What part is this thing missing?

[Joe Bailey]

I ask the forum's help in restoring this tool to its former greatness.


I have more than a few T-bevels with this style of fastener.
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But this earlier example is missing a nut of some kind (appears to be 1/4-20) and I'm wondering exactly what it should look like and if it's brass.
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Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.

[Bill White]

Mine does not have a nut on that end. Just the adjusting "tab" that locks the bevel.
Don't think that you're missing anything.
Bill

[John Coloccia]

It looks like possibly all you need to do is pull out the bolt, flip it around to go in the other side, possibly.

[Jim Koepke]

Mine of that style have a low profile brass nut. Not sure if it is a 1/4-20. If it is a Stanley it might be 1/4-28.

This is where having a thread pitch gauge comes in handy. Trying to figure it out with a ruler is a bit tricky.

jtk

[Joe Bailey]

It's definitely missing something -- if I were to turn it over, the assembly would just fall out.

Jim -- it specs out at 1/4-20 via thread pitch gauge -- Thanks for the response -- from your description it sounds like a jam nut.

[george wilson]

Chuck a piece of 1/4-20 threaded steel in your drill press or wood lathe chuck. While it rotates,use file strokes to crown one side of the nut and reduce its height to fit the height of that short stud. Screw the crowned brass nut on. If necessary,put a bit of Loctite in the threads,but be careful the Loctite does not dribble down into your bevel's body.

[Joe Bailey]

Thanks George -- a fine solution (unfortunately I am one of those backward, hand-tool-only types, so no lathe or drill press here)

I'm pretty sure a brass nut of those specs is still available.

[lowell holmes]

I wouldn't bet on it. I've had to replace the whole bolt and nut on one of mine. The threads are wallowed out on the brass wing(?) nut.
I was not able to match the threads. If you find a nut to fit it, lets us know so I can order one.

I don't know what to call the nut with a single wing.

[Joe Bailey]

I wouldn't bet on it. I've had to replace the whole bolt and nut on one of mine. The threads are wallowed out on the brass wing(?) nut.
I was not able to match the threads. If you find a nut to fit it, lets us know so I can order one.

I don't know what to call the nut with a single wing.

Will do.

btw- I guess I'd call that one-winged thing a lever.

[Stew Denton]

Hi Joe,

Stanley had a habit of using non-standard thread bolts in their planes. I don't know if your bevel square is a Stanley or not, but if it is, matching it with a standard bolt and nut might be a problem. I agree with the suggestion to check the treads with a thread gauge to find out the threads per inch. I don't know if Stanley used non-standard threads on their other tools, the ones other than the planes.

Stew

[Winton Applegate]

Joe,

no lathe or drill press here)
"SHOCKING" (to quote Bond)

Joe . . . that's barbaric . . . how to you get along ?

Since I have nothing constructive to add and too much couch time under my belt I might suggest/mention/recommend:

Drill press : watch the local ads; my first drill press was a bench top model (maybe a Grizzly; label was missing) I got it for $75. You can just see it there on the left side of the photo of my shop assistant (Q). I have had it for twenty five years (the drill press not Q), I used it hard to the max and still works like the day I got it. I finally bought a big floor model once I lost access to the ones (drill or mill) at various places I have worked.

Lathe : if you get the drill press it would help you make a Roy Underhill spring pole lathe out of wood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD_PBkV7Ovg). A nice woodworking project.

[John Coloccia]

Is the lever threaded? It has to be, no? I'm curious why it would fall out if you simply put the bolt in from the other side, and use the lever as the nut. I know I've seen them built like that. Anyhow, just curious.

[Jim Koepke]

I'm curious why it would fall out if you simply put the bolt in from the other side, and use the lever as the nut.

The design requires a nut on both sides. The images in the OP are of two different gauges.

jtk

[Joe Bailey]

Stew
Yes -- well aware of non-standard threads as used by Stanley, but have a look ...
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Winton, my good man ...
It is not for want of money nor space that I operate without power tools.
As late as the late 70s, I had the whole complement of power tools. Nuff said.

John,
Hopefully these last two pics will make everything clear in a way that no amount of words will. Bear in mind that the flats on the side of the threaded bit pass through a similarly shaped slot cut into the brass plate on the non-lever side of the bevel (see last photo in original post)

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This assembly is what I said would just fall out without a nut on the other end.
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[John Coloccia]

Oh, I see. For some reason, I was seeing it as almost like a carriage bolt that was just assembled wrong. You can imagine why I was confused! I should have looked closer. Yeah, that style came with a really peculiar looking brass nut.

[Jim Koepke]

Just a note, mine was checked just now. The logo is from the 1907-1910 time. It has a 1/4-20 thread. The nut is no more than 1/8" thick.

jtk

[Bill Houghton]

It's a subtly-deformed-threads thin nut, that will hold its position when you tighten it. The good news is that, once you find something that will work, you've got by far the best design of Stanley lever-locking bevel. The nut allows you to fine-tune exactly where the lever will lock in place; ideally, this locking will occur when the lever is fully inside the width of the stock (handle part) of the bevel. The later Stanley bevels, with the six-sided carriage bolt, allow you to get close, but not necessarily exactly on.

Where to get a nut? If it is 1/4" -20 or -28, your hardware store might have a deformed-thread locking nut. Try one of those, if you can find one (and if the thread pitch is one of the standard pitches). It's likely to be thicker than it needs to be, but might work anyhow. If that doesn't work, write Pete Niederberger (pniederber@aol.com); he's got an amazing array of parts.

[Joe Bailey]

Jim, Bill - Thanks for the help

[george wilson]

Crazy thread form looks much like a Whitworth thread(British). It seems very close to 20 threads,though it seems like it deviates where your picture is in the shadows. If it is the correct diameter,certainly it is close enough for a 1/4-20 thd. nut to work.

Do you have an electric drill at least? You could chuck a threaded stud in the drill,and screw on a brass nut,then run the nut against a coarse,then finer file. If all else fails,you could put a stud into a vise and HAND FILE the nut thinner,and give it as even a crown as possible. I'd have had(and did) do that years ago.

[John Coloccia]

You could also probably get a standard jam nut, stick it in a vice and squash it slightly. That's about how "nut plates" on aircraft are made. That's the only threaded fastener I can think of that doesn't require an additional locking feature (nylon lock nut, safety wire, etc...).

[Jim Koepke]

The nut on my bevel gauges of this design often loosen. It is just another thing to fiddle with while setting up the gauge.

It has crossed my mind to drill and put a pin in it, but not bothersome enough to me to go forward with the alteration.

jtk

[Bill White]

After having seen the pics of the device, I withdraw my posted comment about having one like it. :)
Bill

[Karl Andersson]

Joe,
here is what's missing - the brass hex nut is 1/2 in flat to flat and is slightly domed in the center. The nut center is about 1/8" at its thickest and about 3/32 at the edge. The nut appears to have been pressed/ peened with a 1/4 inch circular punch to get it to deform into the flats of the threaded bolt a little bit. Mine has the same logo as yours (fairly pitted though, couldn't get a good photo). Mine is a 6-inch bevel square.
Let me know if you need more photos or info
Karl
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[Joe Bailey]

Thanks Karl -- that's what I really wanted all along -- an actual photo of what was supposed to be there.

Believe it or not, I could not find one single image of this early model which showed the back side.

[Karl Andersson]

You're welcome Joe,
Not sure if you could use one off a donor square, as mine is pretty well distorted from being "pressed"- if you see in the last picture, the opening in the nut looks oval, and it actually is: it's about 1mm longer top to bottom than it is wide. Removing it from the bolt might gouge it up too bad to use. I can't unscrew either the lever or the nut - they turn about 1/4 turn and then there's too much resistance. Of course, mine was much rustier than yours to begin with -it might just be that the bolt is pitted badly and it affects the threads.

Good luck on your repair
Karl