# LGB screws?



## acmartina (Jan 6, 2008)

Sorry I don't have a good picture but all LGB rolling stock are held together with these nice, coarse threaded, black screws. They are great for all kinds of plastic application. A few years ago (before the bankruptcy) I bought a pack of spare screws but have used most of them. There must be a name for them and they must have other applications. I have browsed around various hardware websites but have had no luck identifying them.

I pulled a couple out of a LGB loco this afternoon. They are about 3mm diameter (including thread) and are 8-12 mm long with pan heads. The threads are coarse like drywall screws but there is no taper to a point like a wood screw.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Steve H.
Cypress, TX 
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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Steve, 

Do a Google search for LGB screws I found multiple sources for the original spare parts bag of LGB screws. 

Michael


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## acmartina (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks Michael. Here is the type of screw I am looking for -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PIKO-LGB-G-SCALE-SPARE-PARTS-SCREWS-36090-/320730969030?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item4aad0e33c6#ht_510wt_888

If you enlarge the picture you can see the coarse thread and flat tip. They are a little pricey at about $1 per screw! 
Surely these are not unique to LGB / Piko. They must have a name, and other uses? I can't help but think someone like Microfasteners would have them but I don't know what I am searching for!

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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve... You might check with Axel at Train-li USA


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

MICROFASTENERS[/b] has coarse thread self-tapping screws made for plastic.
Russ


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## gtrainman (Jan 5, 2008)

The old part number for the bag of screw was 1000/2 and the newer number is 69002.
Occasionally, I see them on Ebay.


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## acmartina (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks for the help! I knew there had to be an easy answer but I was stumped for the right search words. Working from the Microfasteners link (thanks Russ!), the key words seem to be "thread cutting" and "trilobular". In a few short minutes with Google, I have learned more than I want to know. Who knew there was so much science around screws for plastics! Apparently the "trilobe" screws do not actually have round shafts but rather something like a rounded triangle that apparently works very well with many types of plastics. Lots of applications. Some sample links

Detailed paper by DuPont on selecting screws for plastics (thread forming vs thread-cutting, what kinds of plastics for which, etc!) - http://www2.dupont.com/Plastics/en_US/assets/downloads/design/DCI283.pdf

This one has some interesting background from a supplier
http://www.taptite.net/taptite/plastite.asp

And more ...
http://www.efc-intl.com/encyclopedia/efc-military-and-aerospace-1/specialty-threaded-for-military-and-aerospace/bolts-for-plastics-plastite-48-trilobular-thread-forming.htm
 http://www.spstech.com/epg/htm/afg-tapt-prod.html

I haven't seen a wide selection of metric sizes for direct replacement for LGB screws, but I was thinking more about things like body-mount couplers, re-inforcing plastic building corners, etc. where Imperial sizes are fine. Prices look like $0.04-0.05 a piece rather than $1.00 a piece for the Piko screws (after shipping)!!

Thanks,
Steve 
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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

the Micro Fasteners place was great .... 

easy to do an order fast shipping full fill ......

and other then not being black a much better deal then the lgb screws ... 
I had picked up a few at surplus stores but could not find the little ones ... now that is no longer a problem 

thanks all for posting


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry I'm a bit late seeing this thread, but replacement LGB screws are available from Champex Linden: 

http://www.champex-linden.de/cl_pr_lgb_ersatzteile_8.htm 

Keith


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## 556789 (Apr 25, 2008)

Hello: I'm one of the older members who is just now returning to my garden railway. I've discovered that two of my LGB switch decoders (LGB 55024) each have one set screw - which holds the wire to the track - which has been badly corroded, thus had to be drilled and extracted using a fine easy-out. My problem is: attempting to identify the size and subsequent source for these set screws. Has anyone a suggestion as to how I can find out what size of metric set-screw this is and/or a LGB source for two of them? Any suggestions or direction will be most appreciated.


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## JPCaputo (Jul 26, 2009)

McMaster Carr and Fastenall have screws in almost any size, type and material including stainless.

If you pull up a screw size chart, it will have details to measure major dia ( outside of thread ) minor dia ( within thread solid part ) and thread pitch ( 1/ peak to peak distance on the threads to get threads per inch )


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## 556789 (Apr 25, 2008)

Hello:
Many thanks for this lead and for the information pertaining to measuring the screw itself. I assume that all of the LGB screws are metric, which is why I'm having such a difficult time getting accurate measurements.
556789


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The LGB bags of screws had some of the special engine axle screws the ones with the hex heads.
Trainli.com does have these bags of screws.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I'd buy the originals... while many screws look the same, who has not experienced a stripped hole in a loco shell?

Aristo and USAT "body mounting" screws look similar, but use one in the other and it common to strip the hole... small differences in thread pitch and diameter in cheap plastic not designed to be reassembled multiple times.

Greg


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

When I lost some of my LGB rolling stock and Loco screws, I just took them to my local ACE Hardware store, they seem to have any type screw you could want there. 

They were able to match up the LGB plastic assembly body screws perfectly, but it's been a little while since I've bought any and I've lost the box they came in, but at the time, about a year or so ago, I think a box of 100 cost me around $6-$7. 

Way cheaper than LGB direct replacement screws.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

What are these replacement screws made of that are non magnetic, very hard to get started in some places.


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

Treeman said:


> What are these replacement screws made of that are non magnetic, very hard to get started in some places.


I replace those in rail cars and loco's with metal ones that are magnetic seeing my trains are brought inside after running.

But if you're referring to the non-magnetic track screws{rail car/loco screws}, those are usually made from aluminum{there are older ones that are "magnetic" and made of metal, however, if used {and railcar/loco's left}outdoors, they will rust away and have to be replaced with the aluminum ones!}. 

Now to get those "non-magnetic" aluminum track screws started, the trick is to buy a can of beeswax, dip the head of the screw, as well as the driver tip in the wax, then press the screw onto the tip of the driver, the beeswax will hold the screw in place and make it much easier to get those pesky little hard to hold screws in place and get them started and into the track {or railcar/loco}.

Been using this method for years, learned this trick eons ago when I worked assembling critical components in rockets, missiles and other electronics where a metal or "magnetized" screw could cause issues.


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