Any suggestions on a vendor?
I like the cast metal ones - the color after dipping in blacken it is nice. I can paint plastic too.
Ozark has good ones but the service sucks.
Printing my own at this point is not economical.
MJinTN
The largest ones I've seen are O scale plastic ones from Tichy. probably too small for what you're looking for, but just in case:
Screen Shot 2026-04-12 at 7.55.56 AM.jpg
Try Don at Iron Creek Shops. Go to products for sale and click NBW's
https://ironcreekshops.com/
NBWs are the very easiest things to draw, print (and, if desired, cast).
Personally I wouldn't consider a commercial offering unless they were EXACTLY what I wanted.
While cast brass is possible it's extremely expensive relative to printed. Easy to do in low numbers though. White metal is feasible too, but economic only if you want a LOT.
I can certainly do such things. Not that I'm looking for that sort of work, but I can help in cases of difficulty.
Thanks gentlemen.
I will look into all.
MJinTN
Now don't mess about ! - get exactly what you want - Go to Historex Agents Dover England UK I do believe there are dealers in the US who supply these makes as-well (They were doing them in US before the were available in the UK ) But If not Historex offer excellent mail order service At very reasonable rates.with no messing about.
I am building a 1/16 scale rail motor bike at the moment and I am using these parts The one shown is true scale for a 1/2inch AF Bolt they do up to 3 inch bolt/nuts and rivets although they are mentioned for 1/35th its easy work out the size you need for 1/16th if you know the head size -They are perfect castings a sort of hard plastic packs of 100 plus depending on size
Motor bikes use a lot of screw heads so I used the ones from Aber
Barney
Motor rail bike will soon be on the forum !! so watch this space !
https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005008978285035.html?spm=a2g0o.tm1000027200.5361649660.1.af193808I5QcJv&afTraceInfo=1005008978285035__pc__recallUserLandingRecommendPage__PukEmc5__1776869763368&aecmd=true&gatewayAdapt=glo2nld
Severall sizes
Cor
Now they look pretty good - and if you look at EBAY there are plenty of other suppliers all direct from China
a couple of which I have used having excellent service -
Barney
https://www.super-hobby.co.uk/catalog/Bolts-and-nuts-65259809.html
Another one
Cor
I got my first order from Iron Creek Shops (Don)
Very pleased!
Castings are spectacular!
Zero flash.
I also got a printed water spout, also excellent !!!
MJinTN
For your inspection.
Notice I got brooms.
Mj
Don Niday is a good guy and does good work. He's also reliable. -- Russ
Really good looking castings (including Chuck's broom :) )
I noticed the turnbuckles on the top right. An HO scale version would have simplified the coal silo I built several years ago. For it the turnbuckles on the hoops were represented by gluing pairs of NBWs together tail to tail and gluing them at a slight angle to the hoop. Yours look much better.
I might be mistaken but I think Don acquired Bob Hartford's masters after Bob left the hobby. That's why the castings are so good.
"I might be mistaken but I think Don acquired Bob Hartford's masters after Bob left the hobby. That's why the castings are so good."
You are correct.
We had a long conversation.
He is working on more offerings or re-releases.
MJinTN
FYI, Bob Hartford is either in the big layout in the sky or knocking on the door. Nobody has heard from him for about three years. He and I became friends in the late 1980s and stayed pals until he became disabled. What a loss to the hobby and to humanity in general. -- Russ
FYI, Bob Hartford is either in the big layout in the sky or knocking on the door. Nobody has heard from him for about three years.
Yea, that is what I have heard as well.
Yes, Bob is one of the great craftsmen and gentlemen I ever knew. Last I heard he was still with us.
Carlo
How long ago was that, Carlo? -- Russ
I got a post about a year ago, as I remember...
Carlo