Home Depot? I was told at the store that this was not possible, so I thought that maybe I could screw something into the tube and then screw the eyebolt into this something.
Thanks.
The chain link fence folks have all kinds of fence post caps that could be used to keep the rain out. Also there are nylon caps for EMT. You could convert the tubing to iron pipe threads and install threaded PVC caps. As to the holes and lacing the cable, before installing poles, I would put them on the drill press and pre-drill.
Your best bet would be the correctly sized metal screw. Not a bolt, but a screw. Some of them are self drilling/tapping (these are commonly referred to as simply "self-tapping" in the US). They will drill their own hole and tap their own threads all in one step. If you can't find the right sized metal screw, you can get a self-tapper a little bigger than the hole and it will tap itself a larger hole and hold tight. These are available at Home Depot (or any hardware store, really) in the little plastic baggies if you need a few, or in small boxes if you need a lot.
Self drilling and tapping metal screw
Best Answer
What can you get at a typical hardware store?
Rather than focus on that one hole that you do have, look at other types of hooks. They have eyelets that are fixed onto metal plates. These plates can then be screwed to the pipe using some self tapping sheet metal screws:
Harder to find, but another option...
There is something called a rivnut, and as the name suggests, it is a cross between a rivet and a nut. You can secure them from one side only like a rivet, but they have a threaded hole that you can then thread an eye bolt into. They require a special tool to insert them, and you'll probably have to drill the hole that you have bigger to accommodate the outside diameter of the rivnut. If you only have a few to insert, you might be able to get by without the special tool.
Low strength option
If this is light duty, and the metal of your post is thick enough, you might be able to cut some threads in it with a thread tap and correctly sized drill bit. You'd only get maybe one good thread cut into the pipe, but that might be enough if what you're holding is light enough. You could also force an eye bolt with wood screw threads into the pipe. Again, not very strong at all, but might work for you.