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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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    Roy Bowdler:
    Denis, I was slow to pick up on your CEGB comment, but an advertisement in an E&T on-line email that I received recently for The Uniper Academy reminded me of its heritage. http://www.cegbmidreg.co.uk/ptc/leaflet/ptccover.htm

    I trained at the Plant Training Centre as an Apprentice and returned some year later as an Instructor/Training Officer, before moving to Whitehall Road Leeds (North East Region) to head up the Electrical Department there. . .


     




     

    Thanks Roy for that interesting link about the training centre at Drakelow. I was based in the North Eastern Region and was posted to various power stations there at various times. There was a training centre at Stella South power station, now gone, but the one you describe at Drakelow was certainly on a much bigger scale. I never visited Drakelow but I recall that from the railway there was an ash silo visible, which I believe could be something to do with Drakelow. I left the CEGB to do a degree.
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    Roy Bowdler:
    Denis, I was slow to pick up on your CEGB comment, but an advertisement in an E&T on-line email that I received recently for The Uniper Academy reminded me of its heritage. http://www.cegbmidreg.co.uk/ptc/leaflet/ptccover.htm

    I trained at the Plant Training Centre as an Apprentice and returned some year later as an Instructor/Training Officer, before moving to Whitehall Road Leeds (North East Region) to head up the Electrical Department there. . .


     




     

    Thanks Roy for that interesting link about the training centre at Drakelow. I was based in the North Eastern Region and was posted to various power stations there at various times. There was a training centre at Stella South power station, now gone, but the one you describe at Drakelow was certainly on a much bigger scale. I never visited Drakelow but I recall that from the railway there was an ash silo visible, which I believe could be something to do with Drakelow. I left the CEGB to do a degree.
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