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UNC and UNF fasteners in Britain

Arran Cameron
Somebody will know the answer to this…


Almost all British machinery manufactured before 1950 used Whitworth, BSF, or BA fasteners. Manufacturers moved towards using metric fasteners in the 1970s and these have been the most commonly available and used family since 1980, although the proposal to use metric fasteners dates back 1965. Whitworth and BSF officially became obsolete in 1948 following an agreement between the UK, US, and Canada to standardise on the American UNC and UNF fasteners for future use. UNC and UNF fasteners were used in British machinery manufactured in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s where they gradually replaced Whitworth and BSF before themselves being replaced by metric fasteners.


1. Were UNC and UNF fasteners used across most industries in the UK or were they largely confined to specific industries such as automotive and machine tools? Were they regularly used in railways or shipbuilding?

2. Were the numbered sizes smaller than ¼ inch commonly used or did industry stick with BA fasteners until they moved to using metric fasteners?

3. Were UNC and UNF fasteners commonly used in construction? What are the most common family of fasteners used to hold together 1960s tower blocks and university buildings?

4. Was it easy to buy UNC and UNF fasteners from hardware and DIY shops in the 1960s and 70s or did they move directly from selling Whitworth and BA fasteners to metric fasteners?
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    Yes, Andy, mine was also a Renault 4, though I did not attempt anything as ambitious as removing the engine. An interesting point was the lock-nutting arrangement, used on the clutch adjustment and similar. It used adjacent sized spanners, probably recognising that spanner sets usually came in 1 mm intervals and a handyman might be less likely to have two spanners of exactly the same size. In reality, only certain spanner sizes are "standard", relating to the corresponding standard sized bolts. A set of metric spanners would probably tackle nearly all nut sizes at a pinch, though I still have a set of BS ones.


    Rust was usually what killed cars in those days.  Things have certainly improved and you seldom see a rusty car nowadays and plenty of twenty-plus-year-old ones are still running around. What finishes cars nowadays are usually MOT issues, serious mechanical failure or accident damage, where repair is not economical.


    I had fun with my Renault 4 too, a versatile, practical and comfortable car. I sold it on before rust became a problem.
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    Yes, Andy, mine was also a Renault 4, though I did not attempt anything as ambitious as removing the engine. An interesting point was the lock-nutting arrangement, used on the clutch adjustment and similar. It used adjacent sized spanners, probably recognising that spanner sets usually came in 1 mm intervals and a handyman might be less likely to have two spanners of exactly the same size. In reality, only certain spanner sizes are "standard", relating to the corresponding standard sized bolts. A set of metric spanners would probably tackle nearly all nut sizes at a pinch, though I still have a set of BS ones.


    Rust was usually what killed cars in those days.  Things have certainly improved and you seldom see a rusty car nowadays and plenty of twenty-plus-year-old ones are still running around. What finishes cars nowadays are usually MOT issues, serious mechanical failure or accident damage, where repair is not economical.


    I had fun with my Renault 4 too, a versatile, practical and comfortable car. I sold it on before rust became a problem.
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