5ba socket screws

[Simon Musson 1Participant @simonmusson1]

[Simon Musson 1Participant @simonmusson1]

I can't seem to find a simple way to post a wanted ad on the site.

but here goes!

I am with some difficulty building the Mastiff following The instructions of L.C.Mason

Have finished the connecting Rods Have tapped the Big End Caps 5Ba as instructed only to find out that no one has made 5 ba socket screws for yonks! Mason wrote the instructions in 1973!

Could use 5ba round head scews but access to tighten them in crankcase means using bent screwdriver and cannot get enough pressure to nip them up

I Know all the metric equivalents but cannot go bigger without going into bore and smaller would mean starting again

So are there any model engineers older than me(70) who have any 5ba socket screws? to save my Sanity I will pay your Price!

Simon musson

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You may get away with running a 5-40UNC tap through the holes, 0.001" smaller than 5BA and not far off for pitch available from the likes of Modelfixings

I'm lead to believe that even the more commonly used 2,4 & 6 BA capheads are becomming hard to find.

J

[Capstan SpeakingParticipant @capstanspeaking95294]

Cut the heads off cheese heads and create 5BA studs then put nuts on ?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I don't think ther is much room to swing a spanner and definately not a socket or box spanner, probably needs a cut down allen key even with the cap heads

[alan-lloydParticipant @alan-lloyd]

hi folkstone engineering supplies have them listed, good luck, alan

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Just found this website it has 5ba socket head screws listed, it's in Australia so might take a bit of time for them to get here but hardly a large packet so ordinary mail should suffice.

This is a problem that will be affecting folks more and more. The odd sizes of BA were never used much in industry only the even sizes, and most industrial users will have moved to metric near equivalents now, so the problems of a diminishing market making it no longer viable to maintain stocks or manufacure any more.

The alternative would be to try and squeeze M3.5's in, they are available, the pitch is 0.6mm against 0.59 for the 5BA and not a huge difference in od but possibly enough to stop it being possible.

Edited By Keith Long on 02/04/2015 19:14:35

[AnthonyParticipant @anthony]

BA socket headed screws are also available from EKP Supplies on Ebay. I had 6 BA from them last week, but don't know if they have 5 BA. Always been pleased with their service.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Can't see tham on Folkstones site?

The even numbers are still available from quite a few places 0,2,4 & 6 its the odd sizes that are hard to get

[alan-lloydParticipant @alan-lloyd]

Folkstones list them as lengths 8,10,12,16,20,25,30,35,40,50 and 60

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

That M5 not 5BA?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Might be worth asking EKP or EMKAY. One or the other may be able to do a custom run, I don't know if they can make cap heads or not.

One possibility, turn them out of M5 grub screws?

Neil

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

EKP buy in their cap heads.

My source tells me that the last remaining maker of BA capheads has stopped doing them thats why I said they will become hard to get in any sizes as stocks run out.

Could use a long M3 that has a section of unthreaded shank and cut a 5BA thread on it, provided you did not go too big with your tapping drill you should get a decent thread engagement

Edited By JasonB on 02/04/2015 20:07:56

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Suffolk Fasteners might be worth a try

They list M3 here, but also invite you to enquire about Imperial sizes.

MichaelG.

[Robert Dawes 1Participant @robertdawes1]

Martin Cleeve gives instructions for making 1/4" whit alan screws in connection with fabricated slide ways in ME. As far as i remember the method is turn and thread a blank with an appropriate head on it. Drill the head a bit bigger than the AF of the Alan Key. Grind a bit of Alan key off square to make a sort of broach.Press it into the hole previously drilled with some kind of press.( Rig up on a bench vice perhaps!) if you don't like the bits that get forced into the bottom of the hex hole most of them can be removed with a drill a bit smaller than the AF size. Haven't ever tried it but it might work! Robert.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Would these help?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Simon,

I presume that you need [at least] eight of these screws

So that we know what we're looking for: What length is specified ?

MichaelG.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> Could use a long M3 that has a section of unthreaded shank

Now that's much more sensible than my idea.

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I was interested to see, here, that the key size is the same for 5BA and 4BA, and all other dimensions are slightly larger on the 4BA … So it should be 'reasonably simple' to screwcut the plain shank of a 4BA, to make a full-size 5BA.

MichaelG.

.

Edit: minor correction.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 03/04/2015 15:04:17

[Simon Musson 1Participant @simonmusson1]

Thanks to all for so many useful replies.Length would be min of half inch

Australian website find is brilliant they list 5BA as available will try them or use the ideas given

So unless anyone finds some old stock I guess I dont need any more help but thanks to all again.

Simon Musson

[D.A.GodleyParticipant @d-a-godley]

Have you looked at Socket & Allied Screw Co Ltd ? , a Birmingham firm that appear to have a comprehensive range of screws.

Regards,

David.

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