BAN002 torx round head 0,8mm

The six-lobe profile at 0.8 mm

On real machines torx has made its way wherever a joint has to take a high tightening torque and the head is not meant to stick out into the space. Six rounded lobes spread the force over a larger area than a cross recess, so the recess does not strip so easily. The miniature with a head 0.8 mm in diameter aims at exactly this kind of joint: in 1:12 scale, the most widespread for motorcycle kits, it matches a real head of around 9.6 mm, that is the size you will find on a clutch cover, on the mounting of a brake caliper or on an exhaust flange.

The domed crown has an advantage over a flat version that anyone who photographs a finished model will appreciate: light slides across it into a sharp point of reflection and the joint stays noticeable even under a layer of paint. A flat head is easily lost in the paint; a domed one is not.

Fitting without cracking the surroundings

Drill the hole with a micro drill bit a tenth of a millimeter narrower than the shank and finish it with a hand-held pin vise, so that the plastic does not tear. A tight seat will hold the part in place by itself. Apply cyanoacrylate glue with the tip of a wire to the shank, never under the head – the excess would be squeezed out around the circumference and the reflection would be gone.

• A head diameter of 0.8 mm, which works out to roughly 9.6 mm on the real machine in 1:12
• The six-lobe recess stays recognizable even after painting
• It fits engine covers, caliper mountings and exhaust flanges
• It belongs in a pre-drilled hole, not blindly into soft plastic
• A domed head holds a point of reflection better than a flat one

If you want to paint the head, reach for an acrylic applied with a thin brush after fitting. With a metal look, though, it pays to leave the surface as it is.