BA Allen Keys

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @bobunitt1]

Looking for BA Allen Keys

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @bobunitt1]

Does anyone know where I can get BA Allen Keys, preferably in a set ? I've tried the usual suppliers, but no luck

[DMRParticipant @dmr]

BA was never metric to my knowledge. You need an imperial inches set.

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

AFAIK they don't exist. All the socket head BA fasteners I've ever used have fractional imperial sockets.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Should not be a problem getting 2, 2.4 and 4mm for the common even numbered BA cap heads which are 6, 4 and 2BA, Someone Like Model Fixings have key, tee wrenches and ball ended drivers in those sizes

That is what I use and they all fit, if not go looking for 5/64, 3/32 and 5/32" again not too hard to find as are 0.9mm (0.035inch) and 1.27mm (0.050inch) which fit BA grub screws. Same supplier does them too.

 

Edited By JasonB on 17/11/2021 13:18:16

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Use normal imperial Allen keys. There are no separate BA Allen keys

[Nigel BennettParticipant @nigelbennett69913]

Machine Mart do a set of miniature Allen keys Product Code 040215196 which are small metric and Imperial.

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @bobunitt1]

Thanks for all the replies. The reason I asked was because I have a set of 4 BA capscrews which neither my metric nor my imperial allen keys fit, but I have an allen key supplied as 4 BA by a model engineering firm which fits them perfectly.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Sounds like you have some odd 4BA screws if imperial keys won't fit. This is a 4BA with a nominal 3/32" key which fits fine. Details of key sizes can be found here and as I said the metric ones fit too.

Edited By JasonB on 17/11/2021 16:06:14

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

ITEMS , Mail order do all the keys and they are good quality.

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

It is one of the better ideas among the dozens of fastener shapes and sizes, that Whitworth, BSF, UNC, UNF, UNEF and others all take the standard Inch sizes of Allen key.

And beware – some supplies of BSF from the left-hand edge of the Pacific come with socket heads for metric Allen keys.

Cheers, Tim

[Brian MorehenParticipant @brianmorehen85290]

have used BA allen screws for years down to 8 BA . AF allen keys have always been correct ,I believe these also been in use be fore Metric appeared

regards Bee,m

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Some time ago bought a metric/imperial set on offer from Screwfix in a handy flip case.

They seem to fit anything (within size range) that I’ve tried so far and appear tough.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-metric-imperial-hex-key-set-30-pieces/3305v

Screwfix

Edited By V8Eng on 19/11/2021 21:24:13

[egaParticipant @ega]

By way of addition to Jason's link, 8BA set screws take a 0.035" key. For the 1/16" sizes and above I identify them by 1/64"s, so that, eg, a 5/32" is a number 10 in my system.

The small L-shaped keys can be quite flexible and when more torque is required I use the 1/4" AF shank bits in a holder; these seem to be available down to 0.050".

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