What to do with old screws?

zornt

Nomad
Apr 6, 2014
273
129
70
Ohio, USA
Don't know what you would call it on your side of the pond. But is there an antique restorer around that you could donate them to?
I hate to see anything go to waste so maybe they could give a new life to them.
 

slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,179
1,109
Devon
i just had to check the black book to see if M9s existed, they didn't pop up in my Zeus tables, have you tried RS components?
I bought a tap and die set in the end and renovated the old fixing. It was a fine .75 thread as well so very hard to find anything.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,762
786
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For anything 'new' I totally agree with you but, repairing old stuff, cross-heads just stand out like neon sign in the woods. For 26 years I have been meaning to replace all the cross-head screws used in the planked doors in our 350 year old barn/house; they just look wrong.

In my eyes for a braced and battoned door, cut nails clinched over are the thing.
I just made one recently.
I'll concede that old black sashlocks look better with black japanned slotted screws.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,883
3,299
W.Sussex
Having seen chainsaw chain damascus and motorcycle chain damascus, it might be interesting to see what happens to them if forged?
 

Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,672
McBride, BC
Most public libraries in my region now have "Maker Labs" which are equipped with donated power tools like a 3D printer, drill presses, arc welding and so on. Ideal place for a massive donation of all those orphan screws and other small fixtures.

Watch an artisan welder build insects and birds from all your leavings.

Take a spade and wander the countryside, burying handfuls to get the metal detectorists hot and bothered.
 
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demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
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You can buy them on eBay.
Expensive though per single bolt ! :shocked:
Whether the pitch is right though, I do not know.


Titanium bolts are always expensive whatever diameter and pitch they are and something like M9 even more so.
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,657
2,727
Bedfordshire
I think that's Newtons 5th law, the more stuff you have the more stuff you need.

I've got a fair selection of old fixings, bolts etc, but this week I needed an M9 bolt. Can't even buy them new it seems.

How every much of whatever you have, the next time you need something, it won't be one you have. Seems to be true for screws as well as a lot of other things, to greater or lesser degrees!

Okay, now you have us all curious, what on earth was made with a M9x0.75? That is a third choice diameter. I would have been pilloried if I had designed something to use even a second choice metric fastener. Imperial UNF and UNC, fine, very common in aerospace, but UNEF are uncommon enough not to specify them for bolts.
 
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slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,179
1,109
Devon
I was thinking of running a competition to guess what I needed a small M9 x .75 bolt for, first prize would be a selection of old cross head screws...

It was to make a disk set striker if that helps.

Edit to add, thanks for the suggested bolts but I need some plain steel ones and cheap as I may need a few to play with.
 
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Dave Budd

Gold Trader
Staff member
Jan 8, 2006
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www.davebudd.com
I think just sling them into the scrap bin mate. If you've had them kicking around that long, then you are never likely to need them!

I use a lot of screws, bolts, nails and other fixings and the ones that have come with furniture and stuff, as free gifts (multipacks like those from tool/building companies) or from other folks' random tins are the ones that never get used. If I need a screw, then I need a certain size/type and I go to the box full that I have bought, not search through a bunch of pots and draws. Also, the screws that come in those multipacks are always awful quality and shear before being driven home or the heads turn off straight away (if they even fit the drivers properly to being with!). I've got boxes (totalling about 15kg now) of imperial sized machine screws sitting around, and they do occasionally come in handy for repairing old machines, but mostly they are glaring at me from a corner


N.B The idea of 'just melt them down and make a knife' gets thrown my way for all sorts of things, and it is rarely if ever a sensible suggestion I'm afraid folks. Firstly, they don't melt: steel is forgewelded in the solid state, not like bronze. Secondly, screws are normally coated with zinc and other corrosion resisting substances (hence the yellows and greens you often seen); these stop things from sticking together and likely not very good for your health if you heat them up. Thirdly, if you do a canister type set up to weld any uncoated screws, then you will likely need to fill the voids with some powdered steel (which is ruddy expensive in the UK) and the whole process would be far more expensive than the results would be worth for a lump of rubbish steel.
 

Duggie Bravo

Settler
Jul 27, 2013
532
124
Dewsbury
Have you got any small black flat blade screws?

About 4mm diameter and 10mm long?

Need some for my door handles.

Happy to pay for them and postage, of course.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,657
2,727
Bedfordshire
Have you got any small black flat blade screws?

About 4mm diameter and 10mm long?

Need some for my door handles.

Happy to pay for them and postage, of course.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

See post 32 :lmao:
I am afraid that doesn't ring any bells. I have seen black screws, once, ancient things, 2" long, dome head slot drive. No idea what they would be for. If you were after plain un coated screws that size, well, I don't know, probably not...but I will have a look next time I am out there.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,762
786
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Totally agree with Dave Budd on this one.
Scrap bin.
I have a house full of stuff saved for later and even I launch slotted screws.
 

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