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Coupler box fasteners
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JP Barger
Dear Jim et al, Thanks for your message about fasteners I use to secure
coupler boxes to car underbodies. I use a series of Japanese metric miniature machine screws. The original requirement to go in this direction came from using American Standard #2-56 round head screws, whose heads stick out so far as sometimes to interfere with proper free rotation of the outer wheel axles, causing ugly marks on the axles, and derailments to boot. In addition, the American screws are UGLY all the way to the bone. The Japanese screws are stainless steel, originally designed for Japanese camera bodies, and now used in miniaturization of much small hardware. American standard pan head slotted or Philips head screws could be substituted, but the heads are SO large. Their advantage is that the axle rubbing problem goes away. Many of the brass models use metric screw mounting, but a minority have blackened screws. The series of screws I employ has Philips pan heads, 1.4, 1.7 and 2.0mm in thread diameter. Taps for these are available from any serious metric screw dealer. The head diameters for these screws range from 2.0 to 2.5mm. The 2.0mm head diameters are called type1; the 2.5mm heads are type 3. These screws are blackened with a satin finish. Thus, since most plastic underbodies and coupler boxes are black, anyhow, you're relieved from painting the screwheads. The use of these screws has made my underbodies so much neater. Since I like to run longer trains, I need extreme reliability. Thus every coupler box is first applied to the car underbody with a small wipe of Goo, or its equivalent, and then screwed down, as well. The Goo application prevents coupler box rotation; the alternative is to use two 1.0mm screws, applied through the ears on the Kadee box. My screw collection came mostly from Metric Screw in Wakefield, MA. Their phone number is 781-245-4950. I believe their stock of these screws is exhausted. They may need to special order them. Or you may need to find a new source. If you do, please let me know. Thanks. Another source, from which I have a lot of screws in the aforementioned sizes, is NWSL. But the last time I looked, their screws were shiny finish stainless. The heads will need to be painted, and a screwdriver will remove the paint gradually. I wish they would go for black finish. Small metric screws can be bought in Tokyo from small electronics parts suppliers, if you ever go there. I've done it, but it was a long time ago. By the way, the blackened 1.7 & 2.0 screws come in lengths one mm apart, and in the shorter ones, only a half mm apart. Very handy for open and tank cars. No cutting and filing screws to length! I need to add that when I'm working with WOOD bodies, using the normal tap drills, I drill and tap just like I was working with metal. I've never had any trouble with the metric screws stripping, loosening or falling out of the wood; the same applies with plastic bodies. Something I would like is a source of BLACKENED #2-56 stainless screws, Philips pan head, satin finish, for truck mounting. If you find a source for these, I'd also like to know. Best regards, JP |
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Brian Ehni <behni@...>
Instead of round head, try binder head.
http://findnsave.miamiherald.com/Product/6786475 I found a bin of these at a long-defunct electronics parts house in Nashville and bought 3 pounds for $3. Any good screw supplier can get these for you in bulk. Thanks! -- Brian P. Ehni From: JP Barger <bargerjp@...> Reply-To: STMFC List <STMFC@...> Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 13:41:06 -0400 To: Jim Barnes <atsfjim2000@...>, STMFC List <STMFC@...> Subject: [STMFC] Coupler box fasteners Dear Jim et al, Thanks for your message about fasteners I use to secure coupler boxes to car underbodies. I use a series of Japanese metric miniature machine screws. The original requirement to go in this direction came from using American Standard #2-56 round head screws, whose heads stick out so far as sometimes to interfere with proper free rotation of the outer wheel axles, causing ugly marks on the axles, and derailments to boot. In addition, the American screws are UGLY all the way to the bone. The Japanese screws are stainless steel, originally designed for Japanese camera bodies, and now used in miniaturization of much small hardware. American standard pan head slotted or Philips head screws could be substituted, but the heads are SO large. Their advantage is that the axle rubbing problem goes away. Many of the brass models use metric screw mounting, but a minority have blackened screws. The series of screws I employ has Philips pan heads, 1.4, 1.7 and 2.0mm in thread diameter. Taps for these are available from any serious metric screw dealer. The head diameters for these screws range from 2.0 to 2.5mm. The 2.0mm head diameters are called type1; the 2.5mm heads are type 3. These screws are blackened with a satin finish. Thus, since most plastic underbodies and coupler boxes are black, anyhow, you're relieved from painting the screwheads. The use of these screws has made my underbodies so much neater. Since I like to run longer trains, I need extreme reliability. Thus every coupler box is first applied to the car underbody with a small wipe of Goo, or its equivalent, and then screwed down, as well. The Goo application prevents coupler box rotation; the alternative is to use two 1.0mm screws, applied through the ears on the Kadee box. My screw collection came mostly from Metric Screw in Wakefield, MA. Their phone number is 781-245-4950. I believe their stock of these screws is exhausted. They may need to special order them. Or you may need to find a new source. If you do, please let me know. Thanks. Another source, from which I have a lot of screws in the aforementioned sizes, is NWSL. But the last time I looked, their screws were shiny finish stainless. The heads will need to be painted, and a screwdriver will remove the paint gradually. I wish they would go for black finish. Small metric screws can be bought in Tokyo from small electronics parts suppliers, if you ever go there. I've done it, but it was a long time ago. By the way, the blackened 1.7 & 2.0 screws come in lengths one mm apart, and in the shorter ones, only a half mm apart. Very handy for open and tank cars. No cutting and filing screws to length! I need to add that when I'm working with WOOD bodies, using the normal tap drills, I drill and tap just like I was working with metal. I've never had any trouble with the metric screws stripping, loosening or falling out of the wood; the same applies with plastic bodies. Something I would like is a source of BLACKENED #2-56 stainless screws, Philips pan head, satin finish, for truck mounting. If you find a source for these, I'd also like to know. Best regards, JP |
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Brian Ehni <behni@...>
McMaster-Carr carries them in stainless, brass, and plastic in a variety of
lengths: http://www.mcmaster.com/#machine-screw-fasteners/=c9egzc And if you want different sizes, (down to 0-80) they have those, too: http://www.mcmaster.com/#machine-screw-fasteners/=c9eg8y And, no, I don't work for them; just a sometime customer because they carry other goodies like thin sheet lead for weight and varying foams for box inserts. Thanks! -- Brian P. Ehni From: Brian Ehni <behni@...> Reply-To: STMFC List <STMFC@...> Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 13:19:00 -0500 To: STMFC List <STMFC@...> Subject: Re: [STMFC] Coupler box fasteners Instead of round head, try binder head. http://findnsave.miamiherald.com/Product/6786475 I found a bin of these at a long-defunct electronics parts house in Nashville and bought 3 pounds for $3. Any good screw supplier can get these for you in bulk. Thanks! -- Brian P. Ehni |
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Jared Harper
I am a very happy customer of McMaster-Carr. If I order early in the day I usually have my order by the next day.
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Jared Harper Athens, GA --- In STMFC@..., Brian Ehni <behni@...> wrote:
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RDG2124 <RDG2124@...>
Truss head screws are a perfect fit for coupler pockets. Low profile and slightly larger diameter head than a round head screw. My last batch was from a clock repair supply house. The 2-56 were Philips head, while the smaller 72, 80 and 90 sizes were slot heads.
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Evan Leisey Bennett, CO -----Original Message-----
From: Brian Ehni <behni@...> To: STMFC List <STMFC@...> Sent: Wed, May 11, 2011 12:19 pm Subject: Re: [STMFC] Coupler box fasteners Instead of round head, try binder head. http://findnsave.miamiherald.com/Product/6786475 I found a bin of these at a long-defunct electronics parts house in Nashville and bought 3 pounds for $3. Any good screw supplier can get these for you in bulk. Thanks! -- Brian P. Ehni From: JP Barger <bargerjp@...> Reply-To: STMFC List <STMFC@...> Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 13:41:06 -0400 To: Jim Barnes <atsfjim2000@...>, STMFC List <STMFC@...> Subject: [STMFC] Coupler box fasteners Dear Jim et al, Thanks for your message about fasteners I use to secure coupler boxes to car underbodies. I use a series of Japanese metric miniature machine screws. The original requirement to go in this direction came from using American Standard #2-56 round head screws, whose heads stick out so far as sometimes to interfere with proper free rotation of the outer wheel axles, causing ugly marks on the axles, and derailments to boot. In addition, the American screws are UGLY all the way to the bone. The Japanese screws are stainless steel, originally designed for Japanese camera bodies, and now used in miniaturization of much small hardware. American standard pan head slotted or Philips head screws could be substituted, but the heads are SO large. Their advantage is that the axle rubbing problem goes away. Many of the brass models use metric screw mounting, but a minority have blackened screws. The series of screws I employ has Philips pan heads, 1.4, 1.7 and 2.0mm in thread diameter. Taps for these are available from any serious metric screw dealer. The head diameters for these screws range from 2.0 to 2.5mm. The 2.0mm head diameters are called type1; the 2.5mm heads are type 3. These screws are blackened with a satin finish. Thus, since most plastic underbodies and coupler boxes are black, anyhow, you're relieved from painting the screwheads. The use of these screws has made my underbodies so much neater. Since I like to run longer trains, I need extreme reliability. Thus every coupler box is first applied to the car underbody with a small wipe of Goo, or its equivalent, and then screwed down, as well. The Goo application prevents coupler box rotation; the alternative is to use two 1.0mm screws, applied through the ears on the Kadee box. My screw collection came mostly from Metric Screw in Wakefield, MA. Their phone number is 781-245-4950. I believe their stock of these screws is exhausted. They may need to special order them. Or you may need to find a new source. If you do, please let me know. Thanks. Another source, from which I have a lot of screws in the aforementioned sizes, is NWSL. But the last time I looked, their screws were shiny finish stainless. The heads will need to be painted, and a screwdriver will remove the paint gradually. I wish they would go for black finish. Small metric screws can be bought in Tokyo from small electronics parts suppliers, if you ever go there. I've done it, but it was a long time ago. By the way, the blackened 1.7 & 2.0 screws come in lengths one mm apart, and in the shorter ones, only a half mm apart. Very handy for open and tank cars. No cutting and filing screws to length! I need to add that when I'm working with WOOD bodies, using the normal tap drills, I drill and tap just like I was working with metal. I've never had any trouble with the metric screws stripping, loosening or falling out of the wood; the same applies with plastic bodies. Something I would like is a source of BLACKENED #2-56 stainless screws, Philips pan head, satin finish, for truck mounting. If you find a source for these, I'd also like to know. Best regards, JP [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
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Jim Barnes
JP, I found the following sites for coupler box screws and truck mounting screws:
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For the coupler box screws, they are available from an eBay store called Laptop Screws in both wafer head (best style) or pan head, both are phillips drive in sizes M2 of different lengths and black finish For the 2-56 stainless black finish truck mounting screws also phillips drive try: www.smallparts.com hope this helps. Jim Barnes --- On Wed, 5/11/11, JP Barger <bargerjp@...> wrote:
From: JP Barger <bargerjp@...> Subject: [STMFC] Coupler box fasteners To: "Jim Barnes" <atsfjim2000@...>, "STMFC@yahoo" <STMFC@...> Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 10:41 AM Dear Jim et al, Thanks for your message about fasteners I use to secure coupler boxes to car underbodies. I use a series of Japanese metric miniature machine screws. The original requirement to go in this direction came from using American Standard #2-56 round head screws, whose heads stick out so far as sometimes to interfere with proper free rotation of the outer wheel axles, causing ugly marks on the axles, and derailments to boot. In addition, the American screws are UGLY all the way to the bone. The Japanese screws are stainless steel, originally designed for Japanese camera bodies, and now used in miniaturization of much small hardware. American standard pan head slotted or Philips head screws could be substituted, but the heads are SO large. Their advantage is that the axle rubbing problem goes away. Many of the brass models use metric screw mounting, but a minority have blackened screws. The series of screws I employ has Philips pan heads, 1.4, 1.7 and 2.0mm in thread diameter. Taps for these are available from any serious metric screw dealer. The head diameters for these screws range from 2.0 to 2.5mm. The 2.0mm head diameters are called type1; the 2.5mm heads are type 3. These screws are blackened with a satin finish. Thus, since most plastic underbodies and coupler boxes are black, anyhow, you're relieved from painting the screwheads. The use of these screws has made my underbodies so much neater. Since I like to run longer trains, I need extreme reliability. Thus every coupler box is first applied to the car underbody with a small wipe of Goo, or its equivalent, and then screwed down, as well. The Goo application prevents coupler box rotation; the alternative is to use two 1.0mm screws, applied through the ears on the Kadee box. My screw collection came mostly from Metric Screw in Wakefield, MA. Their phone number is 781-245-4950. I believe their stock of these screws is exhausted. They may need to special order them. Or you may need to find a new source. If you do, please let me know. Thanks. Another source, from which I have a lot of screws in the aforementioned sizes, is NWSL. But the last time I looked, their screws were shiny finish stainless. The heads will need to be painted, and a screwdriver will remove the paint gradually. I wish they would go for black finish. Small metric screws can be bought in Tokyo from small electronics parts suppliers, if you ever go there. I've done it, but it was a long time ago. By the way, the blackened 1.7 & 2.0 screws come in lengths one mm apart, and in the shorter ones, only a half mm apart. Very handy for open and tank cars. No cutting and filing screws to length! I need to add that when I'm working with WOOD bodies, using the normal tap drills, I drill and tap just like I was working with metal. I've never had any trouble with the metric screws stripping, loosening or falling out of the wood; the same applies with plastic bodies. Something I would like is a source of BLACKENED #2-56 stainless screws, Philips pan head, satin finish, for truck mounting. If you find a source for these, I'd also like to know. Best regards, JP [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
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