Looking for a Lionel Panhead screw

Try contacting Micro Fasteners, out of New Jersey.

Thanks Hot Water and RickO; I have googled micro fasteners and came up with 2 places: 'MicroFasteners' and 'FastenerExpress', who have screws that are close.

Hot Water - could not find any out of New Jersey.  OOPS, RickO's suggestion to give Lionel a shot disappeared.

Have found 2M X .4  X 8mm but no 1.9 mm X .4 X 8mm; does anyone know what 2M means as compared to Lionel's 1.9mm.

I have many of those.   A must for the large number of smoke units I do.   Hit my email with your information and I will put two in the mail for you.

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

I have many of those.   A must for the large number of smoke units I do.   Hit my email with your information and I will put two in the mail for you.

Thanks a million MartyF, I will email you.

I am headed out for coffee in a few minutes if you get me your info, it can happen today.

RickM46 posted:

Thanks Hot Water and RickO; I have googled micro fasteners and came up with 2 places: 'MicroFasteners' and 'FastenerExpress', who have screws that are close.

Hot Water - could not find any out of New Jersey.  OOPS, RickO's suggestion to give Lionel a shot disappeared.

Have found 2M X .4  X 8mm but no 1.9 mm X .4 X 8mm; does anyone know what 2M means as compared to Lionel's 1.9mm.

 

I assume 2M means 2 mm which is a common size used by both Lionel and MTH. 1.9 is an odd size. I checked McMaster Carr and they have 2mm, 1.8mm, 1.7mm, and smaller but no 1.9. 

Do you have any means to measure yours? 2mm is just a hair under .080".  1.9mm is just under .075"

Pete

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

I am headed out for coffee in a few minutes if you get me your info, it can happen today.

Marty, email sent; thanks a million!

Norton posted:

RickM46 posted:

Thanks Hot Water and RickO; I have googled micro fasteners and came up with 2 places: 'MicroFasteners' and 'FastenerExpress', who have screws that are close.

Hot Water - could not find any out of New Jersey.  OOPS, RickO's suggestion to give Lionel a shot disappeared.

Have found 2M X .4  X 8mm but no 1.9 mm X .4 X 8mm; does anyone know what 2M means as compared to Lionel's 1.9mm.

 

I assume 2M means 2 mm which is a common size used by both Lionel and MTH. 1.9 is an odd size. I checked McMaster Carr and they have 2mm, 1.8mm, 1.7mm, and smaller but no 1.9. 

Do you have any means to measure yours? 2mm is just a hair under .080".  1.9mm is just under .075"

Pete

Thanks Pete; will attempt to find my micrometer.

In the mail.

There's a place in MA I like called Bolt Depot that is a great source for all kinds of fasteners.  I've used them a lot in my wood working.  Website is the same name dot com.

Pete, have found my micrometer; the diameter of the screw shaft is 1.9mm exactly or .0745 inches by my micrometer.  Don't know if a 2M will work.

Byrdie, thanks, will take a look.

I can't find a 1.9mm screw anywhere.

RickM46 posted:

Pete, have found my micrometer; the diameter of the screw shaft is 1.9mm exactly or .0745 inches by my micrometer.  Don't know if a 2M will work.

I wonder if someone at Lionel made the same measurement. When you cut or roll threads the OD of the shaft is reduced slightly. This may in fact be a 2mm screw. Those you should be able to find at a good hardware store. Maybe not at Home Depot as the smallest I have found there are 3mm. 

OK I just measured a known 2mm screw and got. .074"

I would bet what you have is 2mm.  

Looks like Marty has you covered but if you ever run across 2mm screws pick them up. They are used in many places on our trains so they won't go to waste.

Pete

GRJ, the closest I have come is at

https://www.microfasteners.com...rection=0&page=1   and

http://www.fastener-express.co...crews-stainless.aspx

but those are 2M in diameter.  I think if push came to shove, you could make the 2M work.

Byrdie, went to Bolt Depot and found 2M in diameter and .4 thread and 8mm length; nothing smaller than 2M at https://www.boltdepot.com/Metr...tainless_steel_18-8_(A-2)_2mm_x_0.4mm.aspx

See Pete's response, I think you have 2mm screws.  Those are readily available in a variety of styles.

John. I always coat smoke unit screws with a mini drop of oil before installing them in the plastic smoke units.   I have seen issues as I am sure you may have.  I have been looking for a tap to have on hand when a new screw does not want to cooperate.   I have been buying up extra smoke reservoirs as I have seen screws break off.  

Good idea to clean the threads Marty, I have a 2mm tap that I could do that with.  I hope I don't need new smoke reservoirs, I have too much money tied up in parts now!

gunrunnerjohn posted:

See Pete's response, I think you have 2mm screws.  Those are readily available in a variety of styles.

Yes, there are 3 websites I have posted above per help per Hot Water and Byrdie and google.

John,  you know a guy who you are in good standing with if you need one.

The taps are pretty inexpensive. I have a set but also bought individual smaller ones down to 1mm at McMaster Carr. The have quality ones in high speed steel.

Pete

RickM46 posted:

Thanks Hot Water and RickO; I have googled micro fasteners and came up with 2 places: 'MicroFasteners' and 'FastenerExpress', who have screws that are close.

Hot Water - could not find any out of New Jersey. 

Micro Fasteners of Lebanon, NJ 800-892-6917.   www.microfasteners.com  They also sell taps. 

OOPS, RickO's suggestion to give Lionel a shot disappeared.

Have found 2M X .4  X 8mm but no 1.9 mm X .4 X 8mm; does anyone know what 2M means as compared to Lionel's 1.9mm.

 

Hot Water posted:

RickM46 posted:

Thanks Hot Water and RickO; I have googled micro fasteners and came up with 2 places: 'MicroFasteners' and 'FastenerExpress', who have screws that are close.

Hot Water - could not find any out of New Jersey. 

Micro Fasteners of Lebanon, NJ 800-892-6917.   www.microfasteners.com  They also sell taps. 

OOPS, RickO's suggestion to give Lionel a shot disappeared.

Have found 2M X .4  X 8mm but no 1.9 mm X .4 X 8mm; does anyone know what 2M means as compared to Lionel's 1.9mm.

 

 

Thanks Hot Water!

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

John,  you know a guy who you are in good standing with if you need one.

Can you give me a hint?

Gentlemen, thanks a million for helping me find some micro panhead screws; the websites:

One last bit, the some of the websites above also sell metric taps; microfasteners did show a 2mm tap.

Another website for micro screws: https://www.mcmaster.com/#stan...head-screws/=1dfb1y1

I took a shot at ordering more metric pan head micro screws last Saturday from https://www.microfasteners.com...rection=0&page=1  for replacing my Lionel metric black oxide 1.9mm X .4thread X 8mm in the smoke unit.  I got a 50 count bag of 2M X .4thread X 8mm and they arrived today.  These are stainless (didn't see any black oxide metric on their site) and not magnetic; their heads are a tad bigger; they fit the threads exactly in the smoke unit with no resistance to screwing them in and they do hold.  So, in a pinch I think these will work fine.  Also got a bag of the same but 10mm in length.

MartyF, got yours today - thanks a bunch!!  I have sent a set of 5 each of the above to you.

TY.

Rick, I think its safe to say Lionel mis-labeled these. 2mm is the nominal diameter even if they actually measure 1.9mm.

I take my stainless screws and put them in a block of wood with many holes in it and hit them with black paint. Plated screws can be blackened with cold gun blue, doesn't work on stainless though.

Pete

One more place for black oxide screws is the RC car, truck, plane manufacturers. My grandson got an RC truck kit last winter and the parts available for these things are impressive! 

Here is a link to one manufacturer's site (the one he got his kit from). RC4WD Black Oxide screws page If you look around under 'Hardware' there are many more items available. Many they have are black oxide and metric. They have some unique items that might be of use to some or all of us train folks.

Thanks Norton and RTR12!!