Suppliers for small nuts / bolts / rivets etc

[Guest]

on my 3" scale burrell traction engine the lastest project i have made everything in the way of nuts and bolts, as i can make it to what size i want.chris

I wouldn't have thought a 3" scale traction engine would have much requirement for 16BA screws though! That'd be a task trying to turn some of those on your lathe. Approx 1.5mm across the flats and 0.75mm across the threads...can't even see the threads on those.

[Guest]

I've got some of those card bolt heads from draf model on order. Regarding small rivets - does anyone know where you can purchase sheets of photoetched rivets?

[Guest]

I made mine from blobs of cyano gel.

Depends on the scale of course but the effect isn't too bad

[Guest]

I make mine with a hole puncher (1mm)

Punchers can also be made from syringe needles, just cut off the sharp tip and make the remaining "tube" sharp.

[Guest]

Hi

I build live steam and always traction engines I use all the way to 18 BA.

If your looking for small metric try www.rswww.com.

For BA size's try www.blackgates.co.uk youl have to order a catalogue but the people are the most help I have ever found.

For scale BA is the way to go, I have a scale chart lurking about some place and BA fits most pre war from 1 inch to the foot to 4 inch to the foot.

I as a good rule never use metric, its just not scale for much of anything.

Try this link for good quality work http://craftsmanshipmuseum.com/Kieffer.htm

His work is simply the best i have ever seen and iv been making steam engines for 30 years, theres also a nut and bolt you just wont credit as possible.

happy new year Kevin

[Guest]

I make mine with a hole puncher (1mm)Punchers can also be made from syringe needles, just cut off the sharp tip and make the remaining "tube" sharp.

I tried using a pin vice with a 1mm diameter drill as a punch and 0.5mm styrene sheet. Supporting the styrene on a piece of rubber. The punched out rivets came out really well and even have a domed shape too.

It's easier to apply them using a dab of liquid poly on the back of a scalpel blade to pick them up and then slide them into position.

Regarding small hole punches, I've seen some japanese style screw punches (also known as paper drills) do these make accurate discs?