UK GPO 746 21FA dial finger stop screws

[royalbox]

Hello, first post. I'm in the UK and am restoring a couple of GPO 746 telephones as a hobby and to use at home.

I have some minor annoying dial problems, but the main one is that one dial has no finger stop. I have a finger stop from another "parts" dial, but this is a much later and cheaper all plastic dial that uses just one screw of a different size and thread. This dial requires 2 screws. It's a 21FA from 1972.

The total length including the head is about 14.6mm but I don't know about the thread pitch or whatever and the width is hard to measure. I assume the size I require will be imperial.

Can anyone help identity the screws I require? Many thanks.

Barry.

[twocvbloke]

Hi, the screws you're after are 8BA 1/2 Inch type screws, this site offers them at 16p a screw or £1.65 for 10 (plus £2.50 p&p on either option):

http://www.ba-bolts.co.uk/steelcsk.html

[royalbox]

Thanks a lot! I didn't expect to get a reply on this, that's really helpful.
Barry.

[twocvbloke]

No problem, to be honest I almost gave up and was about to suggest to try finding another dial for parts, but then thought I'd look on Sam Hallas' website (where he documented taking a 706 to bits, same 21-type dial) and he actually noted the 8BA screw type for the finger-stop, which was lucky to say the least!! 

http://www.samhallas.co.uk/collection/bits_706_2.htm

Glad it's been helpful...

[royalbox]

I've read his "taking a 746 to bits" but not the 706 so missed that. Thanks again for pointing that out.
Barry.

[twocvbloke]

It's amazing what info gets stored away in the brain that slowly returns to the surface, I knew I'd read about it somewhere so went through all the british phone-related sites I know of, and got there in the end with Sam Hallas' site...

[royalbox]

Got some 8BA screws, 99p for 10 on ebay, but 1/2" is too short. Will need 5/8" I think. I can't find any at the moment at a reasonable price at the moment. Will keep looking.

[twocvbloke]

You could probably get some 1" screws from the above site and with some careful use of a hacksaw and a file/sandpaper (to smooth off the cut end) you could make a 5/8ths screw...

[royalbox]

You could probably get some 1" screws from the above site and with some careful use of a hacksaw and a file/sandpaper (to smooth off the cut end) you could make a 5/8ths screw...

Thanks, yes I could do that. I got the dial for about £7.50 inc postage I think so it's hard to justify half that again for a couple of screws so I'll keep checking to see if anything comes up cheaper on ebay for a while.

Thanks again,
Barry.

[LarryInMichigan]

I would think that a good hardware shop would have something that would fit.  I often take things to a hardware store in the area which has a large assortment of fasteners and other stuff and ask one of the sales people to find me a screw or whatever that will work.

Larry

[Jim Stettler]

Thanks, yes I could do that. I got the dial for about £7.50 inc postage I think so it's hard to justify half that again for a couple of screws so I'll keep checking to see if anything comes up cheaper on ebay for a while.

Thanks again,
Barry.

If you decide to cut screws, Put a nut on it first, after you cut the screw, take off the nut, this will clean up the "cut threads"
JMO,
Jim S.