Boss Pedal Thumb Screw -- specifications?

Grunfeld

I need to replace the thumb screw on my DD-7.
I don't want another thumb screw; I want a different one that exactly fits that hole.
I want a screw with the flattest head possible that I can simply screw into the pedal using a screwdriver and have it as flush to the pedal as possible and thereby save a few mm on the overall length of the pedal. 

The diameter seems to be about 3mm and the length about 8mm but I haven't a clue about the thread specification and there are thousands of wrong screws I could buy.  A google has revealed nothing useful but screw terminology isn't my thing so...
Anyone know exactly what screw I need to order? 

TimmyO

I'd go to to one of those olde faffioned harware shops with the pedal and try one of everything.

octatonic

I can't do it now but later on today/this evening I can put a micrometer on one of the thumbscrews and tell you the exact diameter.
I imagine ICBM has this memorised though and will be along shortly to give you an answer. 
If not then I'll do it tonight.

Grunfeld

TimmyO said:

I'd go to to one of those olde faffioned harware shops with the pedal and try one of everything.

I'd really love to... if I had a way of returning to the 20th century when such shops existed.  They would be brilliant for this.
My high street is composed only of chicken shops, bookies, charity shops, and countless f*king barber shops. 
To be fair I can go into a local Homebase and eyeball what I want but I won't be able to try any cos the screws will be in sealed packets and I don't fancy paying through the nose for 6 screws of the wrong size. 

Alnico

M3 - 0.5 x 10mm

Metric 3mm / 0.5mm thread pitch / 10mm long

Alnico

Find an engineers supplies that has a trade counter.
They should sell them singly or in whatever amount you need and often in various metals and with a range of fastener heads.

Grunfeld

@Alnico  ; Thank you.

Oh the joys of having an aluminium flight case!   Where even a couple of mm overhang of pedals on the board means it won't fit.  You can want it to fit, you can look despondently at it.  But if it's too big, even by a smidgeon it won't fit.

steamabacus

I did exactly this with the NS-2 on my board. I found a small screw in my spares box which fitted but have no idea what the thread size was - so I'm not a lot of use really, am I?

The moral being - never throw away old screws! (You could do better than my random storage in boxes of 'big' ones and 'small' ones. though)

Sassafras

Grunfeld said:

TimmyO said:

I'd go to to one of those olde faffioned harware shops with the pedal and try one of everything.

I'd really love to... if I had a way of returning to the 20th century when such shops existed.  They would be brilliant for this.
My high street is composed only of chicken shops, bookies, charity shops, and countless f*king barber shops. 
To be fair I can go into a local Homebase and eyeball what I want but I won't be able to try any cos the screws will be in sealed packets and I don't fancy paying through the nose for 6 screws of the wrong size. 

What, no estate agents?
Sounds heavenly.

TimmyO

Grunfeld said:

TimmyO said:

I'd go to to one of those olde faffioned harware shops with the pedal and try one of everything.

I'd really love to... if I had a way of returning to the 20th century when such shops existed.  They would be brilliant for this.
My high street is composed only of chicken shops, bookies, charity shops, and countless f*king barber shops. 
To be fair I can go into a local Homebase and eyeball what I want but I won't be able to try any cos the screws will be in sealed packets and I don't fancy paying through the nose for 6 screws of the wrong size. 

There's one 2 streets from me (he gloats), so they are still out there.

Alnico

Haha, yes i remember that.

Good luck with that.

Check to see if the hole it screws into is countersunk, i personally don't think it is but i don't have one here to check.
If it's not you may encounter problems with your new screw head being just as deep as the thumbscrew.

Grunfeld

Alnico said:

Find an engineers supplies that has a trade counter.
They should sell them singly or in whatever amount you need and often in various metals and with a range of fastener heads.

There used to be one but it's long closed.  Great place.  Staffed by a few blokes wearing long brown coats with micrometers and pens in the breast pocket and you could go in there and ask for a gribbling pin (with no underhanging flange) such as used to be found on 1947 era thribbling valves... and they'd look round the back and come back with a box priced at three shillings and sixpence. 

Chicken and barber shops as far as the eye can see.

EDIT

Alnico said:

Check to see if the hole it screws into is countersunk, i personally don't think it is but i don't have one here to check.
If it's not you may encounter problems with your new screw head being just as deep as the thumbscrew.

Good point.  They are not countersunk.  I shall get a countersinking thing and drill it.  This bugger is going to fit damnit!

steamabacus

Seeing as the screw merely acts as a stop against the casing, any screw that's narrow enough and long enough would do the job held in place with a dab of glue or a piece of tape.

Grunfeld

@steamabacus ; Except it's the thread specification -- that's got to be matching correctly hasn't it?  The Boss screw "looks quite little" when it comes to the thread pitch and I just fancied knowing what that spec is. 

steamabacus

It doesn't actually need to screw in. It will still work as a stop if it was just a nail. The thread just stops it falling out when used,

ICBM

octatonic said:

I imagine ICBM has this memorised though and will be along shortly to give you an answer. 

No, but at a guess it's M3. I could check but Alnico thinks that's what it is too .

If you want to really minimise the length, get a countersunk screw and recess it into the front of the pedal, you won't need to open out the hole much. I think it should be thick enough to allow that without weakening it too much.

steamabacus

Here's mine. Tiny little screw really.

Grunfeld

steamabacus said:

It doesn't actually need to screw in. It will still work as a stop if it was just a nail. The thread just stops it falling out when used,

Er, yeah!  I don't want it to fall out when I'm using it!  I'm clearly missing something here.  I want it secure so that when I stomp on it several dozen times a night the pedal bit won't spring up cos the nail has fallen out.
EDIT -- that screw on your NS-2 would probably do it.  You're right, the moral of the story is don't throw away stuff like that!

steamabacus

That's why I said a dab of glue or some tape.

Grunfeld

steamabacus said:

That's why I said a dab of glue or some tape.

Nah, that ain't gonna work!  Too much stomping!  Needs a screw!

Alnico

M3 - 0.5mm x 15mm grubscrew with a slot head

It won't tighten without a head but it will sit there all night at whatever position you leave it at. Don't forget there is upwards spring tension trying to force the pedal stomp bit upwards so it will not allow the grub screw to turn.

Done.