My US Duo, since it was pre-modded, didn't came with its original screws. The previous owner used some generic 3mm and 4mm self tapping screws for plastic with Philipps drive, similar to those mickris posted. Some of them weren't the correct length and size.
I eventually replaced them with Japanese JIS drive 3mm and 4mm self tapping screws. I had those left over from my Tamiya R/C car spares. They fit perfectly.
What I would not use:
- Wood screws. With their extra wide thread and the pointed end, they aren't suited well for plastics.
- Machine screws ("M" screws). Their threads are to narrow, which results in an overly tight fit, thus cracking plastics over time. They should only be used when screwing into metal threads. IF you want to screw them into plastic (e.g. when you encounter stripped threads), pre-tap the plastics using a manual tap. This works better on reinforced strong plastic (e.g. glass fiber reinforced), but not well on regular plastics (e.g. ABS, Polycarbonate, Polystyrene, etc.).
- Self tapping screws for metal sheets, due to their pointy ends.
What I would use:
- Philipps drive self tapping screws for plastic (those that Mickris posted)
- JIS drive self tapping screws for plastic
- Any other kind of drive self tappers for plastic
Some sellers falsely advertise their 3mm self tappers as "M3" screws, while the "M" designation should only be used for ISO metric machine screws exclusively. Please see also this for more information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_metric_screw_threadPro-tip: To avoid cross-threading a screw into existing plastic threads, and to avoid stripping threads:
1. Insert the screw.
2. Turn the screw counter-clockwise, until the end of the screw falls into the existing thread. You can feel this and/or hear a clicking sound.
3. Turn the screw clockwise until the head is snug with the plastic surface.
4. Stop immediately as soon as you feel resistance! There's no need to overtorque the screw.
Topic: PC-E Duo 'screw' spec list (Read 554 times)
