While doing a recent loco repair for a fellow Guild Member, I found that I was constantly swapping the head of my Markits nut spinner between 8BA and !2BA with the result that quite a few times it was the head of the nut spinner that unscrewed not the nut as I hadn't tightened it enough. I use the 8, 10 and 12BA heads most frequently and rarely use the 14BA and 16BA heads. Thinking about it, I don't think that I have ever used the 6BA head so far although I do have some 6BA hardware so I probably will at some point. For those unfamiliar with what I am talking about this is the 'Markits' version I decided to make some spare handles so that I could have the 8, 10 and 12BA heads on individual handles and then fit the 14BA and 16BA to a double ended handle and second double handle for the 6BA and any other size that I might come up with at some point. In the meantime I will make a rounded end insert just to finish it off. I suspect that Markits use 10mm hex bar to make theirs. I did mine the longer way using 10mm round and then milling flats on them. Of course I had no sooner cut them all and drilled for the thread when I found a length of 10mm brass hex but isn't that always the way. If anyone wishes to do something similar with theirs, the thread on the Markits heads is M5 x 0.8
They do, I particularly like the Union Jack's to show that they are made in the UK. That in itself, is quite refreshing as pretty much everything seems to be made in China these days. Being solid brass, they have a good feel to them as you use them. Although the lighting prevents it from being obvious, one of my homemade ones is brass and the rest are nickel. I am sure that I have some letter punches somewhere so I may dig them out and mill a flat for my initials.
