Imperial Fasteners — UNC, UNF, BSW, BSF
— NAB and SAB

1/4" – 2" Nickel Aluminium Bronze Aluminium Silicon Bronze UNC · UNF · BSW · BSF · BA Made to Order
Threads
ASME B1.1 (UNC / UNF) · BS 84 (BSW / BSF) · BS 93 (BA)
Dimensions
ASME B18.2.1 / B18.2.2 · BS 1768 · BS 1083
Forms
Bolts · Nuts · Studs · Screws
Quotes
Within 24 hours
No Minimum Order
Made to Drawing
Material Certification & Traceability
Quote Within 24 Hours
ISO 9001 BSI Certified
JOSCAR Registered
Overview

Imperial-thread fasteners machined to order in nickel aluminium bronze (CuAl10Ni5Fe4 — CW307G / CA104) and aluminium silicon bronze (CuAl6Si2Fe — CW301G / CA107). UNC and UNF (Unified) to ASME B1.1 thread form, with hex dimensions to ASME B18.2.1 (hex cap screws / finished hex bolts) and B18.2.2 (finished hex nuts) where specified, or to the legacy UK standards BS 1768 (precision, normal series) and BS 1769 (heavy series) — each covering bolts, screws and nuts, and not direct equivalents of the ASME standards; BSW and BSF (Whitworth) to BS 84 with hex dimensions to BS 1083, which applies to non-ferrous fasteners; BA for small screws. 1/4" to 2" nominal, smaller and larger subject to manufacturing review. Supplied with material certification and, where specified, to NES 833 / DEF STAN 02-833 for NAB, NES 834 / DEF STAN 02-834 Pt 2 (superseded by 02-879 Pt 2 Annex D, Sept 2011) for SAB, and the DEF STAN 02-862 Part 2 manufacturing route.

Imperial threads still turn up on Royal Navy legacy platforms and refit work, on US-origin machinery and valves, and on equipment designed before metrication. Drawings from the 1960s–80s often carry Whitworth or Unified threads with no metric equivalent — send the drawing as it is and we'll make to it. No minimum order quantity.

Also known as: UNC bolts, UNF bolts, Unified thread, imperial bolts, inch bolts, BSW bolts, Whitworth bolts, BSF bolts, British Standard Fine, BA screws, UNC nuts, UNF nuts, imperial studs, NAB imperial, aluminium bronze UNC, AlSiBr UNF.
Thread series

Imperial thread series — quick reference

SeriesStandardDescriptionTypical use
UNC (Unified Coarse)ASME B1.1The standard inch coarse thread, 60° form. Same tpi as BSW at every size in this range except 1/2" (13 against BSW's 12), but a different thread form; not interchangeable as a specificationUS-origin equipment, most general imperial fastening
UNF (Unified Fine)ASME B1.1Inch fine thread; higher tensile area for a given diameterValves, instrumentation, higher-load joints
BSW (British Standard Whitworth)BS 84Legacy UK coarse thread, 55° formPre-metrication UK naval and industrial equipment
BSF (British Standard Fine)BS 84Legacy UK fine thread, 55° formPre-metrication UK equipment
BA (British Association)BS 93Small-diameter thread series; BS 93 runs 0BA–16BA, with 0BA (6.0 mm) to 10BA (1.7 mm) in common use; smallest sizes subject to manufacturing reviewInstruments, electrical fittings, small naval equipment

UNC / UNF threads per inch and hex sizes

Standard-series sizes 1/4" to 2". Hex across-flats per ASME B18.2.1 hex cap screws (finished hex bolts) and B18.2.2 finished hex nuts, regular series.

NominalUNC tpiUNF tpiBolt head AF (in)Nut AF (in)
1/420287/167/16
5/1618241/21/2
3/816249/169/16
7/1614205/811/16
1/213203/43/4
9/16121813/167/8
5/8111815/1615/16
3/410161-1/81-1/8
7/89141-5/161-5/16
18121-1/21-1/2
1-1/87121-11/161-11/16
1-1/47121-7/81-7/8
1-3/86122-1/162-1/16
1-1/26122-1/42-1/4
1-3/452-5/82-5/8
24-1/233

Regular hex series shown. Heavy hex nuts, usual on flange studbolts, are larger — say which the drawing calls for. BSW and BSF hex sizes to BS 1083 differ from the Unified sizes above; where the drawing is Whitworth we use the BS 1083 across-flats. Unified threads: class 2A external / 2B internal unless the drawing specifies otherwise; BSW/BSF tolerances per BS 84 and the drawing.

DEF STAN 02-862 Unified-thread note: the table shows the normal ASME B1.1 commercial series. Where DEF STAN 02-862 Part 2 applies, clause 8.3.2 governs: sizes up to and including 1" may be UNC or UNF; sizes above 1" use 8 tpi (8 UN); external threads 2A, internal 2B, with separate requirements for stud metal ends (oversize per BS 2693 Part 1 up to 1", 8 UN 2A above 1"); Table 8 calls up BS 1768 for Unified hex bolts, screws and nuts. The contract or component drawing takes precedence where it explicitly specifies otherwise.

All imperial forms — hex head bolts and hex head setscrews, hex nuts, studs and studbolts, socket screws, machine screws, washers — to drawing.

Materials

Materials

DEF STAN 02-833 / NES 833 — Nickel Aluminium Bronze (CW307G / CA104)

CuAl10Ni5Fe4. The higher-strength alloy, with excellent seawater, erosion and cavitation resistance; commonly specified for structural and immersed fastenings. Naval material standard NES 833 / DEF STAN 02-833 Part 2. Relative magnetic permeability typically around 1.4–1.5. Full data, designations and cross-references on the NAB material page.

NES 834 / DEF STAN 02-834 → 02-879 Pt 2 Annex D — Aluminium Silicon Bronze (CW301G / CA107)

CuAl6Si2Fe. Good machinability, ductile, and formulated for controlled low magnetic permeability — relative magnetic permeability not exceeding 1.05 (DEF STAN 02-879 Part 2 Annex D, D.2.8; batch-tested to D.4.5) — used for mine countermeasures vessels and other naval low-signature applications. Tighter permeability limits are a drawing or contract requirement and are handled at enquiry stage. Naval material standard NES 834 / DEF STAN 02-834 Part 2, subsequently incorporated into DEF STAN 02-879 Part 2 Annex D. Full data on the SAB material page.

Certification

Source-material certification supplied as standard, with traceability to the bar heat maintained through manufacture. Where the drawing calls for DEF STAN 02-862 Part 2, threaded fasteners are machined from bar with machined threads and post-machining stress relief per clause 8.2.4 (NAB) or 8.2.5 (SAB), with heat treatment and stress relief records supplied where required by the drawing, specification or purchase order; washers follow the separate washer route with no further heat treatment. Unified threads on 02-862 orders follow clause 8.3.2 (UNC or UNF to 1", 8 tpi above 1", 2A / 2B) unless the drawing specifies otherwise. Marking, EN 10204 3.1 certification, dimensional inspection reports and CoC as required by the order; EN 10204 3.2 where agreed in advance and supported by the material source and inspection arrangements.

The drawing and specification govern. Alloy designations above are cross-references, not statements of equivalence.

FAQ

Imperial Fasteners — Common Questions

Are UNC and BSW interchangeable? +
No. They are different thread forms and must not be substituted. They share the same tpi at every size in our range except 1/2" (BSW 12, UNC 13), so they will often physically engage, but BSW is a 55° Whitworth profile and UNC a 60° Unified profile — it isn't a proper fit and mustn't be relied on. If the drawing says Whitworth, we make Whitworth.
My drawing is from the 1970s and says BSF. Can you still make it? +
Yes. BSF is obsolete for new design but still common on refit and legacy equipment. Send the drawing as it is.
Can you make imperial studs and studbolts? +
Yes — the same forms as our metric studs in UNC, UNF, BSW or BSF, to drawing.
What thread class do you work to? +
Unified: 2A external / 2B internal unless the drawing specifies 3A / 3B or otherwise. BSW / BSF: tolerances per BS 84 and the drawing — Unified class terminology doesn't apply to Whitworth threads.
Can you supply an imperial fastener to DEF STAN 02-862? +
Yes, where the drawing calls it up. 02-862 Part 2 has its own Unified-thread rule (clause 8.3.2): UNC or UNF up to and including 1", 8 tpi above 1", 2A external and 2B internal, with specific requirements for stud metal ends, and it calls up BS 1768 for Unified hex bolts and nuts. The manufacturing route (machined from bar, machined threads, stress relief) applies as for metric. The drawing or contract takes precedence where it explicitly specifies otherwise.
Are threads rolled or cut? +
Machined, in every thread form.
How quickly can you quote? +
Within 24 hours of receiving the drawing or list, usually faster.

Imperial drawing? We'll make to it.

UNC, UNF, BSW, BSF, BA — bolts, nuts, studs, screws — send the drawing as it is and we'll quote within 24 hours.

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Location
Christchurch, Dorset BH23 3TG
NF
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