alan2525

I'm looking for a source of miniature nuts and bolts for scale modelling and also rivet heads.

I know you can use dressmaking pins and blobs of glue etc to represent rivets, but is there anything made specifically for the purpose as often a smaller rivet head is required. I can't use litho plate etc and the dress pattern makers wheel to make the indentations.

Also I was after a cheap source of very small nuts and bolts - approx 2mm across the flats and larger - upto 3mm - possibly smaller BA sizes.

Local model shop does them but hate to spend 55p + for tiny sellophane bag.

Also small Jump rings and rod eyes....

If anyone knows where to look I'd be gratefull

__________________

Bunkerbarge

These guys are usefull for BA stuff but some of the things you are describing are smaller:

http://www.maccmodels.co.uk/


I do remember Johnny mentioning some very small nuts on his Kubelwagon build. Have a read through that again or PM Johnny for his supplier.

As for rivets have a look at my Ben Ain model coaster build thread. I used cyano gel for the rivet detail on the hull. I also used cut down dressmaking pins for the rivets around the forward bulkheads. These are more regular than the blobs of glue but the glue is a lot faster to apply.

It depends a bit on the application, for an old steam coaster a bit more random riveting is probably more appropriate anyway so it doesn't look out of place.

__________________

“Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack, Butting through the Channel in the mad March days"

wonwinglo

Model engineer suppliers are helpful,Nexus used to do small packs of them as well,and that Whistons company are worth trying.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

Greyhead

For very small nuts / bolts (down to 16BA) and other things try:


“ITEMS” MAIL ORDER LTD.
46 St Martins Road
North Leverton
Retford
Nottinghamshire
DN22 0AU

Tel. / Fax. 01427 884319

Unfortunately they don’t have a web site but the service is excellent, they accept credit card and it’s usually next day delivery.

alan2525

Thanks for the links - I'll check those out, also I found this site that has some prices but 19p per bolt for the smaller sizes...

http://www.kentscale.co.uk/FASTENING...0HEX%20STD.htm

This site is quite usefull:

http://www.squirestools.com/

They dont have a functioning website yet but have a mail order catalogue full of hard to find bits and pieces brass etch parts etc too. Sheet brass, strip etc.

I'll hunt around for various brass pins and dressmaking pins for the rivets.

__________________

wonwinglo

Grahame,thank you that useful company has been added to our 'Modellers Resource Directory' certainly another useful addition.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

tigertc

Forgive me guys, but i have no clue what size BA and 1/16th nuts and bolt are.
What are the equivelants to m1-m2-m3?
I have been after some m1/m2/m3 nuts and bolts for ages.
Any help would be awesome.

__________________
The artist aka GREY WOLF I

alan2525

This site gives some useful info on BA thread sizes,

http://www.bhi.co.uk/hints/bathrd.htm

You can get Small BA cheesehead screws in reasonable quantities quite cheaply - but for a scale look I was after hexagonal head screws which seem to be pretty costly as there doesn't seem a great demand for them.

Small BA threads are used in a lot of old car gauges and instruments. M3 screws and bolts are widely available for smaller sizes M1.6 and M2

http://www.screwsline.com/a2_stainle...ine_cheese.php

__________________

Bunkerbarge

If you want hex head then use BA nuts. If you want them to look like screw heads then fill in the centres.

__________________

“Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack, Butting through the Channel in the mad March days"

wonwinglo

Someone once described AF and metric bolts and threads as imposters of the good old BA and BSF,remember the programme where dear Fred Dibnah visited a small factory that produced nothing but the older threaded nuts,bolts etc.
To confuse things there is also UNF unified fine and a few more oddballs in the system.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/