What Fastener
We sell vintage and classic fasteners. If it is the older style of fastener that you want, then these pointers may help you to choose a great fastener for the project that you are working on.
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Is there a part number?
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Often there is a part list for the project you are working on. It may list the name and even the size of fastener that you want. You would think that a search of the internet for people who sell that part would be all that you need to do but over the years the standards the fastener has changed and it is likely that the size and style of the fastener will have changed. It will be similar but may not be the same even though the part number has not changed.
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We have listed parts for marques where we know the part number.
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Different size nuts and bolt heads for the same thread diameter
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If the nut is just used to hold things together then is not a problem if it is the right size thread. Take the humble ¼” BSF nut for example. It has been around for over 100 years. yet the modern standard is different to the original. Metals have improved and are significantly stronger allowing for nuts and bolt heads to be smaller. Velocette for example used the same part number, SL56/4, for the same nut from the 1920's until 1971 when they closed business, but that nut now looks significantly different.
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The nut could also be used as spacer which could cause a problem with fitting the next component. The same problem occurs with standardised pre and post WWII washers. Pre-WWII washer specifications had just one thickness for each internal diameter while post WWII there were multiple thicknesses for each size.
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Same thread
Most threads have not significantly changed their form over time. The basic shape of the Whitworth thread is the same as it has always been, but its limits and tolerances have changed. Earlier standards allowed for three grades of fit: close, medium, and free. If you are working on a car body, it is not something you are likely to consider but if it is a specialised engine then it might be important. As far as we are aware there is no manufacturer making close or medium thread making tools so unfortunately we can only offer free fit.
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There are instances where a nut and bolt will fit together when they are not of the same thread type or form, for example ¼” BSF and ¼” BSC. They have the same number of threads per inch although the angle of the sides of the threads, the flank, is different with BSF at 55° and BSC 60°. They can easily be put together but in doing so the damage to the thread then makes using the correct fasteners a looser fit and vibration will work them loose.
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Style
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Over time and as manufacturing became less labour intensive the style of fasteners has changed. For example, the earliest nuts were square with flat faces and no thread chamfer to ease the fitting to a bolt or stud. Early standardised hexagon nuts had a single thread chamfer to allow easier fitting. The corners on the upper side where also chamfered to denote which side was easiest to fit to a bolt, stud or shaft. The most modern nuts have chamfers to all corners and chamfered thread on both sides to allow easy fitting. Modern fasteners have even more options such as a washer face, flanges, twin start threads, etc. Selecting the right style of fastener may not appeal to everyone but for some that original look is important. We sell fasteners in a range of styles to help with that original look.
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To help we have listed fasteners by their period and you can filter by the different options.
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Finish
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The majority of vintage and classic fasteners were cadmium plated, some had a phosphate or oxide coating, or were dipped in zinc, chrome plated or finished in one of the more specialised processes such as Sherardising. Freshly plated cadmium has a white, silverly look which oxidises and dulls over time. It was one of the better corrosion protections available but because of environmental and health concerns is it no longer commercially available for general use.
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Today’s fasteners are often bright zinc plated and then given an iridescent yellow, clear, blue, or olive coating to further enhance the corrosion protection. It is a cheap, effective solution but like style, if the aesthetics are important then finish must be like the original. There are many different shades of cadmium plate and very difficult to match but just having the same colour of plating on a project goes someway to that idealised finish.
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Unfortunately, there is no exact replacement that gives the same look as cadmium. Dull nickel, nickel-zinc, cobalt-zinc, or dull zinc plating are close but are difficult to obtain commercially. There are DIY kits that offer these finishes and our un-plated fasteners are idea for use with these kits.
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