5BA Steel washers

[Keith Wood 1Participant @keithwood1]

Hi

Does anyone still supply the smaller outside diameter 5BA steel washers ?, all my latest deliveries I have received from the UK suppliers have been washers of a larger diameter, say around 0.25" (6.2mm) .

The 5BA washers I used to buy were smaller in diameter and thinner.

Help please.

Keith Wood

Montreal

[Keith Wood 1Participant @keithwood1]

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I now only get my washers from Everett Model Engineering Supply as most of the other suppliers seem to be supplying larger inferior washers particularly in 8BA and 4BA. Everett's are Swiss sourced and very nice, unfortunately they don't have a website and I have to stock up when they have a stand at the Guildford Model Show.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

If you want smaller ones, look at using M3, 6.5mm OD, 0.56mm thick, and as cheap as chips. I paid <£2 for 250 recently

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Duncan, Keith says the 6.2mm ones he has been getting lately are too big, 6.5mm is bigger still.

Edit. Having said that 5BA is about 6.1mm across corners so you would want a bit larger washer than that and my 5BA ones measure 6.6mm. Maybe Keith is using one size smaller heads?

Edited By JasonB on 21/11/2016 16:43:34

[mickParticipant @mick65121]

Further to Duncan's post, why not switch to metric as up to M5 the diameters and pitch are pretty much identical to BA.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Keith,

If you are using a lot of them [and they are plain] why not 'make-from' the large O.D. ones.

A simple mandrel for the lathe; close sliding fit in the bore, and threaded at the end [with a spacer and nut] would clamp a stack of [say] twenty washers, which you can then skim to size.

MichaelG.

[Keith Wood 1Participant @keithwood1]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I am finishing a partially completed loco so all the existing fasteners are BA, a change to metric is not possible.

As for turning down the large washers, this is possible, unfortunately the large washers are about 3 times thicker than the ones I used to buy.

Many of the screws and bolts are visible so the thinner, smaller washers would be perfect.

My guess is that suppliers are substituting the M3 washers for the older 5BA washers due to availability.

Thanks

Keith Wood

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Keith Wood 1 on 21/11/2016 18:13:10:

As for turning down the large washers, this is possible, unfortunately the large washers are about 3 times thicker than the ones I used to buy.

.

Sorry, Keith … I hadn't realised that it was that bad.

What thickness do you actually need ?

MichaelG.

.

It might be worth trying here:

http://www.washer-factory.com

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 21/11/2016 18:53:21

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