All About Pocket Knives

I'm working on a wooden mockup of a new folder design and have hit a snag. I am not a knife maker, but if I get the wood one to work, I can try to get a machinist friend to make a real prototype....To hold the finished wooden thing together (and hell, maybe the eventual finsihed design) I want to use screws and nuts, not pins. But I can't find anything small enough in dimensions I understand. The design, at least as far along as I am on this mockup, requires screws of about 3/64" diameter. I thought the 1-72x1/2" that I found in a local hardware store were smaller than 1/16 diam, but they are larger. The 0-80s they had were smaller but not long enough. When I've gone to miniature screw websites, they list 0-80s, 00-x, 000-x, etc., but none of them show a chart that translates the number of zeros into fractions or decimals of an inch? Knifemaker websites don't go smaller than 0-80 or longer than 1/4". I need smaller diameter of at least 1/2" long???!!! I'll need nuts and drill bits (several because I'll probably break at least a couple), too. The bit I got for the 1-72 screws, is a #49 wire gauge. A wire gauge chart I found shows the decimal/fraction of an inch getting larger as the wire number goes down; i.e., a 0 wire gauge drill bit is much larger than a 0-80 screw. Any sources for understanding these correlations would be much appreciated.
Thanx,
Barry

Hi Barry,

I'm not sure if this site has what you seek, but they have some explination of bolt sizes etc.

http://www.boltdepot.com/fastener%2Dinformation/

One place that you may want to check is a local archery shop if you have one. I used to work at one, and I had tiny fasteners out the wazoo. I'd like to see your knife when it's finished by the way.

Bryan

Thanx Bryan,
I bookmarked tha site for future reference. I recognized that site as one I had been to that didn't have the small sizes I need. I have since learned that I need a "00" size screw (that's 3/64" or .0469"). Someone sent me a site that has them, but they don't have any drill bits that will drill a hole that BIG. That's right I said, "that big." I found another site that sells a #54 wire bit (.055"), which should be just about right, but I need the business end of the bit to be at least 1/2" long. Their description tells me the business end diameter is #54 wire gauge, the shank is 1/8", and the overall length is 1.5", but they don't say how long the working part is!!! It's frustrating.

This copy is just a working (I hope) wooden mock-up. If it seems feasible to go to a prototype I will do that. Then if it's really what I think it will be, I'll go for a patent. Once I get that...then I'll post the pics here!!! Well, maybe I'll find a manufacturer before I post the pics. Don't want the Chinese to be first on the streets with my design!!!
Thanx, again, for the info,
Barry

Barry, Check with your local tool dealer that stops at repair shops or dealers such as Snap-On, Mac or Matco these guys can get what you are looking for tell them you want a set of carburator jet drills, hope this helps !

Hobby shops(Model-Plane, train etc.) are very good for that sort of small stuff. I have had screw and nuts as small as 000-90TPI in Brass ans stainless. Just check your local phone book.

Paul

Why not have your machinist friend make what you need.

Jeff