BP/W -- Nuts and Bolts

[lundysd]

I'm in the process of putting together my new BP/W, but I didn't receive any hardware to bolt the STA to the backplate. Will any old Stainless hardware do, or are there any special requirements?

 

[SeanQ]

Good quality stainless steel won't corrode which is exactly what you want. In terms of what type, carriage bolts work well for connecting an STA. They have a rounded top and a cube shaped section before the threads which prevents them from spinning in the hole. Most people use wing nuts but, if you don't mind the extra effort, nyloc nuts are very secure. They have a small plastic insert insert inside which grabs the threads and prevents them from loosening over time. You will need to use a wrench to take them off - something to keep in mind while travelling. As for size, I use 5/16 of an inch. Take your STA with you if your unsure what size to get. Don't forget to get some washers to go between the plate and the nut. Standard flat washers work fine but some people prefer a lock washer. They have cut on them and are bent slightly, almost like a key ring. When you tighten the nut they straighten out and supposedly prevent the nut from loosening. I prefer to let the nyloc nuts do the work and use plain flat washers.

Oh, I almost forgot. Check out these Delrin Thumbwheels from Deep Sea Supply. I've never used them but I hear they're the real deal. They come in a few different sizes too. Send a PM to cool_hardware52 on this board. He can answer any questions you have about the thumbwheels and is a heck of a nice guy to boot.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I second the delrin thumbwheels ... I've got 'em on all of my backplates now ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[chip104]

The stainless wingnuts will do.

(but I just switched over to the delrin thumbwheels last month and they are SO money! Plus I'm one of the few divers who has them around here so it makes me look that much cooler. hehehe :14

 

[PerroneFord]

I just got some of these Delrin doohickeys on Sunday. They really are nice.

 

[CompuDude]

Nice! Glad y'all helped me find these. First time I took my bp/w out, I nearly lost my rig while exiting when a wingnut came loose on my second dive of the day. Now I check them religiously every time I go in. I was considering lock nuts but they're a pain... and I'd have to carry a wrench with my dive kit... more crap! It would be nice to have some more peace of mind, however. At $5 how can you lose? I just ordered a pair via my LDS.

 

[Mandy3206]

I use a wignut bit to tighten the wing nuts, the bit and driver are in the dive kit with all the other pliers, and small adjustable wrenchs.

 

[CompuDude]

I use a wignut bit to tighten the wing nuts, the bit and driver are in the dive kit with all the other pliers, and small adjustable wrenchs.

Maybe it's just me, but my feeling is that if you need a tool to work with a wing nut, you may as well just have a nut. A wing nut's entire reason for being is so you don't need a tool to spin it.

 

[rainman_02]

I stripped out one of my delrin thumbwheels...

 

[Mandy3206]

Maybe it's just me, but my feeling is that if you need a tool to work with a wing nut, you may as well just have a nut. A wing nut's entire reason for being is so you don't need a tool to spin it.

Never thought about that, but you're right.
My problem was that I couldn't hand tight enough the wingnut so it won't come loose after a couple of dives, so I just got the bit and solved the problem.

If the wingnuts become unusable for any reason, probably will switch to self locking nuts (with nylon insert) and a deepsocket