Screws for model engines

[D.C.Clark]

A recent post by Jadecy reminds me:

I've always thought the PM Research kits would look a lot better with hex head screws instead of the slotted screws provided. Does anyone know of a source for 5-40 hex screws? I've had no luck searching the usual places.

David Clark in Southern Maryland, USA

 

[black85vette]

Like this??

http://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-cap-screws/=39qdr9

 

[cobra428]

D C
I use these guys

http://www.microfasteners.com/

Tony

 

[black85vette]

Good one Cobra, I'll bookmark that. Thanks.

 

[D.C.Clark]

McMaster is the first place I look for practically everything. But I've not been able to find hex head screws there smaller than #10-24. Got a part number for 5-40?

Microfasteners does have #5-40 x 1/2 in Stainless. Thanks Tony, that's a start. Still looking for brass, though. They and others seem only to have brass up to #3-48.

DC

 

[black85vette]

I didn't know you were looking for brass. I mostly use black oxide because I like the color contrast and they are easy to find.

 

[D.C.Clark]

I'd like black oxide better than stainless, maybe better than brass, for the color as you say. So where can I find #5-40 hex heads in any material besides stainless?

DC

 

[black85vette]

I'd like black oxide better than stainless, maybe better than brass, for the color as you say. So where can I find #5-40 hex heads in any material besides stainless? DC

Look at McMaster-Carr catalog page 3071. I usually order the longest fully threaded length they have and then just cut them to the size I want.

 

[GailInNM]

http://www.americanmodeleng.com/id14.html
Has a good selection - brass and steel.
They make their own on a screw machine.

Gail in NM

 

[D.C.Clark]

I'm after hex heads, not socket heads. See:

http://www.microfasteners.com/catalog/products/MSCHBS.cfm

Sorry for the misunderstanding. May have a fairly easy workaround, though. I see McMaster sells #5-40 threaded rod and nuts in both brass and plain steel. Could solder or braze a nut onto the rod to make a bolt. Question is: would it clean up nice enough to look fairly realistic.

Could machine them from scratch, of course. But that gets a little tedious. There are 16 of them in a PM Research Model 3.

First I'll order the stainless from the above link, and see how they look on the model.

DC

 

[D.C.Clark]

Great link, Gail. Just what I was looking for. Thanks very much.

DC

 

[Jasonb]

If you really want them to look correct then studs an nuts would be prototypical in 90% of the fixings rather than screws (bolts on full size)

Jason

 

[D.C.Clark]

Good point, thanks Jason.

DC

 

[Mainer]

There is also the problem of correctly scaling the head size. If you scale down, say, a 1" bolt to 1/8" scale, it comes out to a #5 bolt with the hex 3/16" across the flats, and the typical machine screw nuts are larger than that. You want "small pattern" hex nuts, if you can find them.

Thread pitch is another one. That 1"- 8 bolt ought to scale to a #5-64.

 

[bentprop]

I have brazed nuts onto threaded rod previously,and although it looked ok,the heating cycle must have weakened the rod,as they didn't need much tightening to snap off.
I'd be looking for a model railroad supplier for your needs.