Screws for body-mounting couplers?

I've decided to start body-mounting some couplers. I'll be cutting the coupler boxes off my Microtrains trucks and re-using them by screwing them to the cars' underbodies. That saves me money and time, I figure--but where to get the screws I need? I figure I need 3/6" x 00-90 screws.

Has anyone else here done this and found a source for their screws?

 

I used the MTL 00-90 screws left ofer from body mounted coupler then when I ran out I bought 00-90 screws MTL sells in packs. If using the coupler box cut off the trucks the hole needs to be drilled out so there's clearance for the screw.


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fast on will sell all you want look under faster in phone book they are like 2 cents each

 

try 00-90 0n internet found 100 for 15.00

 

I have to buy by the gross for my kits, found these guys, and if you're buying in that kind of volume it may help.

http://www.morris01550.com/

If anybody finds anybody else at a better price for 'stock' 00-90 screws, let me know. What gets you with these guys is shipping, so make sure you realize that. I'm ordering about four sizes at once, so that helps.

 

BTW the old M/T screws are roughly made and present an opportunity to slip and put a screwdriver into your hand. Me no like.

Apparently M/T now only sell 5/16" long ones; you may need or want a variety of lengths and I've always liked 3/16" for body mounting anyway; Walthers makes nice brass ones this size.

I suggest getting flat heads. Pan head screws can interfere with axles. Flat heads will clear even when you don't slightly countersink the hole in the couple box.

 

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Steamghost, you answered every question I had. I saw that MT sold 5/16ths and thought, what gives? Isn't that just for coupler conversions for engines? I wondered if the brass screws were any good. And I wondered about clearance with the round or pan heads and also about countersinking for flat. I am definitely on my way to buy some flat head brass screws--from JI Morris Co.. (Thanks Randy!)

 

I use Microfasteners to get my small hardware. I build scale R/C helis and I can use hundreds of 00-90 screws in a model.
http://www.microfasteners.com/search.php?mode=search&page=1

 

I'd strongly recommend NOT cutting the couplers off MTL trucks and screwing them on the cars. The cut off coupler pockets are very wide, and they will limit how sharp your layout curves can be because the wheels will hit the sides of the coupler boxes. I speak from experience.

What you should do IMHO is buy MTL #1023/1025 body mount couplers or #1027 body mount couplers, depending on which cars you're going to put them on. The 1027s work perfectly for MOST MTL cars, while the #1023/1025s work well on Intermountain, Atlas, MDC/Roundhouse, etc. cars.

Before I forget, the MTL 1023 couplers are factory assembled, while the 1025s are the same coupler in kit form.

MTL also makes a #1015 coupler, which will work as a body-mount coupler, but IMHO it's mainly for locomotives because its coupler box sides are shorter than the box so the coupler can swing properly on very sharp curves.. If you put #1015s on freight cars, that extra coupler swing looks HORRIBLE when backing up a cut of 1015-equipped cars... the couplers can wind up swinging to one side at a 90 degree angle. Not very prototypical.

Got questions...? Just ask.

 

That's who I used for 3/16" 00-90.

 

And going against the current completely, I mount the couplers with Walthers Goo. As long as I'm careful with the amount (i.e. not so much that it oozes into the coupler box), it works fine for me. This is an idea that was brought up years ago on the NScale YahooGroup (probably well before it was a YahooGroup, in fact).

Kiz has a point about cutting the couplers off the trucks, but in some cases I can get away with it. It tends to work fine with most of Micro-Trains' own cars. The minimum radius on my layout is 11 inches.

I also mount the boxes outboard of the body to simulate cushion underframes, invoking Rule #1 for this tactic.

 

Well, I sure wish I had waited to read these later replies before going out and spending all that money on brass screws and a jeweler's saw plus blades.

What I'm faced with now is 1) a cast-metal underframe (I had no idea MT was doing that) and 2) the thought that nothing is going to make it around my layout because of clearance issues.

I see that MT put little holes in just the right places for me, but how in the heck am I supposed to drill and tap them? They are METAL.

:angry:

 

this is a test this is only a test

 

Okay, well that was discouraging. I lost my whole post somehow when I clicked "Post." I'll try again.

Boxcab, my story has a happy ending. I had read that you could NOT use the MT tap on metal, but that was wrong. You just have to use oil, go slow, and clean off the chips as you go.

So I did a 40' MT boxcar and a 50' Atlas boxcar. They ran perfectly on my layout's tightest curve and through a series of turnouts. While the coupler boxes are clunky, they're not getting in the way of my wheels. I may be mounting them closer to the ends than others have. Whatever the case, that turned out not to be a problem at all.

So far I'm pleased. They seem less "jiggly," if that makes sense. They did well when I had an engine push them backwards through turnouts.

I was worried that being on the body, they would be too high. Not so. Now they are the perfect height according to my coupler height gage, and they don't sag, which was a problem with other truck-mounted couplers. All of which means they are far less likely to de-couple, which makes me happy!

So all is well that ends well. Thanks for the help...