# nuts



## firebird (Nov 27, 2010)

Hi

I like to use stainless steel on my engines for piston rods and linkages etc. I have accumulated a decent stock of imperial sizes, my lathe and collets are imperial. However sourcing brass nuts to suit has caused me a few problems so I have looked into it in some depth to find a practical solution. I was using 7BA brass nuts for 3/32 rod but they are now apparently no longer made. The following is what I have been using for some time now and are readily available. Although there are slight differences in diameters in practice they work well.

For 1/16 rod I use 10BA.       10BA = .066  1/16 = .0625 a difference of .0035

For 3/32 rod I use 2.5mm.      2.5mm = .0984. 3/32 = .0937 a difference of .0047

For 1/8 rod I use 5BA.         5BA = .126.  1/8 = .125 a difference of .001

For 5/32 I use 3BA.          3BA = .1614.   5/32 = .1562 a difference of .0052 

I have sourced some steel 1/8 nuts (1/8 x 40) but I can't get them in brass.

As mentioned above there are slight differences in the sizes but in practice they all work well.

I hope this is of some use.

Cheers

Rich


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## Twmaster (Nov 27, 2010)

You could get brass hex rod. Center drill and tap to size. Part off.


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## doc1955 (Nov 27, 2010)

You can get brass nuts here I've ordered from them and I'm happy with their fasteners.
Micro Fasteners


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## firebird (Nov 27, 2010)

Hi Mike,

I did try that but its a bit of a tedious job. It's surprising how many nuts you use on a job. Plus it would mean buying brass hex in all the different sizes and there was a fair bit of waste.

Doc, I tried most of the UK suppliers. None I could find make brass nuts to suit the small sizes I was using, 1/16 3/32 etc.

cheers

Rich


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## doc1955 (Nov 27, 2010)

Micro Fasteners will ship to the UK won't they? Not sure what the shipping cost would be.


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## johnthefish (Nov 28, 2010)

Its not so much the shipping costs but the v.a.t. at 17.5% (soon to be 20%) we have to pay. Plus the Post Office our end have the cheek to charge us £7 to collect the tax. . When the exchange rate was $2 to the £1 it was worth it,but not now.


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## Jasonb (Nov 28, 2010)

EKP do 3,5 & 10 BA full nuts in brass. I think they cannot get 7ba hex any more so thats why they no longer make them.

http://www.ekpsupplies.co.uk/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=55

The small fractional nuts are not made as model engineers have been using the same BA threads on 3/32 and 1/16 rods for years so there is no real demand.

Doc even if micro fasteners do ship to the UK it would be no different as the small UNC and UNF threads are not exact matches to the fractional rod sizes.

Firebird even if you could source fractional threaded nuts you would have a hell of a job finding suitable taps & dies, I think 1/16x 60 will do the 1/16 rod but there is not much about at 3/32nds


Jason


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## Noitoen (Nov 28, 2010)

firebird  said:
			
		

> I did try that but its a bit of a tedious job. It's surprising how many nuts you use on a job.



Looks like, your next project will be a dedicated CNC to manufacture small nuts   :big: :big:


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## firebird (Nov 28, 2010)

Hi

Thank you all for your input.

If you look at my beam engine project you will get an idea of the number of nuts required. I think there are 22 3/32 studs in the cylinder alone which have 7BA nuts (no longer available) hence the reason I looked into alternatives. By keeping an eye on e bay I have been able to pick up the sizes listed above quite cheaply. I have just bought 100 3BA brass nuts for £4.00 including postage.

Cheers

Rich


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## tel (Nov 28, 2010)

Maccs have 7BA in steel

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/7-BA-steel-Nuts-pack-50-/230230624796?pt=UK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET&hash=item359ad08a1c


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## Blogwitch (Nov 28, 2010)

Hi Rich,

These people have a good range of cheap fasteners, but some of their packages contain rather large quantities.

http://www.fastfixdirect.co.uk/

I notice you have also strayed into the ME range of threads, they should be available from ME sources who also sell your BA stuff.

I make my own nuts normally, and now I have exhausted almost all my old stocks of BA brass hex bar, I cut my own bar up whenever I need some. A real PITA, but at times, needs must. 

That is what ME is all about, making do with what you have around you.

John


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## max corrigan (Nov 28, 2010)

Rich i just googled 7ba brass nuts and it seems that "modeller's Mate" do 7ba brass nuts in various quantities per pack, ie [email protected] £3.32 maybe worth a try!
Regards Max.....


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## firebird (Nov 28, 2010)

Hi

Thanks John I'll check them out.

Max, I tried ordering from most of the model engineering suppliers who have them listed but they all replied  sorry out of stock!

Now that I have sorted out what I can get away I'm pretty well stocked up again. I just thought I'd pass on the info.

Cheers

Rich


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## Bluechip (Nov 28, 2010)

Rich 

You don't say who were OOS. Tried these, cat download here 

http://www.livesteammodels.co.uk/suppcat.html

Page 25 on .pdf

Item # 42/824 7BA - Brass Nuts - £4.40p + VAT per 100

BC


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## firebird (Nov 28, 2010)

Hi BC

That's one company I didn't try. I suppose there will still be some who still have some old stock but I was told by several suppliers that 7BA are no longer made. Just to re-cap I needed brass nuts to fit the sizes 1/16  3/32  1/8  5/32. As far as I can see nobody supplies brass nuts in ME threads to suit those sizes so the list above is what I came up with. Not perfect but works well enough. Stainless steel in those sizes is readily available at a reasonable price and the brass nuts I have listed are also readily available.
Cheers

Rich


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## Bluechip (Nov 28, 2010)

Rich

Probably the best way to go. Most commercial nuts, BA, Metric or W.H.Y. are hideous anyway ... 

Dave


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## Jasonb (Nov 28, 2010)

ME sizes start at 1/8" see my first post about the lack of 1/16" and 3/32" thread sizes let alone nuts. Whitworth would be teh only likely candidate but they are hard to find in large sizes, small would be even harder

EKP that I linked to make 90% of the screws sold by UK Model engineering suppliers so if they can no longer get the hex none of the companies they supply will be getting new stock

I find EKPs nuts and hex screws perfectly acceptable, they are fully turned not pressed like a lot of the cheap mass produced metric ones. They have a chamfer on one side only and are taller than the mass produced items

 Jason


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## firebird (Nov 28, 2010)

Hi Jason

Yes sorry I know ME threads start at 1/8 the sizes listed are the sizes I use, I didn't make that clear.

Cheers

Rich


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## MachineTom (Dec 20, 2010)

Look at US machine screw sizes, a 0- zero size is .060, each size after is + .013, so a #2 is .060 +2*.013 or .086, a #4 is .060 +4*.013 or.112". A #3 x48 NC or 56NF would be .099" major dia, right for your 3/32 rod.


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