I am losing my mind! Bolt threads etc

[Lasse]

Hi!

I recent got a Astor hand press, the A51, classic grey etc etc And know I want to stock my arsenal with tools and attachments for this fantastic machines. So I bought what I thought was a genuine Astor tool-adapter-thing that I needed for a lot of my old attachments. ***All of this text end my questions is about the upper threads on the machine*** And the tool didn't really fit, you know it that way when the threads are not 100% in the feel when you screw it in the first time. Back and forth for a couple of days, with the official Astor seller in Sweden, and we couldnt figure out what was wrong. So I took the situation in my own hands and started to dig! After a couple of years with working on sewing machines from all over the world and my true passion motorcycles, Harleys, Euros, Japanese doesn't matter, I have had my struggles with bolts and threads before. I have more tools, screws and bolts than the average middle age man, but I don't have everything... apparently... I can't  figure out the true size of the "thread system", if you like. And I didn't have any right bolts that fitted exactly correct so I couldn't use the classic thread gauge tool. Searching the internet didn't really got my any answers that pleased me. Even emailing the company to get hints of; this is a secret...hmmmm!? They didn't want to answer any of my questions haha, I couldnt believe it! Is this true?! Is this an international secret to know what thread sizes Astor uses on their machines?! Will I get "taken out" if I continue? Jokes aside, someone? Please help! It's the Classic grey A51 button press, and a vintage model 5 press (in excellent condition I might say) that I want help to figure out the threads on. I can't seem to solve it by my self, so it's time to ask for help I am losing my mind.... where is my mind...

 

Attaching pics on my two beauties 

Edited Saturday at 12:53 AM by Lasse

[Constabulary]

I do not know ASTOR but usually the threading for the upper die is either 1/4" (UNC) or M6, at least on the presses I worked with. I once restored two very vintage unknown brand presses with odd threading for a friend and on both I was able to replace the inner part that holds the upper die with a plain round m6 long nut (Gewindemuffe or Verbindungsmutter as it is called in Germany). So he can use standard M6 dies.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/165996998186?

The outer diameter was the exact same as on the die holder it required tinkering but both presses worked w/o problems.

For my own press (I´ll post pictures later) I also needed an adapter but he company I bought from (IIRC it called IX-Trade or so) no longer exists (a way different press anyway) as it seems but there are some CO's . in Germany that sell different adapters, not sure if there is one that suits your needs:

https://www.jstrading.de/de/pressen-oesen-zubehoer/Zubehoer/

or this one, they even mention ASTOR:

https://www.getmore-shop.com/epages/61848837.mobile/de_DE/;ClassicView=1?ObjectPath=/Shops/61848837/Categories/Presswerkzeuge

Edited Saturday at 02:10 AM by Constabulary

[Constabulary]

Pictures of my lever press - its fairly a beast compared with "plain spindle presses". I needed an M10 (male)  x 1/4 (female) adapter to make it work.

Meanwhile I figured this must have been the manufacturer of my press but back then no data were available.

https://www.loxx-produkte.de/live/Historie-Unternehmensgeschichte/historie.aspx

But I doubt any spare parts are available anymore. Anyway I´have what I need and this thingy will last for ever. I have never seen a 2nd press like this either.

Edited Saturday at 07:33 AM by Constabulary

[Constabulary]

BTW - what I figured today is that the A51 ex factory is a "button covering machine". Not sure what you want to do with it but the Co. still exist and maybe worth checking with them:

https://www.astor-berning.de/fashion/fashion-maschinen/187/a-51-knopf-ueberziehmaschine

 

 

[Lasse]

On 9/13/2025 at 3:50 AM, Constabulary said:

I do not know ASTOR but usually the threading for the upper die is either 1/4" (UNC) or M6, at least on the presses I worked with. I once restored two very vintage unknown brand presses with odd threading for a friend and on both I was able to replace the inner part that holds the upper die with a plain round m6 long nut (Gewindemuffe or Verbindungsmutter as it is called in Germany). So he can use standard M6 dies.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/165996998186?

The outer diameter was the exact same as on the die holder it required tinkering but both presses worked w/o problems.

For my own press (I´ll post pictures later) I also needed an adapter but he company I bought from (IIRC it called IX-Trade or so) no longer exists (a way different press anyway) as it seems but there are some CO's . in Germany that sell different adapters, not sure if there is one that suits your needs:

https://www.jstrading.de/de/pressen-oesen-zubehoer/Zubehoer/

or this one, they even mention ASTOR:

https://www.getmore-shop.com/epages/61848837.mobile/de_DE/;ClassicView=1?ObjectPath=/Shops/61848837/Categories/Presswerkzeuge

Hi! Thanks! 

Like I wrote, I have been in contact with both Astor and the Swedish agent, and the agent straight up wrote in an email that the Astor doesn't give out this information and that's the end of that conversation. 

[dikman]

To be so secretive about screw thread information is weird, it suggests to me that they don't actually know!

[kgg]

5 hours ago, Lasse said:

Like I wrote, I have been in contact with both Astor and the Swedish agent, and the agent straight up wrote in an email that the Astor doesn't give out this information and that's the end of that conversation. 

To me it is like the old singer screw threads and the Juki screw threads being their own design. I would go to a machinist and have them determine the thread size and possible solution. It appears that they want people to buy their accessories with their thread configuration and hope no one does a conversion adapter so cheaper alternatives could be used.

kgg

 

[Lasse]

1 hour ago, dikman said:

To be so secretive about screw thread information is weird, it suggests to me that they don't actually know!

It’s soooo weird. I hade a email conversation back and forth maybe 5-6 times and explaining to them how to get the info haha and then all of a sudden; thank you but Astor will not go out with the information. Weird 

14 minutes ago, kgg said:

To me it is like the old singer screw threads and the Juki screw threads being their own design. I would go to a machinist and have them determine the thread size and possible solution. It appears that they want people to buy their accessories with their thread configuration and hope no one does a conversion adapter so cheaper alternatives could be used.

kgg

 

That’s the e plan! I will try to sort it out this coming week!

[dikman]

If they have their own proprietary thread size why not just say so? I don't think Singer made any big deal about it. I'm curious to see what you find out.

[Constabulary]

Have you taken apart the press? Maybe the solution is simpler than you think. As I said before I once replaced tool holders with a round long nut. Its a quite simple part. Worth checking I´d say. What is the outer diameter of the tool holder?

A.) is a guide screw for the tool holder, the tool holder either has a slot of a flat site where it slides along the screw.

B.) is a lock screw for the big brass spindle guide

C.) is a spindle guide - all spindle guides I have seen are right threaded so it should go out left.

But C could be very tight.

 

EDIT:

quote from the text on this website:

Presswerkzeuge - GETMORE-SHOP

Quote

Werkzeuge für Pressen mit M6 Gewinde - wie viele Maschinen von Astor, Stocko, Daudé - finden Sie unter "Werkzeuge M6"

Tools for presses with M6 thread - like many machines from Astor, Stocko, Daudé - can be found under "Tools M6"

Have you checked if you can screw in a plain M6 screw?

 

 

 

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Constabulary