nuts and bolts in scale

This forum is dedicated to the Live Steam Hobbyist Community.

Moderators: cbrew, Harold_V

User avatar
squandt
Posts: 124
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:15 pm
Location: cleveland ohio

nuts and bolts in scale

Post by squandt »

I am looking for scale nuts and bolts,all the place's in the past I got them from seem to be gone. Any one out there have a special place to get them?
stay on the shine side of the rail
User avatar
Harlock
Posts: 3833
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:19 am
Contact:

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by Harlock »

Anyone know what's up with Wayne Godshall's acquisition of AME? They have/had a selection of model screws:
http://www.americanmodeleng.com/id41.html

I used to buy assortments of stainless and brass model screws from Real Trains, but they are gone too. Not sure if either of the purchasers of that business intend on carrying on the screw inventory. I have only what I have left from that time and eventually I'm going to need some more as well.

There's some money to be made for someone with a screw machine...the problem is it requires a good amount of up-front capital to get going. Volumes are small in this hobby but you could sell to people who make models of all kinds, not just live steam stuff.
Live Steam Photography and more - gallery.mikemassee.com
Product Development and E-Commerce, Allen Models of Nevada
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by NP317 »

Godshalls is continuing to supply the products from American Model Engineering.
I have successfully purchased products from AME since the transition last year.
~RN
User avatar
Fender
Posts: 3084
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 8:33 pm
Location: Chattanooga TN

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by Fender »

I bought some 10-32 and 5-40 nuts and bolts from Wayne in Florida in February. Go to the link you posted, then choose Home, and it gives his phone number (in blue).
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
User avatar
Harlock
Posts: 3833
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:19 am
Contact:

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by Harlock »

NP317 wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 7:52 pm Godshalls is continuing to supply the products from American Model Engineering.
I have successfully purchased products from AME since the transition last year.
~RN
That's great news. The site hasn't been updated much since then so I wasn't sure where it was at.
Live Steam Photography and more - gallery.mikemassee.com
Product Development and E-Commerce, Allen Models of Nevada
765nkp
Posts: 776
Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 9:24 pm
Location: st louis, mo

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by 765nkp »

I just ordered from them the week before last and the order showed in 2 days! Great service. They in Pa and I'm in Missouri.
Tim
FLtenwheeler
Posts: 1594
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2003 8:47 am
Location: Florida, on the Lake Wales Ridge

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by FLtenwheeler »

Wayne has the old screw machine running 5 days a week making parts. Except great service for years to come.

Tim
He who dies with the most unfinished projects: Should of put more time into their hobby.
RONALD
Posts: 754
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 7:27 am

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by RONALD »

I have bought from this company for a long time.
They advertise in Live Steam & Outdoor RR.
Tho they may not be exactly to RR scale, their stuff will do fine in most modeling.

http://www.microfasteners.com/
User avatar
Fred_V
Posts: 4370
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2003 3:26 pm

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by Fred_V »

I make my own.
Fred V
Pensacola, Fl.
User avatar
makinsmoke
Posts: 2260
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2003 12:56 pm
Location: Texas Hill Country

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by makinsmoke »

It’s been a while but I bought some 2/56 screws and nuts from McMaster Carr.

The nuts were an option where they offer two sizes. One the humongous jobs we’re used to seeing, and the others smaller. They look very good on my stock car.

I believe the nuts were steel, not brass. And you can buy them in large quantities. Since the nuts on many stock cars go on the outside of the side boards the head size and shape of the screws don’t matter.
JohnHudak
Posts: 1140
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 2:18 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by JohnHudak »

You can set up to make your own bolts quite easily if you'd like to..
A turret attachment for your lathe, and a small geometric die head can knock out just about any size bolt in probably less than 25 seconds.. Once you get it dialed in, maybe even faster than that..
It's far less money than buying a screw machine, and most of us have a lathe anyway... Yes it's nowhere as fast as a SM, but most of us don't need thousands of bolts anyway..
That being said, if I only need a handful, I usually buy from Wayne..
User avatar
Greg_Lewis
Posts: 3014
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:44 pm
Location: Fresno, CA

Re: nuts and bolts in scale

Post by Greg_Lewis »

In those places where close is good enough, there are what's known as "radio nuts," or small pattern nuts, that are good enough when in the shadows and covered with black paint. They are cheap and I use them frequently. Here's a link: https://www.mcmaster.com/#hex-nuts/=1d3ys19

I haven't tried this but some builders find that metric hex heads look good in the smaller sizes too.
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
Post Reply