Tiny woodscrews (not exactly engineering…)

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Can anyone suggest a supplier (who might send to NZ) of very small woodscrews? I'm particularly looking for 1.7mm nominal dia., in lengths around 8mm, but also some other small sizes. Just to make it even more difficult, most have to have slotted round heads, and preferably be plated. These are to restore an elderly Italian accordion, whose engineering leaves a lot to be desired… I think the original screws were made to metric conventions (don't think 'standards' really applied) because these don't conform to the 'gauge' standard.

I've tried the major accordion spares suppliers' web sites without success. I'm trying to do this 'properly', so sheet metal screws / self-tappers just wouldn't be right. Fall-back option is to make them, but I'm lazy.

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Where to find ’em

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

GHW are out of stock of 1.6 x 8 but worth keeping an eye on for when they come back in stock. They send to me in the UK so expect NZ will be OK

Edit Model fixings have 1.6 x 8

Edited By JasonB on 08/08/2022 11:25:55

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

Shop4fasteners

These do a big selection and are usually quick on delivery.

[Gary WoodingParticipant @garywooding25363]

Possibly places that make doll's houses?

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Kiwi Bloke on 08/08/2022 11:07:17:

….These are to restore an elderly Italian accordion, whose engineering leaves a lot to be desired…

The Ducati of musical instruments. Have fun! (And read Annie Proulx's book Accordian Crimes. It's a ripper.)

Edited By Hopper on 08/08/2022 13:44:49

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Kiwi Bloke,

There is a TV programme here in the UK called "The Repair Shop" of which you may have heard. One of their experts is Roger Thomas who runs Jolly Roger Accordions in Andover, Hants, UK. His web site is HERE. If all else fails, it might be worth an email to ask where he sources his supplies.

Other than that, I'm of absolutely no use to you at all! Good hunting.

John

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

This sort of stuff presumably comes from China. I have both the steel and brass offerings from the amazon, but as you are geographically closer to China you should be able to get som. Quality is not bad and you will have enough for life at under 15$

OOps! just saw you needed slotted round headed screws – but the link may be useful to others.

Tiny screws

Edited By Speedy Builder5 on 08/08/2022 16:01:54

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Posted by Hopper on 08/08/2022 13:23:40:

Posted by Kiwi Bloke on 08/08/2022 11:07:17:

….These are to restore an elderly Italian accordion, whose engineering leaves a lot to be desired…

The Ducati of musical instruments. Have fun! (And read Annie Proulx's book Accordian Crimes. It's a ripper.)

Edited By Hopper on 08/08/2022 13:44:49

Hah! Fortunately, no desmodromic valves or Marelli electrics in an accordion! My example is perhaps the Lancia of instruments – it's corroded as hell. Debatable whether a Ducati or an accordion makes the better sound…

Thanks guys for the suggestions, but no joy with the sizes I need. I suppose screw manufacture mostly went East, and that was the end of the 'funny' sizes. Anyway, if anyone can help any more, please do!

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You do have a bit of an odd size. 1.7mm is neither gauge 0 or 1 though 1 would be the closest at 1.8mm. Your 8mm length is mid way between the usual 1/8" increments of imperial at either 1/4" or 3/8" long.

Metic convention would either be 1.6 or 2.0mm dia but they do come in the 8mm that you wanted as convention in the smaller sizes is 8, 12, 16mm length

You have not said what material or what plating you wanted so maybe the brass ones I linked to which are the closest suggestions in this thread to were no good?

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Posted by Kiwi Bloke on 09/08/2022 07:47:30:

Thanks guys for the suggestions, but no joy with the sizes I need. I suppose screw manufacture mostly went East, and that was the end of the 'funny' sizes. Anyway, if anyone can help any more, please do!

Well, had another dig around in my bookmarks and is this the sort of thing that you're searching for?

In 1.6mm Westfield Fasteners 1.6mm brass woodscrews

And in 2mm Westfield Fasteners 2mm brass wood screws

If they will suit, I'm happy to purchase on your behalf and pop them in a jiffy bag if Westfield can't send direct.

John

[Adam MaraParticipant @adammara]

I have a small quantity of brass RH wood screws, at least 30 years old! Bit bigger than your dimensions, screw length is about 9.5mm long, 2.1mm diameter. Overall length 11.2mm and head diameter 3.9mm. They are all mixed up with other sizes, but depending on how many you need I can count them if they are of any use!

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Thank you Adam and John for your offers of help – much appreciated. I think I need to be self-sufficient, however, in case I need more, sporadically, in the future.

The Westfield site is most interesting (I hadn't found it), particularly the warning that nominal and actual sizes may be quite different. Perhaps that goes some way to answer Jason's points. However I'm not convinced that the Italians in the 1950-60s would have used woodscrews conforming to the gauge number 'standard', and the sizes used in this box seem to bear that out. For all I know, there was a little factory somewhere, churning out 'funnies' for the accordion industry. That industry is interesting: it seems that there were numerous factories (if you can call them that), in two small towns that were, in effect, the accordion manufactory of Italy. Many firms were clearly started by members of the same family. Who made what, or bought in what, and from whom would be virtually impossible to discover. A few videos can be found of the things being made today – mostly hand-work, with little sophistication visible in some firms. The engineering is crude, the material selection questionable, but craftsmen and women triumph over the limitations of their work practice to achieve something beautiful, magical and of considerable complexity.

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Just discovered two PMs with kind offers of help. What good folk there are on this forum!

[Author]

Posts