Chevrolet horn button screws

[motto]

Pratt and Whitney have a diverse history. It is a surprise for many to learn that they were the prime contractor for the establishment of the Lithgow Small Arms factory.

David

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by motto

Pratt and Whitney have a diverse history. It is a surprise for many to learn that they were the prime contractor for the establishment of the Lithgow Small Arms factory.

David

Yes, I had a look on google and I found that P&W, before they opened their aircraft division, were better known as a machine tool company

http://www.lathes.co.uk/pratt&whitney/

https://connecticuthistory.org/the-e...craft-company/

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

On this topic of old hardware getting difficult to find, part of my solution is a large heavy wooden crate in the corner of the shop filled with used but good nuts, bolts, washers, and other hardware. In to this crate goes any old/good hardware the comes up extra in the shop. When working on projects and I need hardware I first look through my new hardware stock when that fail its down on my knees to paw through the box. Amazing how often I find what I need.

This box is a family tradition my dad worked in a Naval Research facility starting in 1942, the box was a fixture in that shop in the late 1950s when the box was headed for the scrap bin, it and its contents came home. From then on it was it was common to be handed a sample nut bolt etc and told to "find me one of these" that's how learned about sizes, thread counts etc.

I actually have several of these "hoarding" boxes 3 with all the original bolts taken off my CMPs you know the ones not good enough to reuse but still good. Another has new extra hardware left over that not been sorted back in to new hardware stock shelves.

No I don't have the WWII box of bolts my brother has that in his shop.

For years I have harvested all the nuts bolts screws from any piece of equipment that has reached end of life. One thing that has become obvious over the last 20 years is that the quality of hardware use has gone down sharply.

Cheers Phil

[Lynn Eades]

Well, ... we certainly derailed this thread (as it has already been used by some other nut) No pun intended.

[Mike Cecil]

Hardly 'derailed', as Marty's questions have been more than adequately answered as to the type, size and where he might obtain the screws he requires, plus a whole load of peripheral discussion around the topic.

MLU at its best: what can be better than that?

Mike

[M.Morren]

Thank you all! Definitely some great info here :-)

I'll go looking for a couple of nice C/S oval head slotted screws.
At first I thought that the screws pictured would not fit, but it turns out thet the holes are around 9mm deep. So that looks right. There also seems to be some remnants of the course thread left, which means that these self tapping screws were once fitted (which I didn't doubt).


On the topic of McMaster Carr: I have some experience there as I managed to order almost $70 worth of nuts and bolts, including 400 sets of 6-32 nuts, bolts and washers (impossible to get here, and definitely not that cheap) for my side curtain restoration project.
I had them shipped to an acquaintance in the US. He loaded them in a container that was already coming to this side of the pond. Saved me a lot in shipping costs (The package was heavy).

I don't think that I have to do this again, but we'll see

[Andrew Rowe]

I would like to chip in, by saying , I had a recent purchase of 500kg of NOS wartime BSF countersunk, slot head machine screws in various lengths and sizes , along with bolts and some BA stuff as well. No rust condition present, as they must seem to have a high Nickle content , excellent manufacture and quality....great for bolting front Carrier plates on, Cheers Andrew.