Okay I bit the bullet and got some of the MT four wheel passenger trucks with the adjustable coupler. The one with the really, really tiny screws that holds the coupler to the truck. I have managed to lose two of the screws and so I am now screwed myself because MT only puts one screw per truck in the package. So I go to MT's web site to order more. Can't find them listed. Next choice is to call them this afternoon (East coast/West coast thing). Having said that here is my question. How does one put in the screw without launching it into a parallel universe? Please note I do not want to body mount the couplers.
Are those smaller than an 00-90? I have not assembled those in a long time, so cannot recall. But even back then, when I had steady hands, they were a bit of a chore for me.
hey are smaller than the mounting screws used for body mounting their couplers. Maybe smaller than a Z scale screw. I try to hold them in place with a needle nose set of tweezers while with the other hand I try to slowly get the screw started.
They are 00-90 screws. I tend to tap the coupler, and then hold the two parts together so the hole is at the end of the slot. Then lay the screw in the slot and use the screwdriver to bring it up to vertical to start the screw into the thread. It usually takes a couple of tries. Adrian
I put a booger....er I mean a tiny dab of Walther's Goo or contact cement on the tip of a small flat blade screw driver. Then stick that into the slot in the tiny screw to install it.
+1 for this assembly procedure - specifically, using the screw to tap the mounting hole(s) in the coupler, first, before attempting to install it onto the truck.
Fine if you have a set of taps. I seldom, if ever, encounter airborne screws when just tapping the coupler with the screw. It's when trying to accomplish that operation simultaneously with the attachment of the coupler to the truck that things seem to go awry.
I magnetized my jeweler's screwdriver and used an exacto knife to widen the top of the hole so the screw sits properly and then screw it in. Worked fine for me.
"If you need more screws contact me...." You should be careful with that Joe. I bet I have about 3 pounds of MT springs in the carpets, drapery, drains and several on top of the kitchen cabinets. Most of the screws I lost were the ones from ALM core kit trucks, so I guess they are on the hook for those. Seriously, though, I do more delicate modeling in a cardboard box turned on its side - gives me a 75% chance of catching the flying bits. Thin foam in the box or on the workbench can also help- the little bits don't bounce as much as when they hit a smooth solid surface.
Micro Trains sells, or used to, an 00.90 drill and tap set #1059. The price tag on my envelope is $5.55 for the set, of course I have had it several years. One of the best investments I made in the hobby. Carl
Some hobby shops will have a display of screws, such as "Hob-Bits". Those usually have taps, and I believe also drill bits?