0 and 1BA Stainless Steel hexagons

This topic has 18 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 12 December 2021 at 15:37 by duncan webster 1.

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10 December 2021 at 17:45 #574929
Andrew Phillips 4
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@andrewphillips4
Hi All, I wish to make a couple of 0BA special bolts, about 2ins long, in stainless steel. The only supplier of 0.423 A/F stainless bar stock I can find on the web only sells 1m minimum length @ £20.73, and charges £18.50 minimum postage. This would mean each bolt costs 20 quid! Does anyone out there know of someone who can supply short lengths of 0 and 1BA stainless hex at reasonable prices? I have tried e-bay, M Metals and MK Metals to no avail.

I could make up bolts using 6mm rounds and nuts (I have some 0BA stainless nuts from BA Bolts) cutting a short thread at one end and using epoxy adhesive to secure the 'head', and possibly hammering the protruding end over then facing off on my lathe, but I would prefer to do the job properly.
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10 December 2021 at 17:45 #28461
Andrew Phillips 4
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@andrewphillips4
10 December 2021 at 17:53 #574931
Speedy Builder5
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@speedybuilder5
As you say in the last paragraph and silver solder the nuts in place.
10 December 2021 at 17:59 #574932
Andrew Phillips 4
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@andrewphillips4
Hi Speedy Builder5, a good suggestion but alas I do not have the equipment or knowledge to silver solder. I read an article about soft soldering stainless, is that any good?
10 December 2021 at 18:08 #574934
JasonB
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@jasonb
Turn from round stock and machine hex head, not too much work as you say you only have a couple to make
10 December 2021 at 18:37 #574936
Harry Wilkes
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@harrywilkes58467
Worth check out Keatley Metals link

H
10 December 2021 at 22:30 #574962
duncan webster 1
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@duncanwebster1
Use 10mm af, I won't tell anyone if you don't
11 December 2021 at 10:32 #574987
Andrew Phillips 4
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@andrewphillips4
Duncan, I have a obsessively pedantic approach to mixing imperial and metric – I know it would be easier but it would always niggle me!
11 December 2021 at 10:47 #574989
John Haine
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@johnhaine32865
Don't think of it as 10mm but 0.394". There you go, it's imperial.
11 December 2021 at 11:10 #574994
SillyOldDuffer
Moderator
@sillyoldduffer
Posted by Andrew Phillips 4 on 11/12/2021 10:32:11:

Duncan, I have a obsessively pedantic approach to mixing imperial and metric …

Not so Andrew! An obsessive pedant would cheerfully pay £20 per bolt! Trying to cut costs is a dead giveaway: it proves you're a practical man at heart. Don't deny it, embrace the dark side.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 11/12/2021 11:11:19
11 December 2021 at 11:11 #574995
Nick Wheeler
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@nickwheeler
Posted by John Haine on 11/12/2021 10:47:07:

Don't think of it as 10mm but 0.394". There you go, it's imperial.

6thou for a spanner isn't going to matter – 0.400" which gives a suitably random 2/5
11 December 2021 at 13:37 #575014
File Handle
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@filehandle
Used a lot of metric 3.2 mm pop rivets recently, but drilled the holes for them with 1/8" drill. I regularly mix / interchange between metric / imperial measurement.
11 December 2021 at 14:21 #575021
Speedy Builder5
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@speedybuilder5
Silver solder that size you can do on the gas stove, small kits on auction site will give you plenty for about £9, probably cheaper than buying hex bar. Make sure you get a kit for stainless steel, which can also be used on steel, brass, copper
11 December 2021 at 15:28 #575031
Mike Poole
Participant
@mikepoole82104
I would go with Jason’s suggestion of machining the hexagon on a round bar, I have made quite a few custom fasteners for motorcycles and even used the degree markings on a swivel base vice to mill the hexagons, even a careful filing job can work ok and for a couple of bolts not to much of a drudge task. As I now have a hexagonal ER collet block this makes the job very easy on the mill. A filing rest for the lathe can produce the flats very quickly and accurately especially if you can index the chuck. Depending on what equipment you have or can borrow and a bit of lateral thinking will get the job done.

Mike
11 December 2021 at 19:34 #575051
duncan webster 1
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@duncanwebster1
Posted by Andrew Phillips 4 on 11/12/2021 10:32:11:

Duncan, I have a obsessively pedantic approach to mixing imperial and metric – I know it would be easier but it would always niggle me!

But BA is a fundamentally metric thread. 0ba is 6mm OD, 1mm pitch and the rest are a geometric progression.
11 December 2021 at 20:43 #575061
duncan webster 1
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@duncanwebster1
Posted by duncan webster on 11/12/2021 19:34:33:

Posted by Andrew Phillips 4 on 11/12/2021 10:32:11:

Duncan, I have a obsessively pedantic approach to mixing imperial and metric – I know it would be easier but it would always niggle me!

But BA is a fundamentally metric thread. 0ba is 6mm OD, 1mm pitch and the rest are a geometric progression.

And according to 2 sources on the interweb, the head size is 10.5 mm, which is 0.413"
12 December 2021 at 14:08 #575113
Andrew Phillips 4
Participant
@andrewphillips4
Dunca, you are absolutely right that the correct hex size for 0BA is 0.413 ins – finger problem on mobile phone keypad! I have decided to mill the heads and have just turned a piece of 1/2 in stainless to 0.477 in preparation to setting up the milling slide on my Super 7 this evening. Thanks all for your suggestions.
12 December 2021 at 14:16 #575115
Andrew Phillips 4
Participant
@andrewphillips4
Of course, my finger trouble shows why I try to avoid mixing metric and imperial – my fingers were made in 1952 and are thus firmly imperial, so when I use them on a modern metric keyboard errors creep in!
12 December 2021 at 15:37 #575123
duncan webster 1
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@duncanwebster1
Well mine are older, but they have no difficulty with metric, believe me it's a lot easier than irrational imperial
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