Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips > Engineering Techniques and Materials.
BA nuts & bolts?
dennisw100:
What exactly are 'BA' bolts?
Read a lot about them on here and other things regarding models and obviously they're small nuts and bolts, but what's BA all about? I mean bolts are normally just in mm, like 3mm bolts?
I mean 14BA is obviously tiny, but where does the 14 come from? 1/14 of an inch or something?
anmo:
Oh dear, oh dear. I'm guessing that you're fairly new to this game. BA stands for British Association, and though a bit 'old fashioned' is still very widely used where small fine threads are needed. Although metric threads of various kinds dominate today, there are many other types of screw thread still in widespread use in 2006. BA (British Association), BSF (British Standard Fine), BSC (British Standard Cycle Thread), CEI (Cycle Engineers Institute), ISO (International Standards Organisation) Metric Coarse, Fine, and Special Pitch, UNF (Unified Fine Thread), UNC (Unified Coarse Thread), and Whitworth Threads. I do use metric threads, but for modelling use have found BA and UNF to be the most suitable.
dennisw100:
Yeah fairly new, hence the question. Knew about most of the other thread types through my automotive experience.
So BA is another thread type, no problem.
How do the sizings work? Higher the number smaller they are?
I'll have to pop to my local fixings place, they keep every variation of thread, material and tool fitting upto 72mm nuts and bolts in stock! Will have to see what they can get me.
anmo:
I think you'd be lucky to find small BA stuff at most fixings suppliers Dennis, but most decent model shops, or even better model engineers' suppliers should have them, look in your Yellow Pages. A lot of small BA nuts & bolts are available in brass, which is good for boats, as it does away with the rust problem. Try to find a supplier who doesn't sell them in tiny pre-packaged quantities though, as that makes them expensive.
Shipmate60:
Blimey, are you still using BSF, must be on old equipment then!!!
Bob
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version