Source for VERY small screws?

[Shawn Rahman]

I am looking for a source for very small (I mean TINY) screws. While cleaning an old Box Tengor, I seemed to have ruined one of the very small (thin and short) screws that holds the front plate to the camera.

Can I find these things in typical hardware stores? Will a Lowes or Home Depot carry them? I'm also thinking maybe crafts stores like JoAnns or Michael's may carry them.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

[anikin]

Lowes and Home Depot are usually useless for such things. Try ACE hardware store. That's where I got a missing tiny screw when I was repairing my Retina IIIc. Also watch and jewelry repair places usually have assortment of small screws.

[Bill Burk]

The only place I ever found them was inside cameras that I took apart.

Model / Toy stores sometimes have small screws but then they still might not be small enough.

[Sirius Glass]

I cannot comment on all older large format cameras, but some of the early Graphics and Graflexes have hand made screws. These screws are screwed into the wood body. The shape of the screw, the threads, the pitch of the threads are not used any longer. The holes need a screw of that shape and that shape only. If you loose one of these screws, there are no commercially available substitutes. The result is that in that situation one is screwed.

Steve

[alanrockwood]

There is a company called Small Parts. See if they have what you need.

[Dan Daniel]

Watch repair shop, optician, model railroad store.

On wood, can you not either fill the hole and re-tap with a standard, or drill it out to a larger size? This is also a possibility with metal if there is enough material.

[paul ron]

Perhaps if it is only a couple and you do have another as a sample, someone may be generous enough to give a few?

How many screws do you need? Do you have another as a sample to compare it to?

[bdial]

Micro Tools also sells some, and hobby stores that cator to model railroading or (flying) model planes are a possibility too. But as Sirius says, some screws are unique to the manufacturer and the only way to get a proper match is from another camera from that maker.
If you don't mind not staying original, then you may be able to substitue a slightly larger screw of a similar type, but if you're dealing with machine screws then you'll also need to locate the proper drill and tap for the size screw you end up with.

[bsdunek]

Old cameras had 'optical' screws which are like model railroad screws. They come in sizes like 00-90, 0-72, etc. 00-90 is what is generally used on glasses. Later manufacturers went to metric screws. They come in sizes like 1.2X5mm, 1.6X4mm, etc. These can be obtained from Micro Tools http://www.micro-tools.com/store/home.aspx

Hope this helps.

[mhcfires]

Don't forget McMaster Carr. http://www.mcmaster.com/#brass-wood-screws/=d7l6jk The have a fine selection of everything from size 0 on up.