4BA or 5BA

Hi, I'm building the 2in scale D & NY Traction Engine and I want to make the cylinder studs, which the drawings state are 5BA that go into the boiler barrel in phospher bronze. But I can only find PB in 4BA size. Will this one size smaller be OK. There are in total 24 studs.

Thanks

Garry

Good news! BA numbers run in reverse, so 4BA (3.6mm) is bigger and stronger than 5BA (3.2mm). Provided there's space to fit bigger studs, should be fine.

Dave

5 BA is almost exactly 1/8". Plenty of that available if you wish to stay to drawing.

OOPS ! I got the sizes back to front. I meant to say that the drawings say 4BA and I can only find PB in 1/8 5BA size.

Hi Garry dont know if your talking about threaded rod or studs ? Studs are better here's a link

to 5BA by 1" steel studs if they are of use to you

H

Buy some 5/32 or 3/16 diameter bronze and turn it down, should be able to do it in one cut.

I'd be surprised if this company cannot help;

**LINK**

Brian

If there's room use M4, but the nuts are a tad bigger, so check first

Good suggestion Brian but I think you'll find EKP have reduced the range of studs they used to offer

H

Thanks everyone for your replies. I've already made up some 4BA steel studs but I wanted to use PB to get away from the corrosion of steel to the studs. I was going to use Stainless steel in the beginning, but some one said that's a no go for copper boilers!

No stainless is not recommended for boiler studs and as far as using PB I would suggest steel is more commonly used

H

Well in the end I think I will stick to using the steel studs I have already. Thanks everyone.

What is the problem with Stainless for this sort of job, then?

Tim

Would have thought that stainless or bronze would be far better than steel, steel rusts doesn’t it?