Geoff _ I can't help I'm afraid. I can only wish you good luck in trying to find your "hens teeth". There's more – If the notched heads are indicating they have left hand threads then you will probably have more success in finding the Ark of the Covenant AND the Holy Grail in the same place and then winning the euromillions outright – all on the same day.

Rik

A quick google shows quite a few suppliers of 6BA items. All are fully threaded, however.

There seems to be 'confusion' between the terminology of Screw and Bolt among the suppliers. One supplier describes the Bolts as having hex heads and the remaining heads being described as Screws.

I understood that a Bolt was as requested (part threaded) but a Screw was fully threaded.

This company say they will make small quantities of what you want
http://www.ba-bolts.co.uk/index.html

Dave
The Emerald Isle

Geoff,

The "nicks" round the heads of your bolts denote that they are made from stainless steel. I thought I had some but mine are 4BA & I only have a few left. We were taught (as Aircraft Apprentices back in the 50`s) that a bolt had a short portion threaded, then a plain portion (which was the same diameter as the crest of the thread then the head normally of Hexagonal shape. Screws were threaded all the way up to the head & could have hex, dome or round heads (the last two being slotted for a screw driver).

Like Julian says I would agree that they are ex UK aircraft industry. I`ve got 5 x 6BA cad plated steel hex headed ones you can have but they are 3 inches long so you`d have to cut them down. God only knows what they were for !

I could probably sort you out a couple of dozen round or dome heads if you want BUT they are screws not bolts.

Alan

I was under the impression that the nicks in the head indicated a high tensile aircraft bolt. I've dug out a couple of 1/4" BSF bolts that have nicked heads. They're certainly high quality; I think the threads are rolled rather than cut, and the plain shank and underside of the head are ground. They're also strongly magnetic, which eliminates the austenitic stainless steels.

Andrew

Geoff – worth doing a Google search on "aircraft spares uk" it looks as though you might strike lucky. Just saw some 6ba hex head at 1.8 in long – about £0.75 each so not expensive. Even though you might not see exactly what you want on a website a phone call could produce what you're after.

Geoff,

You can get these bolts from LAS Aerospace. See here:- http://www.lasaero.com/site/products/article?id=F01W6YIPP

I've used this company before and they are good. Lots of hard to get parts, AGS hydraulic fittings are very hard to get but they do them.

Carl.

They are A26 series AGS bolts (aircraft general standard) I think if I remember rightly A26 are martensitic stainless. They are also close tolerance.

As well as LAS aerospace you can also get them here:http://www.aerovintagespares.com/avspares/Bolts___Screws.html-

So wish no more. Go to LAS or aero vintage and you can buy some.

Carl.

I'm not offering but if you want to make them it's a lot easier if sized in one cut. I have a problem making M2 thumb screws from 6mm stainless. If I have to take a 2nd cut the dam things sometime bend and break. I just size about 1/8 in and then cut to the full length in one go. Brass is is a problem too. Never needed to try MS. M3 is not much better either.

There are also some cutters that fit in the tail stock. Sort of end mills with a hole down the centre that leaves the correct size for specific sized threads. While they may be about I have no idea of any stockists or what they are called which might help.

John

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The subject came up on the Boxford group some time ago. Some one had a BA set that they had found – car boot sale if I remember correctly. Described in my terms as something like a slot drill with a hole up the centre. I'd expect them to be 3 flute to work reasonably well. One problem would be that the tail stock would have to be well centred – boxfords generally are.

John

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They can be made quite easily out of silver steel. Drill the correct size hole and file the cutting lips, making sure you put the teeth in the correct orientation.- it's easy to make a left handed cutter! Then harden and temper and you're in business.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

They are described in this thread under that name on here

**LINK**

Seems that they are also used to cut pivots – Cousins sell them at £26 plus vat each but a limited range of sizes.

I'd guess this sort of thing could be turned in the normal way with a cutter without any sort of rad on the end. I suspect that's the problem even with a cut of only a few thou. The rad makes the swarf bend as it comes off putting more stress on the work.

. I just size them in one go but there is some bend in the work due to cutting pressure so there will be a bit of taper narrowing towards the chuck. I suppose one answer would be to use something like a jacot tool or part hole of the right size as a steady. Turn a short length to suit that and then use it as a travelling or fixed steady. The thumb screws I made were about 2 1/2 in long, most being at a low diameter. with an M2 thread at the end about 1/2in long.

John

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