Well, Larry, it's me again. Here's what I do when I need to match
old screws. First, I go through my boxes of old screws to see if
I can find a match. If they are old manufactured screws, that
sometimes works.
Second, I go to the store and buy some new screws of the correct size.
I try to get some with the same number of threads per inch.
Then I put the screw in the lathe and remove the plating using a fine
needle file and 400/600 wet-and-dry paper. Then I polish the head, if
necessary, on a buffing wheel. If necessary, I can clean them off with
lacquer thinner and dip them into chemical bluing. You can get this
from the gun department of K-Mart or from a gun store. Wash off the
excess and buff with a soft cloth and you have a nice blue screw.
Have fun.
Craig Smith
Rochester, New York, USA
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