Screw nut for an amplifier pilot light jewel lens?? Can't find one!!

[steveyraff]

Hey guys,

I know this is a bit of a weird one. Recently I built this pedal, with the idea of using an amplifier pilot light jewel lens for the main on/off LED.

The pedal is finished, but I can't find a nut suitable for fitting the lens. In the picture below, its just sitting in the hole I drilled for it. They don't come with nuts to fit them, as I presume they are designed to screw into the front panel of an amplifier. They have quite tight spiralled threads too. I measured it as 14mm and bought some nuts, but it seems my measurement was wrong - so it must be a 15mm nut I need. However, the thread pitch was also way off in the ones I bought.

Also, is "Nut" the right word I'm looking for here??? Every time I search for them, I get the big thick, chunky ones. I need the little flat ones, as would be used for securing the likes of a 3PDT switch to an enclosure.

Hope I make sense here!

P.S I am located Ireland/UK. I bought the pilot light lens from Allparts.

[davent]

Found these, whether or not they'd work or you can get them economically... http://darrenriley.com/store/fender-pilot-light-holder-nut-0031625049/

Have you tried a nut from the switched power jacks everyone uses? They're bigger then stompswitches so maybe one of those is close.

I think John Lyons who i first saw using those in pedals just epoxies everything in place. Also check darron ('s) photos, he often uses jewel lamps as well, see how he's doing things.

Don't the jewels usually mount in something like this,

[mth5044]

I think the reason you aren't finding a nut is because there is a whole big assembly that the thing is supposed to screw in to, which holds the lamp.



EDIT: dang, Davent beat me to it.

[PRR]

You usually buy a whole lamp-holder, which has the threads to hold the jewel.

Lamp-holders are not expensive at DIY g-amp supply sites, but I don't know if the threads are all the same.

If it is a one-off, with LED, just shoe-goo the jewel on. If you can't do that neat, put glue on a string and wrap the back-threads, let set.

[PRR]

http://hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/catalog/parts20.htm (will re-direct)

Halfway down.

Fender lamp assembly
Bulb and colored jewel not included
Pick out your jewel color below and add a bulb also.
Hole size required is 11/16 inch
Price each = $2.25

Colored jewels
Jewels for the Fender lamp assemblies
Red, Green, Amber, Blue and Purple.
Price each = $3.00

It is easy to snip-off the lamp socket arm and just have the bushings to hold jewel to panel.

There's many other sources. These are all copies of a very old design.

> I measured it as 14mm ... wrong - so it must be a 15mm nut

The *Fender* part is real 1930s USA and won't be any millimeter size. If you are over in England you may have grabbed a Marshall jewel, but again the actual design is probably pre-war and in inches. OTOH all this stuff comes from Asia now and their lathes turn metric so they may have slid away from traditional 13/64 to something in mm. IAC the pitch (thread count) is usually far finer than any common bolt so probably won't be a hardware item.

There are stamped sheet-metal nuts which are not fussy about thread pitch. But you better take your jewel to the store and try some on.

[Joe]

You can make a homemade "nut" by drilling a hole into a piece of thin sheet metal, then bend the inside of the hole to approximate the angle of the threads. (Bend along the left inside one way, and the right inside the other way.) Should work with some trial-and-error. The hole should be a little smaller than the diameter of the thread, because bending the inside of the hole will make it larger.

[steveyraff]

If it is a one-off, with LED, just shoe-goo the jewel on. If you can't do that neat, put glue on a string and wrap the back-threads, let set.

Hmm, I might just do a glue job for this one. I thought it would be as simple as finding the correct sized flat nut to secure it on. Its quite busy behind there, so the big pilot light assembly that its designed to be set into seems too cumbersome to fit.

Thanks for the help all. It's been quite frustrating!

Here is the jewel lens part I use. I never noticed any measurement details when buying it, but now that I am pasting the web address here, I notice the actual web site address for the part contains some details:

http://www.allparts.uk.com/collections/pilot-lights-for-fender/products/copy-of-adapter-stud-fits-m8-anchors-with-4mm-5-32-inch-small-post-6

[davent]

Costly but you take it apart and just use the threaded section, if still too big chop the threaded section down into in esscence, a nut.

[PRR]

> finding the correct sized flat nut

I don't think it is any "standard" thread.

Today threading is done with standard tools. Back when radio pilot-lights (and microphone stands) were developed, threads were cut on lathes which could do "any" thread pitch. Some systems seemed to want very fine threads. No two draftsmen seemed to spec the same threads. Not like the car industry which did soon settle on just a few pitches for any given size.

> the big pilot light assembly that its designed to be set into seems too cumbersome to fit.

As Dave says, chop it down to a nut.

[GGBB]

Also, is "Nut" the right word I'm looking for here??? Every time I search for them, I get the big thick, chunky ones. I need the little flat ones, as would be used for securing the likes of a 3PDT switch to an enclosure.

Those skinny ones are called "jam nuts" in case you are still trying to search for one.

[MrSimple]

Antique Electronic Supply says that the thread is 9/16 - 24.

The site doesn't seem to want me to reply to the thread, owing to its age.  That is a bad idea.  Information is, and will be, useful for as long as there are people.

Anyway, if you can find something that is a female 9/16 - 24 thread, you might be satisfied.  Or just tap the hole in your box for it.  There are taps available in ebay.

The size does show up in faucet, brass fitting, and firearm parts, although not at relevant prices.

[PRR]

> site doesn't seem to want me to reply to the thread, owing to its age.  That is a bad idea.

It just wants you to say "I am sure".

Sometimes people stumble into a long-dead thread and think it is active. And sometimes it "can" be active again with good new information (like yours). Other times the new post just lays there like a footnote.

I too wonder if the "This thread is stale" feature is really worthwhile. But it is only a reminder, not a block. (There are also a few "locked" threads which just can't be replied at, usually for good reason.)

[deadastronaut]

Costly but you take it apart and just use the threaded section, if still too big chop the threaded section down into in esscence, a nut.

this is exactly what i will be doing with my next build.....the advantage of this is you can always change the jewel too....

and gives a nice washer finish too...

just use the threaded parts...