What's up with those lock nuts..?

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b0b

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
51
Location
Berlin
Hi,
I apologize in advance for kind of a stupid question. I didn't dare try to post this on one of the other forums here so I thought I'd try my luck here.

I have been trying to find out what size the lock nuts are for both metal and plastic 1/4" jack sockets. I have loads of gear missing them and I'd like to get them as spare parts but I haven't had any luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Andy
 
Im not sure what you mean by "lock" nuts on the 1/4" jacks. Do you mean the collar on the outside? I would just order the entire chassis mount jack and harvest the hardware you need. A lot of times parts of parts are not readily available.
 
Check out Keystone. They have precision dress washers and nuts for standard 1/4" pots and switches. Different threads. diameters and thickness - brass or nickel plate.
 
Ok, sorry. I could have explained what I'm looking for a bit better. I'm not a native English speaker so sometimes (all the time) I use the wrong terms for stuff. The closest thing I've found so far was categorized as lock nuts on that particular website. I'm looking for the normal plastic and/or metal nuts used to fasten 1/4" jack sockets to any chassis. I'm most curious what thread size they are. Are they metric, imperial or the third German standard I just found PG? For the plastic ones PG7 seems to be the closest thing I've found. Haven't had an opportunity to pick any up yet though.
http://radionics.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=4442830

Took one plastic nut to the local hardware shop to compare to the bolts they had there and the closest fit was a 12M but as the threads don't seem to be metric that didn't fit... Found some info on the PG threads and PG7 was very close to 12mm.

The search continues...
 
Hey b0b, what you are running into is why getting the whole assembly is the easiest. You just have to examine the connector in the unit and determine its' footprint. where the legs stick out of the body, so you can get a replacement with the same footprint. I suggest this also because a 1/4" jack that is used enough to lose its "lock-nut" is going to be worn internally enough that replacing it will actually help the unit overall.

And the fun part is the threads can be different between different manufacturers.

btw, no worries concerning any language issues, I really couldnt tell, but the guys here are very specific and help with very specific advise. Keeps all of us "on our toes".
 
Thanks for all the advise! I'll admit the some of the sockets probably should be replaced. The studio I'm managing is used half of the time for teaching purposes for a college and for some reason e.g. those nuts go missing from even new equipment...
 
> curious what thread size they are. Are they metric, imperial or the third German standard

Yes.

Historically, every maker picked a thread. The function is not quite like pipe-thread or engine-bolt. It needs to be fairly large diameter, but not ugly, does not need great strength, and MUST be low-cost. So you get a small-bolt thread on a large (hollow) bolt. Utterly non-standard except for THAT company's products. I know of three different potentiometer threads, and I'm sure there are more.

If you need 10,000 spare nuts or washers, the company can sell them with the jacks. If you need just one, you tie-up $10 of worker-time for special-order, when you can buy the standard jack+nut for $5 and throw away the jack.

We usually get repair nuts from burned-up equipment, or go buy a whole new jack. Hey, maybe someday you will need a bare nut-less jack.

> The studio I'm managing is used half of the time for teaching purposes for a college

Ah. Yes, teaching-studio maintenance is challenging. Those brats will walk off with everything even if it is screwed-down and useless.
 
[quote author="PRR"]...bare nut-less jack.[/quote]

Y'know...

No, -I shouldn't describe the mental image!

-Anyhow...

There are many different types, sizes etc. -Of the plastic-socket variety there are even male and female threads! -Different manufacturers use different versions.

Your best solution might be a trip to a local -friendly- hardware store.

Hope that helps,

Keith
 
will walk off with everything even if it is screwed-down

We actually had a tube walk awy from inside a compressor. One day said compressor wouldnt pass signal so on to the bench....Hey, doesnt a tube go in that socket? the week before it was used in a test.

My only consolation was that it was a 12 a"u"7. not a 12ax7. I hope he put it in his amp and was dissapointed that he had 10db less gain!
 
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