While doing a recent loco repair for a fellow Guild Member, I found that I was constantly swapping the head of my Markits nut spinner between 8BA and 12BA with the result that quite a few times it was the head of the nut spinner that unscrewed not the nut as I hadn’t tightened it enough. I use the 8, 10 and 12BA heads most frequently and rarely use the 14BA and 16BA heads. Thinking about it, I don’t think that I have ever used the 6BA head so far although I do have some 6BA hardware so I probably will at some point.

For those unfamiliar with what I am talking about this is the ‘Markits’ version

I decided to make some spare handles so that I could have the 8, 10 and 12BA heads on individual handles and then fit the 14BA and 16BA to a double ended handle and second double handle for the 6BA and any other size that I might come up with at some point. In the meantime I will make a rounded end insert just to finish it off.

I suspect that Markits use 10mm hex bar to make theirs. I did mine the longer way using 10mm round and then milling flats on them. Of course I had no sooner cut them all and drilled for the thread when I found a length of 10mm brass hex but isn’t that always the way.

If anyone wishes to do something similar with theirs, the thread on the Markits heads is M5 x 0.8

A bit of online research found me a photo of what it should look like so I set about cleaning it up. It turns out the handle was on upside down.

By good fortune I had a couple of pieces of rod in my stores that would make a replacement for the depth guide. I had a choice of Nickel Silver or Silver steel so I chose the latter. as being more suited to a machine.
I turned a 60 degree point on it as looking about right from the photo and then milled a flat for the work piece to rest against.

Next I went over it with a wire brush in my Dremel and I was pleasantly surprised when most of the surface rust came off leaving the painted surface underneath. I quite like the lived in look so I am not going to repaint it as I had originally planned. all that remains is for m to fasten it to a suitable piece of wood and hopefully to make some addition anvils for it.

In my searches I determined that as bought they came with 4 anvils whereas mine only has one at the minute. The good news is that a member of Western Thunder has one of these so I have asked if he will take photos of the additional anvils and get me some key dimensions and I will have a go at making some more. I recently scrapped a duff Compound Mitre saw that I had, had for 20 years. Before scrapping it, I recovered lots of useful bits of steel and aluminium. One of the former should be just right to make the anvils.

After collecting a couple of pre orders from Finney7 and Metalsmith and then buying other bits and pieces including some driving wheels for a J21 (I already have tender wheels for it. I risked a look on the Bring and Buy stand. I went later because I didn’t want to be tempted by a too good to miss kit as I have far too many as it is. What I did find for the princely sum of £19 was a Double Leaky Rivet press. I was amazed that it hadn’t been snapped up and I wasn’t the only one, as when I was paying for it the gut who served said that he thought that as he was putting the price label on he thought that someone would be taking it out of his hands.

It needs a little TLC and at first glance I knew it was missing the depth guide but otherwise pretty good condition for something that will be getting on for 30 or more years old.

This thread is to share the journey of it’s restoration.