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UK GPO 746 21FA dial finger stop screws

Started by royalbox, December 12, 2016, 04:36:07 PM

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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!!  ;D

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

Quote from: twocvbloke on December 28, 2016, 01:23:22 PM
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

Quote from: royalbox on December 30, 2016, 11:27:27 AM
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.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.