I am in the UK and I have a minature tripod for a 35mm camera.

I want to attach something else to the tripod using the threaded bolt on
the tripod which normally goes into the body of the camera.

That bolt is about 1/4inch across and I have read that it has 20 threads
per inch, so it gets to be called "1/4-20".

I want a nut to fit this.

QUESTION: What would be the reference or specification for the correct
nut?

ISTR this threaded bolt is a slightly unusual size in Europe.

QUESTION: Can I get a bush to fit over the screwed bolt in order to be
able to get a more widley available nut?

QUESTION: Is there a common nut size (as far as Europe goes) which
might fit a bit loosely on the bolt but which could still be tightened?

On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 11:02:06 +0100, Andy had this
to say:

I am in the UK and I have a minature tripod for a 35mm camera.

I want to attach something else to the tripod using the threaded bolt on
the tripod which normally goes into the body of the camera.

That bolt is about 1/4inch across and I have read that it has 20 threads
per inch, so it gets to be called "1/4-20".

I want a nut to fit this.

It's a standard 1/4" BS Whitworth thread.

--
Frank Erskine
Sunderland

"Andy" wrote in message
...
I am in the UK and I have a minature tripod for a 35mm camera.

I want to attach something else to the tripod using the threaded
bolt on
the tripod which normally goes into the body of the camera.

That bolt is about 1/4inch across and I have read that it has 20
threads
per inch, so it gets to be called "1/4-20".

I want a nut to fit this.

QUESTION: What would be the reference or specification for the
correct
nut?

ISTR this threaded bolt is a slightly unusual size in Europe.

QUESTION: Can I get a bush to fit over the screwed bolt in order to
be
able to get a more widley available nut?

QUESTION: Is there a common nut size (as far as Europe goes) which
might fit a bit loosely on the bolt but which could still be
tightened?

Andy,

It's 1/4" Whitworth. Contact me off line for an address (de-spam my
reply address), send me an SAE and I'll pop some in it for you.

AWEM

"Andy" wrote in message
...
I want a nut to fit this.

QUESTION: What would be the reference or specification for the
correct nut?


On 27 Apr 2006, Andrew
wrote:

It's 1/4" Whitworth. Contact me off line for an address (de-spam my
reply address), send me an SAE and I'll pop some in it for you.

Good offer, mate! For something as small as a few nuts I'll try my
local hardware store first. They're very close. Or my mate a the local
garage cos that may the sort of thing he never threw away!

Thanks for the offer.

On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 12:36:00 +0100, Andy wrote:

| "Andy" wrote in message
| ...
| I want a nut to fit this.
|
| QUESTION: What would be the reference or specification for the
| correct nut?
|
|
|On 27 Apr 2006, Andrew
|wrote:
|
| It's 1/4" Whitworth. Contact me off line for an address (de-spam my
| reply address), send me an SAE and I'll pop some in it for you.
|
|Good offer, mate! For something as small as a few nuts I'll try my
|local hardware store first. They're very close. Or my mate a the local
|garage cos that may the sort of thing he never threw away!

Take the offer Whitworth screws are like hens teeth nowadays.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Andy wrote:

"Andy" wrote in message
...
I want a nut to fit this.

QUESTION: What would be the reference or specification for the
correct nut?


On 27 Apr 2006, Andrew
wrote:

It's 1/4" Whitworth. Contact me off line for an address (de-spam my
reply address), send me an SAE and I'll pop some in it for you.

Good offer, mate! For something as small as a few nuts I'll try my
local hardware store first. They're very close. Or my mate a the
local garage cos that may the sort of thing he never threw away!

Thanks for the offer.

If your mate at the garage doesn't have Whitworth, he'll probably have UNC
instead. These are the same diameter and TPI as 1/4" Whitworth, and will do
just as well. OK, the threadform is *slightly* different - but only the
purists will notice the difference.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

In article ,
Andy wrote:
Good offer, mate! For something as small as a few nuts I'll try my
local hardware store first.

You'll be lucky. Pretty well everything has been metric for ages.

They're very close. Or my mate a the local
garage cos that may the sort of thing he never threw away!

Whitworth nuts and bolts weren't much used on cars being so coarse, and
not really on any car soon after WW2 when things went to unified threads.

--
*I wished the buck stopped here, as I could use a few*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Roger Mills wrote:
If your mate at the garage doesn't have Whitworth, he'll probably have
UNC instead. These are the same diameter and TPI as 1/4" Whitworth, and
will do just as well. OK, the threadform is *slightly* different - but
only the purists will notice the difference.

UNC nuts and bolts were pretty rare on cars - they're usually UNF. UNC
threads were used into cast aluminium etc, though. But UNF threads on the
other end of the studs if not bolts.

--
*You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Fawthrop" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 12:36:00 +0100, Andy wrote:

| "Andy" wrote in message
| ...
| I want a nut to fit this.
|
| QUESTION: What would be the reference or specification for the
| correct nut?
|
|
|On 27 Apr 2006, Andrew
|wrote:
|
| It's 1/4" Whitworth. Contact me off line for an address (de-spam my
| reply address), send me an SAE and I'll pop some in it for you.
|
|Good offer, mate! For something as small as a few nuts I'll try my
|local hardware store first. They're very close. Or my mate a the local
|garage cos that may the sort of thing he never threw away!

Take the offer Whitworth screws are like hens teeth nowadays.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

I've never seen 1/4" BSW screws for sale, but RS sell nuts and studding in
that size.

Really, you can't get non-metric stuff? In the US, every hardware
store carries both metric and non-metric. Somebody, somewhere, must
have one.

Check with your a large camera store. 1/4-20 is everywhere. It is the
standard for most tripods and cameras.

Otherwise, check with your local school and see if their technology
class has a die so you can cut the threats into another nut. That
might be a good school project for the teacher. I had threads cut into
an enlarger's lens holder that way.

I'd mail you one, but the damn shipping would be way more expensive
than the nut, which is like $.05 (about the cost of a stick of gum).

The closest you will have is about a 6.5mm plus a bunch of Locktite.

Good luck. Keep looking and you should find something.

The message .com
from "Pat" contains these words:

Really, you can't get non-metric stuff?

Yeah, of course you can, you just have to know where to look. There's
little call for it so the big DIY barns don't carry it, but car shops,
the proper sort where there's a bloke who actually knows something about
cars, have 'em.

If you're really lucky you'll find a car shop with a biscuit tin of fine
unsorted top quality tat which will contain just about anything you'd
ever need.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

On 28 Apr 2006 08:00:38 -0700, "Pat" wrote:

|Really, you can't get non-metric stuff? In the US, every hardware
|store carries both metric and non-metric. Somebody, somewhere, must
|have one.

The USA is on a different planet.
I once tried to get some A4 copies, and failed miserably.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

In article .com,
Pat wrote:
Really, you can't get non-metric stuff? In the US, every hardware
store carries both metric and non-metric. Somebody, somewhere, must
have one.

I'm willing to bet they don't carry BSW.

The US isn't in the EU therefore hasn't standardised on things like this.
Although I prefer UNC and UNF to Metric. But UNC and UNC aren't just US -
they were the first attempt to have standard threads between the UK and US
(and maybe others) in mainly the car industry.

--
*According to my calculations, the problem doesn't exist.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article .com,
Pat wrote:
Otherwise, check with your local school and see if their technology
class has a die so you can cut the threats into another nut. That
might be a good school project for the teacher. I had threads cut into
an enlarger's lens holder that way.

Might be difficult. A die cuts the thread on a bolt, etc. You use a tap
for threads in a hole.

--
*If at first you don't succeed, try management *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Fawthrop typed


On 28 Apr 2006 08:00:38 -0700, "Pat" wrote:

|Really, you can't get non-metric stuff? In the US, every hardware
|store carries both metric and non-metric. Somebody, somewhere, must
|have one.

The USA is on a different planet.
I once tried to get some A4 copies, and failed miserably.

I read a case report from the USA in a professional journal yesterday.
It gave the patient's temperature in Fahrenheit...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:18:37 +0100, Helen Deborah Vecht
wrote:

|Dave Fawthrop typed
|
|
| On 28 Apr 2006 08:00:38 -0700, "Pat" wrote:
|
| |Really, you can't get non-metric stuff? In the US, every hardware
| |store carries both metric and non-metric. Somebody, somewhere, must
| |have one.
|
| The USA is on a different planet.
| I once tried to get some A4 copies, and failed miserably.
|
|I read a case report from the USA in a professional journal yesterday.
|It gave the patient's temperature in Fahrenheit...

They also lost a spacecraft by doing half the job right in Metric, and the
other half wrong in impe^h^h^h^hUS measurements. They are idiots of the
first order as far as international standards are concerned.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:18:07 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

|In article .com,
| Pat wrote:
| Otherwise, check with your local school and see if their technology
| class has a die so you can cut the threats into another nut. That
| might be a good school project for the teacher. I had threads cut into
| an enlarger's lens holder that way.
|
|Might be difficult. A die cuts the thread on a bolt, etc. You use a tap
|for threads in a hole.

Any one with a small lathe should be able to cut any small thread
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:16:20 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

I'm willing to bet they don't carry BSW.

Doesn't matter 1/4-20 is exactly the same as 1/4 Whit, to an accuracy
that's better than the likely manufacturing accuracy.

I use 1/4-20 for tripod thread inserts because I can buy them from
Canada (Lee Valley) more easily than I can be bothered to cut them with
a tap and die.

On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 19:06:40 +0100, Dave Fawthrop
wrote:

Any one with a small lathe should be able to cut any small thread

If it's an imperial lathe.

Screwcutting lathes are either imperial or metric, and most by now will
be metric (made or converted). Cutting the "wrong sort" of thread
requires a 127 tooth changewheel. Small lathes don't have the banjo
space for such a big wheel and even on large lathes they're quite a rare
accessory (and keenly fought over when they show up).

"Pat" wrote in message
oups.com...
Really, you can't get non-metric stuff? In the US, every hardware
store carries both metric and non-metric. Somebody, somewhere, must
have one.

Yes you can get 1/4 BSW stuff in the UK.
I walked into my local engineers merchant (Hughes and Holmes for those that
know where) and bought a 1 3/8 BSW cap head screw to fit my webcam to a
piece of trunking two weeks ago.
No trouble at all even if they did charge me 20p.

On 2006-04-27, Andy wrote:
I am in the UK and I have a minature tripod for a 35mm camera.

I want to attach something else to the tripod using the threaded bolt on
the tripod which normally goes into the body of the camera.

snip

The standard tripod screw size is "quarter-inch Standard Whitworth" (a
British standard, originally), as others have mentioned. A larger 3/8"
size is less common, and there are adaptors between the two sizes - the
neatest being a short slender tube with a 1/4" thread on the inside and
3/8" on the outside.

Small hardware shops will probably have Standard Whitworth nuts and bolts
in stock, or be able to make them in the back room if they're really
old-fashioned and helpful.

Camera shops often have all sorts of gadgets made to be attached using
this size of nut and bolt - possibly including old or not-so-old
'ever-ready cases' and things for holding lamps or reflectors. Telescopes
and binoculars often have standard tripod-screw fittings too.

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 21:06:49 +0100, Andy Dingley
had this to say:

On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 19:06:40 +0100, Dave Fawthrop
wrote:

Any one with a small lathe should be able to cut any small thread

If it's an imperial lathe.

Screwcutting lathes are either imperial or metric, and most by now will
be metric (made or converted).

My Myford Speed 10 is still Imperial :-)

--
Frank Erskine

That's what I love about this newsgroup -- its international flare and
the ability to not know what the heck people are talking about. I
don't have a clue as what UNC or UNF is. We just have inch and metric
over here (or I guess, over "there" depending where you are). It keeps
the tool kit down to two completely different sets of sockets and
wrenches.

In fact, I didn't know there was an attempt to standardize threads
between the UK and US car industry. In fact, one doesn't think about
the UK car industry much, except when James Bond movies are on -- and I
thought he even switch brands.

It would seem, though, that the posters suggesting small hardware shops
and garages are right. They must have them as "legacy" items to fix
old things from the old days before metric. You know, the days when
all we had to do was argue about how many pints are in a gallon.

The message .com
from "Pat" contains these words:

We just have inch and metric
over here (or I guess, over "there" depending where you are). It keeps
the tool kit down to two completely different sets of sockets and
wrenches.

Or one.
http://www.metrinch-tools.com/websit...hp?language=gb

And there's eight pints to a gallon - but its eight of our proper
man-sized pints, thank you very much.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Pat wrote:
That's what I love about this newsgroup -- its international flare and
the ability to not know what the heck people are talking about. I
don't have a clue as what UNC or UNF is. We just have inch and metric
over here (or I guess, over "there" depending where you are). It keeps
the tool kit down to two completely different sets of sockets and
wrenches.

In fact, I didn't know there was an attempt to standardize threads
between the UK and US car industry.

Hmmm, we had one once, but it's gone down the tubes, sadly. Still a few
smaller companies around though, and a lot of the motor racing business
is based here.
According to what I hear the US car industry is in a bad way as well.
All cars will probably come from Asia before long, except for a few
ridiculously expensive Rolls-Royces and German machines. I saw a TV prog
that featured the (Mercedes) Maybach recently - whew, talk about
conspicuous consumption!

In fact, one doesn't think about
the UK car industry much, except when James Bond movies are on -- and I
thought he even switch brands.

He did have a brief dalliance with a BMW, but now he's back with Aston
Martin I believe.

If it's going to be so difficult to find a nut that will fit (i.e.
getting someone to make it for you, having to raid a museum etc.), how
about changing the bolt in the tripod to one with a more modern thread?

In article .com,
Pat wrote:
That's what I love about this newsgroup -- its international flare and
the ability to not know what the heck people are talking about. I
don't have a clue as what UNC or UNF is.

In fact, I didn't know there was an attempt to standardize threads
between the UK and US car industry. In fact, one doesn't think about
the UK car industry much, except when James Bond movies are on -- and I
thought he even switch brands.

Mainly based on American Fine and American Coarse with some subtle
differences. Came about just after WW2 when the UK was exporting many cars
to the US - long before James Bond. ;-) In use up until the mid '70s when
metrification came about. Which is why few garages would have BSW nuts and
bolts since they haven't been in common use on cars for about 50 years. ;-)

--
*Husbands should come with instructions

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

xscope wrote:
If it's going to be so difficult to find a nut that will fit (i.e.
getting someone to make it for you, having to raid a museum etc.), how
about changing the bolt in the tripod to one with a more modern thread?


We have lots of Whitworth bolts and nuts, from 1/8" to 9/8"
Here's a picture of them:
http://tinypic.com/wrc6zd.jpg

and can easily get more from the shop, although Whitworth costs a
bit more than UNC.
We also have a large range of Unified and Metric nuts and bolts.

In article .com,
xscope wrote:
If it's going to be so difficult to find a nut that will fit (i.e.
getting someone to make it for you, having to raid a museum etc.), how
about changing the bolt in the tripod to one with a more modern thread?

And that will screw into the camera body?

There's no problems getting the correct thing - just don't expect a shed
or hardware shop to stock a near obsolete thread.

--
*A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Plenty of people have pointed out that the best answer is a 1/4"-20 nut. If
you really can't find this size nut, you might be able to make a fastener.
How heavy is the attachment, and how secure does it have to be? If it's not
too heavy, you might be able to make your own fastener by doing this:
-Get a small piece of fairly strong plastic (unfilled nylon, PET, PBT...not
an acrylic or epoxy)...maybe one of those little protectors that goes on an
exposed screw thread on a bicycle so you don't cut yourself or snag your
clothes. Perhaps you could use a plastic spacer or standoff;
-Drill a hole in the plastic. The hole size should be just at or slightly
larger than the "minor diameter" of the screw (i.e., the diameter at the
bottom of the threads). You can "eyeball" that by holding the drill bit
behind the screw;
-Using a pliers or Vice-Grips, hold the plastic, and screw it onto the
tripod screw. The metal screw will cut and form the threads into the
plastic. If it's too difficult to turn the plastic, re-drill the hole a
little larger. The metal screw will form the threads partially by cutting
the plastic, and partially by forcing some of the plastic into shape--that's
why you can get away with drilling the hole a little over-sized.

In a pinch, you might find a plastic metric-sized nut with a hole of
*almost* the correct diameter, and force it over the screw so that new
threads are formed. I think these are usually nylon. Check your local Radio
Shack (you might call them "Tandy") or hardware store.

Other sources of 1/4"-20 fasteners might be old American-made items that
people have stored away...something like an old radio or toy. (More recent
ones were probably made in Korea or China, and it's a crap-shoot whether
they'd have inch or metric fasteners.)

Oddly, with screws and nuts that as sized as fractions of an inch, we refer
to them as "English." Since metric screws are sized by how many mm each
thread is separated, the equivalent of 20 threads per inch is a pitch of
1.27 mm, and a 1/4" diameter is 6.35 mm. Maybe that info will help you find
a nylon nut in a close size, as suggested above.


"Andy" wrote in message
...
I am in the UK and I have a minature tripod for a 35mm camera.

I want to attach something else to the tripod using the threaded bolt on
the tripod which normally goes into the body of the camera.

That bolt is about 1/4inch across and I have read that it has 20 threads
per inch, so it gets to be called "1/4-20".

I want a nut to fit this.

QUESTION: What would be the reference or specification for the correct
nut?

ISTR this threaded bolt is a slightly unusual size in Europe.

QUESTION: Can I get a bush to fit over the screwed bolt in order to be
able to get a more widley available nut?

QUESTION: Is there a common nut size (as far as Europe goes) which
might fit a bit loosely on the bolt but which could still be tightened?

On 27 Apr 2006, Dave Plowman wrote:

In article ,
Andy wrote:
Good offer, mate! For something as small as a few nuts I'll try
my local hardware store first.

You'll be lucky. Pretty well everything has been metric for ages.

You're right actually. The shop had nothing auitable.

But my own trusty toolbox revealed three of them. :-) I'm pleased! I
have no idea where I might have got them from though.

From what Roger posted to this thread thse may be UNC instead (Roger
didn't say what size UNC but it seems they are a passable lookalike).
Maybe a 1/4" Whitworth matches a 1/4" UNC. Is that correct?

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 09:52:47 +0100, Andy had this
to say:

On 27 Apr 2006, Dave Plowman wrote:

In article ,
Andy wrote:
Good offer, mate! For something as small as a few nuts I'll try
my local hardware store first.

You'll be lucky. Pretty well everything has been metric for ages.

You're right actually. The shop had nothing auitable.

But my own trusty toolbox revealed three of them. :-) I'm pleased! I
have no idea where I might have got them from though.

From what Roger posted to this thread thse may be UNC instead (Roger
didn't say what size UNC but it seems they are a passable lookalike).
Maybe a 1/4" Whitworth matches a 1/4" UNC. Is that correct?

More or less. The pitch is the same but the thread form is a little
different.
The UNC "near equivalent" is 1/4" - 20.

--
Frank Erskine

In article ,
Andy wrote:
From what Roger posted to this thread thse may be UNC instead (Roger
didn't say what size UNC but it seems they are a passable lookalike).
Maybe a 1/4" Whitworth matches a 1/4" UNC. Is that correct?

There is a slight thread profile difference which shouldn't matter on this
sort of application. I'd be wary of using UNC into an aluminium camera
body, though. Just my prejudice...

Unified nuts have linked circles stamped onto the face. Bolts have a
circular depression in the centre of the head.

--
*Why is it considered necessary to screw down the lid of a coffin?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Andy" wrote in message
...
On 27 Apr 2006, Dave Plowman wrote:

In article ,
Andy wrote:
Good offer, mate! For something as small as a few nuts I'll try
my local hardware store first.

You'll be lucky. Pretty well everything has been metric for ages.

You're right actually. The shop had nothing auitable.

But my own trusty toolbox revealed three of them. :-) I'm pleased!
I
have no idea where I might have got them from though.

From what Roger posted to this thread thse may be UNC instead (Roger
didn't say what size UNC but it seems they are a passable
lookalike).
Maybe a 1/4" Whitworth matches a 1/4" UNC. Is that correct?


1/4" Whit and 1/4" UNC differ only in the included thread angle and
crest / root rounding. Whitworth threads are 55 degrees and UNC are 60
degrees. In most (non precision applications) they are
interchangeable.

AWEM

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Andy wrote:


From what Roger posted to this thread thse may be UNC instead (Roger
didn't say what size UNC but it seems they are a passable lookalike).
Maybe a 1/4" Whitworth matches a 1/4" UNC. Is that correct?

Yes - it certainly true for 1/4". It seems to be generally true for other
sizes too - except I've just looked at a table which gives 1/2" Whitworth as
12TPI but 1/2" UNC as 13TPI - so I'm not sure whether one of those is a
misprint!
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 16:07:38 +0100, "Roger Mills"
wrote:

Yes - it certainly true for 1/4". It seems to be generally true for other
sizes too - except I've just looked at a table which gives 1/2" Whitworth as
12TPI but 1/2" UNC as 13TPI - so I'm not sure whether one of those is a
misprint!

No, it's not a misprint.


--

Tell ya what, all this discussion is getting out of hand. Post your
email address (with junk in it so spider don't get it). I'll send you
an email to get your address. Then I'll mail you a few of them --
maybe even an assortment of styles because these things are ubiquitious
here. You can get regular, capped, chromed, with lockwashers attached,
etc. etc.

I guess the next problem that you will face is the fact that you will
need an adjustable wrench (is that what you call a spanner?) to tighten
it because a metric socket or box wrench won't fit.

Then you'll have to reimburse me for whatever it'll cost. The postage
will probably be more than the nuts.

Then you don't have to debate UNC vs Whitford or any of that other
stuff I have NO idea what you are talking about. Just 4 options over
he Standard or Metric. Fine thread or normal. (okay there are
more, but that's 90% of all).

If it is for a mission-critical item (or high stress), also let me know
because there are various grades of steel available.