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I lost the nut that tightens to bolt for the handle of my garden hose reel. I have been to 2 hardware stores and to Fastenal, but cannot find a nut to fit the threads. The nut and bolt hold a hose reel and a handle bracket attaches to the bolt, so the nut needs to fit and hold. Any ideas how to determine the specs would be appreciated. I bought the reel several years ago and cannot remember where I bought it nor can I find it online to buy parts. I've included a picture of a similar reel I found on the internet, not that it should matter.

Thank you.

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Tom
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  • Off hand I would look for a 15/16 or 23 to 24mm nut. Course or fine thread. Maybe a farm or auto/truck place. – crip659 Nov 02 '23 at 23:21
  • Be sure to check both metric and imperial. – Ecnerwal Nov 02 '23 at 23:46
  • Is the flattened part of the thread damage, or is the hole in the drum axle D shaped, and that's how the shaft rotates the drum? – jay613 Nov 03 '23 at 02:53
  • Kinda looks like it might be hose thread, like standard garden-hose; good luck finding a nut for that... Back in the day you could buy decent quality hose reels which could be expected to last for years, and for which parts could be purchased. My experience now is that, other than commercial grade stuff, they are cheap imported disposable crap. – Jimmy Fix-it Nov 03 '23 at 13:39
  • To test whether the manufacturer likes metric or imperial, check that little screw you're holding in the top picture. There's a possibility that's metric and the main thread is a pipe thread, but I'd look first at whatever matches the little screw. That's actually a pretty fine thread. Finer than normal metric threads, and I'm less familiar with US sizes – Chris H Nov 03 '23 at 14:14
  • The bolt isn't a pipe, water doesn't flow through it. It is what secures the arm for the handle that you turn to wind up the garden hose. The rough looking thread is most likely from the reel free spinning after the nut came off. – Tom Nov 03 '23 at 18:45
  • Your pitch is 1.5mm (by working the photo digitally I computed 1.49mm). To get an accurate diameter, position your camera low to the surface and photograph the circular cross section of the threaded portion. Tip the tape measure's edge up against the end of the piece so that one edge of the tape is in the same plane as the circular end of the piece. – popham Nov 04 '23 at 06:10

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Take the part to hardware store (local or big-box). Then try different nuts until you find which one fits, or better ask the store attendant for help. They often have "thread check" station near hardware isle.

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aaaaa says reinstate Monica
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Some calipers and a set of thread pitch gauges would be the tools to use. Even with those, the thread in question may conform to no known thread standard outside of China, or at least any that are commonly supplied in the English-speaking world. I've come across that sad situation many times with China-made plumbing and electrical fixtures.

kreemoweet
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    Quite often they seem to pick a diameter that works, but the standard pitches are all too coarse because they're meant for bigger stuff, so they just chuck a 1 or 1.5mm pitch on there – Chris H Nov 03 '23 at 14:16
  • I don't have calipers or a thread pitch gauge, although I suspect you are right about non-standard gauge. – Tom Nov 03 '23 at 18:40
  • 190 years of standard threads. Whitworth must be turning in his grave. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Whitworth#Accuracy_and_standardisation – D Duck Nov 04 '23 at 11:26
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The thread visible in your first image looks quite damaged - the peaks are gone and the sides are flattened.

If that's the way it was when new, a normal thread won't match because most standard threads assume the sloped sides to be even or equal.

Option 1 - cut a new thread using a lathe or a suitable die, for a "standard" sized nut that you can buy.

Option 2 - Forgo the nut and use 2 part epoxy to make the two parts into one part permanently. It may help to drill through where the nut would have been, and insert a split pin for added holding power.

Criggie
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    I reckon that's a deliberate flat, so the part doesn't rotate, is a suitably shaped hole. They're common at smaller sizes on electronic connectors, like this BNC. In that case, it's perfectly capable of being compatible with a standard thread. – Chris H Nov 03 '23 at 13:35
  • Agree with @ChrisH - There's absolutely nothing wrong with that thread (other than being a little worn). – SiHa Nov 03 '23 at 14:20
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    @ChrisH I think I agree with Criggie: the thread in the first photo looks like it's been graunched into something almost like a buttress profile. – Mark Morgan Lloyd Nov 03 '23 at 16:43
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    @MarkMorganLloyd the flat looks really clean in the 2nd photo. Better than the rest of the thread in fact. As for the blunt tops - on metric threads at least the size of the flat on the top of the thread is defined; this appears to be a poor implementation. – Chris H Nov 03 '23 at 16:46
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    I suspect that the thread is damaged when the nut came off and the reel was free spinning. However, the damaged thread is the thickness of the metal that the bolt secures, so it's not a big deal that it is damaged. – Tom Nov 03 '23 at 18:36
  • @ChrisH no the "flat" I'm referring to is on the left hand side of the top image, not the antirotation bit - it's like the metal has been mushed. On the right hand side it looks quite saw-toothed, leaning upwards. BUT in the other photo looks much better so perhaps a camera-distortion ? – Criggie Nov 03 '23 at 22:11
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    I think that's the other of a pair of opposite antirotation flats. They're usually single on small stuff, but I've seen them paired at this scale on garden stuff and outdoor play equipment. There is a fair bit of distortion in the top picture - look at the angle of the tick marks on the tape measure down the left side of the image. That's common in close-ups. And the LHS of the part is in the middle of the frame, while the RHS is near the edge and subject to more distortion – Chris H Nov 04 '23 at 08:51
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Looks like a Giraffe Tools SW-8C or SW-8D Garden Hose Reel Cart-2 Wheels. Might be worth contacting them for info or parts. ref: https://giraffetools.com/products/garden-hose-reel-cart-2-wheels

Matt
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Measuring off the image, I get a 1.49mm pitch: For the pitch, 4 threads per 3.75/16" implies

(3.75/16")(25.4mm/1") / (4 thread) = 1.49mm/thread.

pitch

These could be your threads: https://www.gewinde-normen.de/en/iso-fine-thread-5.html. They've got the typical 60° thread angle. With a major diameter you should be able to source a locknut.

Your image is no good for determining the major diameter. The 3" line on your tape measure curves significantly due to the elevation difference between the flat surface elevation and the tape edge's elevation. This elevation delta is tiny in comparison to the delta from the flat surface all the way up to the diameter running parallel to the flat surface. A better picture is needed.

To get an accurate diameter, position your camera low to the surface and photograph the circular cross section of the threaded portion. Tip the tape measure's edge up against the end of the piece so that a calibrated edge of the tape is visible in the same plane as the circular end of the piece.

popham
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