Screws

[mtnbkr]

I'm missing a screw on the bottom of one of my SLRs (Canon New F-1). Where is a good resource for replacements or how can I determine the size/pitch of the original so I can source a replacement from non-photography sources?

Chris

 

[ic-racer]

Broken cameras are the best bet. In the heyday of film camera manufacturing, many times the hardware was manufactured on site. Rollei, Minox, Bolex...all made their own little screws, springs and fittings.

In the old days one could get parts from the distributor. I recall in 1983 writing to Fuji USA for the tiny screws that hold the top of my Fujica ST701 and a new shutter speed dial that fell off and they sent them!

 

[Molli]

I'm not sure if this helps, but I had a stripped screw in the bottom of a Canon EOS Elan II (EOS 50) some years ago. I couldn't get the screw out (I needed to replace the film door) so asked at a jeweller's. He removed the screw for me and sent me to the optometrist across the way and they simply handed over a new screw which fit perfectly (as in, it's still in place twelve years later).

I have since bought a cheap watch repair kit filled with thousands of tiny, likely screws off ebay but have been fortunate not to need to find out their suitability as yet. Let me know if you'd like me to post you a dozen assorted in an envelope.

 

[BobD]

It's probably the same screw that appears on the bottom of other Canon models of that period.

But, to be sure, I would look for a bottom plate being sold as a part on eBay that includes the screws.

 

[Bill Burk]

I’d take a chance on it being same as Pentax ES-II, if you already have any Spotmatic and you find the screw fits, then you have a good supply because the price for a mint looking ES-II with clean black screws is going around twenty dollars plus shipping.

 

[mtnbkr]

Thanks all, I hadn't considered mere jeweler's screws.

That said, I thought this was a missing screw, but upon further investigation, it appears that it's a socket for a locating pin for the motor drive. It's an open socket on every pic I can find and there's a corresponding pin on the motor drive pics I've found. Crisis averted.

Chris

 

[Molli]

Always a happy moment when one discovers a problem isn't a problem after all!
I had a work colleague convince me that someone had stolen my hubcaps once. Yeah, car didn't have those to begin with, but thanks for the moment of anxiety!

I'm glad to hear that all is good and we also, now, have a little repository of useful advice for anyone else with a screw loose!

 

[guangong]

There is a giant nationwide fastener company (name escapes me right now) that was able to provide me with tiny screws for my Makina 67. Although not identical heads, they fitted. There were only 6 such sized screws in their whole supply chain...I bought 4 (two for spares).
A second thought: perhaps I should have tried a fastener supplier in Japan. When I was younger, bars had a sign that read “We grow old to soon, and grow smart too late.” My thoughts at the time were that Makina made the screws in house.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

“We grow old to soon, and grow smart too late.”

I was brought up with: "Learn all your life, still die stupid."

 

[mtnbkr]

There is a giant nationwide fastener company (name escapes me right now) that was able to provide me with tiny screws for my Makina 67. Although not identical heads, they fitted. There were only 6 such sized screws in their whole supply chain...I bought 4 (two for spares).
A second thought: perhaps I should have tried a fastener supplier in Japan. When I was younger, bars had a sign that read “We grow old to soon, and grow smart too late.” My thoughts at the time were that Makina made the screws in house.

Probably McMaster-Car. I thought about them as well, which is why I asked about the size/pitch of the "screw" I thought I was missing. I do a lot of tinkering on various things and virtually nobody makes their own fasteners, but MC is likely to have them if you know what to buy.

Chris

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Custom screws are common. Any well equipped factory or machine shop will have an Automatic Screw Machine for producing custom fasteners.

Cameras, at least the ones I have taken apart, are all custom screws. Often a standard screw can be munged-up to fit, sometimes with enlarging and re-tapping the hole for a larger standard screw. A large box of parts cameras is a great help in finding a replacement for a screw that fell to the floor to be nevermore.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Probably McMaster-Car. I thought about them as well, which is why I asked about the size/pitch of the "screw" I thought I was missing. I do a lot of tinkering on various things and virtually nobody makes their own fasteners, but MC is likely to have them if you know what to buy.

It could be worth getting a metric screw pitch gage like here. Put thread against it, hold up t light, esy to find the exact pitch. Diameter usually falls onto a 'whole' number- if it measures 1.42mm, almost certain 1.4mm is its name (threading has variation in actual dimensions from both design and manufacturing tolerances).

Screw Pitch Gages measure inch, mm, whitworth threads

Screw Pitch Gages measure inch, mm, whitworth threads

www.victornet.com

(good company, by the way, with most things cheaper than McMaster since they aren't trying to do everything for everybody)

Although custom screws are common, standard thread pitch and diameter is also quite common. I've used screws from a Rollei on a Minolta TLR. On and on.

Knew someone who was an antique gun collector and restorer. Pre-Civil War American guns were his specialty. He could cut threads at any number you'd throw at him. As he explained, before the Cvil War, a machinist didn't care if his threading matched anyone else's. He made what he needed and got on with it. But the war brought about mass production at a variety of locations. A part made in Vermont had to fit a part made in Connecticut. No more making your own threads, you worked to specifications.

 

[Helge]

One reason never to throw out old cameras. At least try to give them away. Screws and other small bits and bobs are impossible to source because people either want full price “that they have seen on eBay” for a beater or just blindly throw the poor camera out.

 

[guangong]

I was brought up with: "Learn all your life, still die stupid."

That’s even better.!

Probably McMaster-Car. I thought about them as well, which is why I asked about the size/pitch of the "screw" I thought I was missing. I do a lot of tinkering on various things and virtually nobody makes their own fasteners, but MC is likely to have them if you know what to buy.

Chris

No, that’s not the name. No auto . The company has regional offices in some major cities. Amazing how they can do inventory. I sat with agent and screws of several sizes were experimented with to determine size, which was not in local stock but which company did have. Not perfect, head is slightly to large, but better than nothing. I believe “fastener “ is in the name.

 

[Dan Daniel]

One reason never to throw out old cameras. At least try to give them away. Screws and other small bits and bobs are impossible to source because people either want full price “that they have seen on eBay” for a beater or just blindly throw the poor camera out.

The Pentax K1000 is a great camera to scrap and tear down. It seems to have so many parts that fit other cameras. Springs, screws... it even has a direct match for a gear in the Fuji GW690 wind system that Fuji started making from plastic, only to have them break far too often. The Pentax is metal; a little machining to make its mount fit but that's nothing compared to making a new gear at that size. Grab those K1000s when you can.

 

[Pieter12]

Careful. My technician is constantly complaining about people forcing the wrong screws and rendering them difficult if not impossible to disassemble and repair properly.

 

[Bob Eskridge]

That’s even better.!


No, that’s not the name. No auto . The company has regional offices in some major cities. Amazing how they can do inventory. I sat with agent and screws of several sizes were experimented with to determine size, which was not in local stock but which company did have. Not perfect, head is slightly to large, but better than nothing. I believe “fastener “ is in the name.

Probably Fasenal. They are even in smaller cities.

 

[guangong]

Probably Fasenal. They are even in smaller cities.

That’s it...Fasenal. While they are in smaller cities, I went to the one in Ft Lauderdale, their inventories are interconnected...amazing operation.

 

[MattKing]

Probably Fasenal.

That’s it...Fasenal.

I expect you both mean Fastenal.

 

[John Koehrer]

hotetey on amazon has a metric assortment for about $11. Als o
Micro-Mark has screws $$$ but an assortment of good quality tools.

 

[BrianShaw]

I expect you both mean Fastenal.

They might have Boston accents…