Where to find spare screws for camera?

trican

well the title says it all - I've a couple of old Nikon film cameras and one is missing a couple of screws. As these are small (1mm head I think) I haven't been able to find any in obvious places, i.e. Maplin or hardware stores. Anyone any idea where I could get these online (which is my definite perference at this stage)?

NorDub

Can't help you with the online bit but I'd try a good old optician, they use(d?) to have quite a range of small to tiny screws.

Burnt

you could buy a busted up nikon of the same model on line and cannibalise it

Firetrap

I had a problem a bit like yours a while back and after trying a few places, I went into a shop I should've gone into in the first place. An old skool camera shop. The guy who worked in there promised me he would find screws to fit my camera in some box of screws he had in his workshop and sure enough, he did :cool:

trican

Thanks for the suggestions. As I really want to sell this particular camera on, its not worthwhile buying another for the sake of 3 three screws from the base plate. I wonder would it be worth my while going to Conns or Gunns?

Ghost Train

theres usually a loose nut.... or something with a screw loose behind the viewfinder..... I'll get my coat

Could sell as is, just state there are some screws missing

trican

Ghost Train :-) .... I already got strange looks in Maplin when I told them I was looking for a screw

Tactical

You'd really need to know the size and pitch of the thread.

Some of the Japanese equipment may very well use imperial sizing rather than metric. I don't know if this holds true to cameras but in other areas of technology I've found this to be the case.

trican

dumb question - but how would I go about measuring such fine dimensions?

Tactical

There's no such thing as a dumb question.

A thread gauge would be required but this is a little more than impractical for your purposes.

Best bet is either contact the manufacturer or an experienced repair centre, some one of these may have an idea.

Screws can be bought easily enough but I have found that there are typically minimum order quantities by most of the precision manufacturers.

It might be worth trying the watches / timepieces section of Boards.ie as you might just get lucky there.

Ghost Train

found this on ebay, 7hrs left

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lot-of-Early-Nikon-F-Body-Screws-Parts-6417002-Rare_W0QQitemZ330358163503QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4ceae1882f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

mrmac

trican - could you let us know the model & serial number of the camera, and where the missing screw is supposed to go? I may be able to find out what kind of screw you need.

(Be nice, everyone!)

trican

Its a Nikon FE, and the screws are for the base plate

trican

Ghost Train wrote: »

found this on ebay, 7hrs left

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lot-of-Early-Nikon-F-Body-Screws-Parts-6417002-Rare_W0QQitemZ330358163503QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4ceae1882f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

nice find Ghoist train - much appreciated!!! those screws look a little large, but it might be worth chancing it anyway

mrmac

trican wrote: »

Its a Nikon FE, and the screws are for the base plate

There are 3 screws in the baseplate of an FE, right?
They are part number 804A.

Leave it with me for a wee while and I'll see if I can either get a couple, or find out the dimensions.

How many do you need?

trican

mrmac wrote: »

There are 3 screws in the baseplate of an FE, right?
They are part number 804A.

Leave it with me for a wee while and I'll see if I can either get a couple, or find out the dimensions.

How many do you need?

Wow - thanks ever so much! any help would be massively appreciated! I'm missing all three screws from the base plate

CabanSail

When I needed my watch repaired recently I went to Fast Fix in Tallaght, who had the screws that were missing. They did say that if they did not have them in stock they would make some, at a cost. I think they were going to charge about €30 if they had to make them.

mrmac

Trican - I haven't given up on you, just won't have the info until tomorrow. I'll let you know then.

trican

Thats absolutely fine! I really appreciate the effort. Thanks

trican

mrmac wrote: »

Trican - I haven't given up on you, just won't have the info until tomorrow. I'll let you know then.

Dont want to be a pain mrmac - but you didn't happen to come across this info did you?

mrmac

trican - success! I think!?

It's the counter-sunk screws, right? That's the ones that have a tapered type head?
If that sounds right, I have three of those for you!
Just PM me with a postal address, and I'll get them out to you.

trican

Fantastic! pm sent