Where can I buy Dzus fasteners?

[Old Koreelah]

Thirty-odd years ago I could easily buy dzus fasteners for the motorcycle fairings I made.

 

After spending a couple of months making wheel spats I need a dozen or so Duz fasteners and have hit a brick wall.

 

Despite explaining exactly what I want, aircraft supplies people insist I order from catalogs which are written for the trade. After making great efforts to re-learn their medieval measurements I ordered the various components spread across different pages. What I received had little resemblance to what I had patiently asked for.

 

Can anyone suggest a business which sells Dzus fasteners and which can communicate with the enthusiastic amateur?

 

 

[Camel]

I didn't know what they were so I googled it out of interest, does this help you.

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/bhp/dzus-fasteners

 

There were a lot of google results for sellers.

 

 

[old man emu]

There ya go, mate:

 

http://www.sportsbike.com.au/accessories_dzus_fasteners.html

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I didn't know what they were so I googled it out of interest, does this help you.http://www.ebay.com.au/bhp/dzus-fasteners

There were a lot of google results for sellers.

Thanks Camel, they are close to what I need but are from the USA and don't include the most important bit: the spring receiver.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

There ya go, mate:http://www.sportsbike.com.au/accessories_dzus_fasteners.html

 

Old Man Emu

Thanks OME. I had googled till the cows came home and made a lot of phone calls. This mob are easier to order from, but their fasteners are not self-retracting like the ones Camel found on eBay. (They stay securely attached unlike the loose ones; I have lost a couple of those in the long grass.)

Hard to please, but the right item exists and I have learned not to settle for second best.

 

 

[rankamateur]

I bought mine from aerokits.net.au ex-stock, http://www.aerokits.net.au/product_6.htm down near the bottom of the page, are they what you are after?

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I bought mine from aerokits.net.au ex-stock, http://www.aerokits.net.au/product_6.htm down near the bottom of the page, are they what you are after?

Thanks Rank. Most seem to be designed for joining thin metal structures; I need a little extra grip length for fibreglass.

I'll give these blokes a call tomorrow.

 

 

[rankamateur]

There are two different lengths on the cowling of my Savannah.

 

 

[M61A1]

Thanks Camel, they are close to what I need but are from the USA and don't include the most important bit: the spring receiver.

Have a look at the eBay shop Bullant performance , one of those listed on the above link, if you go into the store, on the left is a product list, the springs are under the dzus fastener heading.

 

 

[Camel]

Thanks Camel, they are close to what I need but are from the USA and don't include the most important bit: the spring receiver.

Look again, I'm sure there was Australian sellers.

 

 

[M61A1]

Look again, I'm sure there was Australian sellers.

Yep......that one called Bullant, was in Adelaide.

Also, try Aviaquip, in Melbourne I think.

 

http://www.aviaquip.com.au/pdf/monadnock/dzus.pdf

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Thanks fellas. It's good to see Aviaquip now also show metric measurements.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Have a look at the eBay shop Bullant performance , one of those listed on the above link, if you go into the store, on the left is a product list, the springs are under the dzus fastener heading.

Thanks; Bullant seems to have the size I want.

 

 

[M61A1]

Thanks fellas. It's good to see Aviaquip now also show metric measurements.

I would have thought that someone your age, and already dealing with aviation hardware, would have no trouble at all with imperial sizes. I grew up on metric, but have used imperial on most aircraft, now I hate the metric sizes they use on Eurocopter stuff.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I am just the opposite. I was fortunate to have had an enlightened teacher in the 1950's. As well as learning all about Rods, Roods, Chains, Grains, Ounces, Yards, Fathoms and Furlongs, we learned the beautiful simplicity of the metric system.

 

Unfortunately metric thread sizes have been allowed to become a nightmare and I can understand your frustrations.

 

What narks me is that after decades of effort by so many, Australia finally metricated. It was made an offence to advertise in Imperial measures. Now, three decades later, medieval measurements are creeping back in. Our authorities seem to have no interest in keeping this confusing system where it belongs- in the museum.

 

The USA decided to metricate over a century ago, but can't seem to get their act together. Their economic clout has ensured that this outmoded system has continued to plague us. Aircraft supplies are dominated by the Americans, so I am compelled to revert to their outmoded measurements.

 

I can cope with altitude in feet, but when I see these confusing, archaic measurements creeping back into general use because America refuses to modernise I see red.

 

 

[M61A1]

My main issue with the metric fasteners is more with the rivets and other permanent fasteners. All the imperial stuff is straightforward.....3/32-#40 drill/0.097", 1/8- #30 drill/0.125", 5/32-#20 drill/0.161"3/16-#10 drill/0.190 , but Eurocopter use a mish mash, they have the 3/32, but call it 2.4mm, they use both 1/8 or 3.2 rivets alongside 3.0 mm and 4.0mm rivets of some euro standard. I'm still coming to grips with their part numbers after being brought up on MS20470 and MS20426 rivets, and Cherrylocks, then having to figure a part number that starts with ASNA or EN. all the aircraft sheet metal we order, comes in standard mil spec sizes, but we have to order it in a metric size, but when you get it, it still has the normal mil spec size and type inked all over it. For example, I had to order some titanium sheet for a repair, the engineering order tells me some euro standard and metric size, I order it, when it shows up, it's the standard mil spec in 16 thou.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I mean no disrespect, but are you being fair dinkum when you say

 

... the imperial stuff is straightforward.....3/32-#40 drill/0.097", 1/8- #30 drill/0.125", 5/32-#20 drill/0.161"3/16-#10 ...

my head hurts already!It took the French Revolution to clean out measurement systems decayed and corrupted over a couple of thousand years. The same iron determination needs to be applied to the mess you described. Given that Europe is now governed by a vast bureaucracy, I won't hold my breath. We need another Bonaparte!

 

 

[M61A1]

I mean no disrespect, but are you being fair dinkum when you say my head hurts already!It took the French Revolution to clean out measurement systems decayed and corrupted over a couple of thousand years. The same iron determination needs to be applied to the mess you described. Given that Europe is now governed by a vast bureaucracy, I won't hold my breath. We need another Bonaparte!

My point was more or less that there is already a system that most of the aviation world works with, and after working with that system for some years I understand it, and it is easy for me to visualise a dimension because of that. My problems start with having to convert from a metric measurement to an imperial measurement, and then back again, all in one job, having to order metric parts then work out what tools (drills, reamers etc) I need in imperial, as most available tooling is imperial. Bearing in mind that different fasteners need different clearances or interference fits, the imperial system of thousandths of an inch seems to work really well for such dimensions, considering, perhaps a hi-lok fastener needing a 0.003" interference fit, is somewhere between 0.08-0.09mm.

I can work with either system, but hate having to mix the two.

 

I do agree though that number drill size system is just wrong, would you believe that halfway along it changes to letters?

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

At least dividing the inch into thousands allows us to use the decimal system. It makes more sense than 33/64ths.

 

Learning anything complex like the imperial system (or English spelling and grammar) is so difficult that many fall by the wayside. On the other hand, maybe our brains need the stimulation of such a challenge... I think I'd rather learn Mandarin.

 

 

[jetjr]

Racecars still use them for composite panels

 

They are available here, ill try to find the link

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

T

 

Racecars still use them for composite panelsThey are available here, ill try to find the link

Thanks Jj. I am following a number of leads.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Metric's: I hate it, since I can't share half an apple with my brother.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Yenn]

Whatever system you use it will still be illogical. Just try getting a 3/32" rivet into a hole drilled with a 3/32" drill. You have to go to the numbered size to fit it. The numbered sizes mean nothing, I think they all change by about .003" per number, worst still is the numbered threads, but at least bigger number is bigger dia. No 10 is 3/16", I think, but they are so close that you can get the next size down screw to thread into a hole. The Yanks went decimal. That meant that they divided the inch into 10 instead of 8. We are well served with the metric system and it would be good to get rid of imperial completely. Also good to keep as far away as possible from anything to do with European aviation regs.

 

 

[M61A1]

There are also these types

 

http://www.aviaquip.com.au/pdf/Publish/qturnfasteners.PDF

 

I prefer these to Dzus, they are a more hardy type of fastener, can be flush (flat blade or Phillips) or wingnut types, and are retained in the panel on removal.

 

 

[M61A1]

Whatever system you use it will still be illogical. Just try getting a 3/32" rivet into a hole drilled with a 3/32" drill. You have to go to the numbered size to fit it. The numbered sizes mean nothing, I think they all change by about .003" per number, worst still is the numbered threads, but at least bigger number is bigger dia. No 10 is 3/16", I think, but they are so close that you can get the next size down screw to thread into a hole. The Yanks went decimal. That meant that they divided the inch into 10 instead of 8. We are well served with the metric system and it would be good to get rid of imperial completely. Also good to keep as far away as possible from anything to do with European aviation regs.

A 3/32 rivet won't go into a 3/32 hole because it's the same size, any time something needs to go into a hole without force the hole needs to be bigger than the object, a 3mm rivet won't go into a 3mm hole either, so it doesn't change between metric and imperial.

The problem with getting rid of the imperial system, is that most of the aircraft out there are made out of imperial hardware, then you'll just end up with the same stuff with a very odd metric size. It's not a great system, but as most of our stuff is made using the imperial system, the smart thing would be learning to deal with it.