Small woodscrews needed for repair

Matt Bigwood

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I'm nearing the end of the restoration of my Houghton 'The Queen' half-plate and need four small screws to reattach the front standard via the brass hinges. The original holes are on the bottom of the front standard, though other photos I've seen online show them attaching to the front. I've looked at the usual suspects like B&Q but they only sell them in large bags, and the local hardware shop near me, where you could literally buy individual screws, has long since closed. Any suggestions?
 

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You need an old-fashioned family run hardware store. I was walking past one in Eynsham a few months ago and my sister said the shop was brilliant and sold everything. I went in and came out with all their last small brass screws. I cleared out my local store a few years ago, they can't get any more from their suppliers.

The only place I've found online was in the US, until just now. I have plenty 1/4", but the heads are too small for that hinge, and also slightly too short as well.

I've just bought £29 worth of slotted head brass screws from here. If you can wait a few days I can take a screw out of my Houghton Duchess to check the size, to march.

Ian
 
You need an old-fashioned family run hardware store. I was walking past one in Eynsham a few months ago and my sister said the shop was brilliant and sold everything. I went in and came out with all their last small brass screws. I cleared out my local store a few years ago, they can't get any more from their suppliers.

The only place I've found online was in the US, until just now. I have plenty 1/4", but the heads are too small for that hinge, and also slightly too short as well.

I've just bought £29 worth of slotted head brass screws from here. If you can wait a few days I can take a screw out of my Houghton Duchess to check the size, to march.

Ian
Thanks Ian, I've just been doing some searching and I see there is an old-fashioned hardware store north of Bristol so I might head down there later and see if they have anything suitable
 
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I get mine from Westfield Fasteners, and I also restored and now use a Houghton Whole-Plate. Westfield sell them in slightly larger bags but if you are going to use a folding field camera regularly you will need some spares. Mine all shed screws routinely
 
I managed to get 20 screws in different sizes for 80 pence this afternoon so hopefully these will do the job.
 
Most of the screws I've bought in Hardware stores have been made by Nettlefold, they pulled out of the fastener market in the early 1980s. I found plenty of Nettlefold brass screws online yesterday, prices vary from £7.30 for 10 to the £5.99 I paid for 50. All new (as in recent production) small brass screws sold here in the UK are Philips head.

In the US you can buy brand-new small flat head brass screws for between $4 to $8 per hundred.

Ian
 
Can't see what the problem is. There are loads of small brass screws available out there. A company called Screwsline has thousands of them in a full range of gauges and lengths, and a variety of head shapes.
 
Can't see what the problem is. There are loads of small brass screws available out there. A company called Screwsline has thousands of them in a full range of gauges and lengths, and a variety of head shapes.

I did look at them in depth yesterday, but by the time you added postage & VAT it was twice the price, for the same sized screws I bought. I ended up buying 3 sizes, and a mixed 100g pack.

That mixed sized pack of small brass slotted screws will be particularly useful as it has a few round and raised head screws as well, amongst the flat head.

Just occasionally I need really tiny screw, I'm not seeing any online, I have very few left.

Not long after I moved back to the UK around 15 years ago I was at a large Antique, Collectors, Fair and Flea Market, near Malvern, as I wandered around only looking at wood & bras, and other vintage, photographic items I realised I was being followed. My follower then politely said I'm really interested what you are looking at, and why, turned out he's a very reputable horologist, with a shop, but also doing very high-end clock restorations. I had bought some TP shutters & that had sparked his interest, he'd recently bought an old wood & brass camera.

You could ask why is this relevant. At the time I was looking for another supplier of tiny/small brass screws, (I'd bought and used some of the sizes my hardware stored had stocked), he told me he had his made for him, because the modern brass alloys didn't match on restorations> he had other replacement parts cast. Traditionally brass was 2 thirds Copper and 1 third Zinc, the Zinc oxidises, fume extraction collects the Zinc Oxide, and it gets used in cosmetics and medical products.

Because Copper prices have gone through the roof in the last few years, modern brass is quite a different alloy.

Ian
 
Hi, sorry late to the party and it looks like you have your solution, but just for future reference I have always been able to find what i want with these people.
https://www.modelfixings.co.uk/index2.htm
They sell in small quantities, are usually very well stocked and deliver quickly and cheaply. It's also one of those websites that the more mechanically minded can get absolutely lost in !
 
Thanks, unfortunately the smaller sizes I was after are listed as temporarily out of stock. The few places with stock are charging crazy prices nearly 10x the cost.

I will take stock of what sizes I'm missing when my recent purchase arrives, then buy from the US or Canada.

Ian
 
Hi, sorry late to the party and it looks like you have your solution, but just for future reference I have always been able to find what i want with these people.
https://www.modelfixings.co.uk/index2.htm
They sell in small quantities, are usually very well stocked and deliver quickly and cheaply. It's also one of those websites that the more mechanically minded can get absolutely lost in !
I agree...I have dealt with this firm for years on larger sizes and have always found their prices reasonable and their return of service quick. Def a bookmark firm.
 
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