Thumb Scews.

Not for torture! I'm looking for a " Thumb Srew" 1/4BSW bolt with a flat head which you grip between finger and thumb (approx the size of a penny) to tighten. Length doesn't matter as it can be cut to length. Stainless steel best but mild steel or even brass would do the job.
CHEERS Vic.

Can you get a mate to weld a washer on to a bolt or is that a bit agricultural ? go on tell us what it's for ...jeff...

If push comes to shove that's what I'll have to do. I would be drilling a hole in the flat bit anyway.
I want to try and make some kind of camera strap that will allow the camera to just slide up the strap. the bolt will screw into the camera base and a hook or keyring type loop will fit into it and it will then slide freely up the strap.
At least that's the theory. You can buy comercial camera straps that do this but I want to have a go at a DIY version.
If anyone else has already tried this then input will be gratefully accepted.
CHEERS Vic.

Hi Vic,

I'm a bit too far away to do much for you but I have a friend in Towcester who is a Landrover 'nut'.

I'm not suggesting he can help either but did you know that old Landrovers are full of 1/4 whit and some have 'funny' heads on them.

If you're interested I'll try and find out where the local 'bits-n-bobs' emporium is.

I'm a woodturner so my solution would be to turn a wooden disc out of oak then araldite a roofing bolt into it then file finger slots in the rim of the disc with a round file

regards
Bernard

Right I've got it , I find most camera straps just useless and short and I have had a go at making a fitting that works for me Is the tripod fitting on the camera British standard whitworth or some special tripod thread ? I don't know , It looks courser than that, you might have maninfuster something to fit from an old tripod ... let us know how you get on, good luck Vic .... you sound like ... well me ... jeff

1/4" Whitworth thread.

As John says all cameras have 1/4BSW (British Standard Whitworth) threads for the tripod mount. Larger cameras (medium format) very often have 3/8BSW and you can get convertors with 1/4BSW female thread and 3/8BSW male thread. YES old fashioned British inch threads are the standard thread on cameras no matter where they are manufactured.
So speaks an old retired engineer who has gone through the system.
BSW, BSF, UNC, UNF, European Metric, USA Metric. European and USA metric don't usually fit each other.
Frogherder. I used to work to .0001's of inches in metal but wood is another ball game altogether far to complicated and unstable.

CHEERS vic.

I've just had another thought. A short piece of 1/4BSW stud could be heated and beaten to a flat end then ground or filed to a suitable shape. SO if anyone out there has a piece of 1/4 BSW studding they no longer need I can find a home for it.
CHEERS Vic.

Hi Vic

Depends just how much you want to DIY it - but did you know you can buy 1/4" D ring bolts that would be ideal for purpose and should mean you do not have to 'adapt' the screw head?

Several examples on ebay including:

link

link

link

There are many more typed available - if you want to see some - I just entered "tripod quick release plate" in the search box

Regards

Carl

Thanks Carl. I've ordered 2 from your first link. Happy new year to you and yours.
CHEERS Vic.

.0001".... That wouldn't be any use to Bernard
He always works spot-on!

-

1/10 thou might be considered close enough for some, I also worked in engineering but final sizes were lapped to much, much tighter tolerances (and would you believe the specs recquired by the toy industry was even pickier than aerospace).

Wood is fine when used within its limitations.
These are a couple of knobs that I made from beech and a roofing bolt/square nut (these are 1/4 whit and still freely available, it seems that foreign ideas have yet to fully permeate the building trade)


The metal component is held in with araldite. Some original knobs have served me well for over ten years without fault, unlike some of the (expensive) plastic versions which barely lasted the guarantee period.

Anyway, I'm glad you're sorted

regards
Bernard

Cheers frogherder (Bernard)?. Yes I also worked closer than .0001" but thought that was OK for people who aren't engineers to understand. And yes I do work with wood but mainly only for structures in the garden when my wife asks me to.
CHEERS Vic.
PS. I know about the toy industry. The moulds for "Matchbox" etc. were mainly made in Portugal and had to be capable of a primary run of 1,000.000 parts with the possibility of more if the model sold well. they were tight.
Vic.

I still use the "Nigh enough for Pit work" measurement often referred to as "Measure once, cut twice"

On Tyneside we used the expression. "Near enough for a ship" The lads that worked in the shipyards didn't like that one little bit.
When I was an apprentice.
You took the first off to the inspector in tolerance and he would say "OK but I want the first off to be perfect". SO you'd take the next one perfect and he would say " Thats near enough" He was a right sod.
Happy days. CHEERS Vic.