Hexagonal Nut – Full Batch Set

The other side of every fastener

On a real machine a nut tends to be where the bolt passes right through: on the sides of a hull, on the brackets of towing eyes, on suspension arms or on pipe flanges. It differs to the eye from a bolt head in sitting loose on the metal, often with a short length of thread standing out of it. When both shapes meet on one part, even an otherwise smooth surface comes alive and the build stops looking like a single pressing.

Range and quantities

Inside there are eleven part-sheets, one for each diameter. The range begins at 0.3 mm, rises by a tenth to 1.0 mm and continues at the top with 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 mm. There are 2392 parts in all, with a clear center of gravity in the finest sizes, because those are the ones used up fastest on a model. Anyone who builds aircraft and ground vehicles in turn will reach for the whole scale sooner or later.

Where to fit them

They pay off most where a kit only hints at the shape with a shallow impression. The original relief is leveled with a sharp knife, the area is sanded over and the new part is laid on the dressed surface. It is worth setting out the spacing beforehand with a pencil or by the impression from the mold, because an irregular gap is more noticeable on a finished model than a slightly wrong size.

Mixing diameters on one vehicle

Real designs choose the size by the load: heavy fasteners hold armor and suspension mounts, small ones only covers, lids and sheet-metal trim. A model gains most when that difference is kept and two or three diameters meet on one machine. A single size everywhere looks artificial at first glance.