Bow Screws... Sizes and Where to buy

[wildernessmaster]

So I am putting some parts on a bow and missing some screws.

Rest - I know its 5/16-24 size, but what length?
Sight Size - 10-24 but what length?

I have seen some 5/16-24 bolts labeled as "fine" I thought the "24" part was the thread density? Am I mistaken?

What's the preferred or better type... Stainless, black anodized...?

Is there a uniform head type. It seems like looking at my bows it varies a lot.

Where can you find these? Amazon looks like a bizarre trying to find them, plus I am guessing a lot are Chinese pot metal. I don't see any on Lancaster...

 

[Billy Goat]

You can normally find what you need at something like an Ace hardware. Look in the specialty fastener bins. Some sights require a taper head, others a flat. Screw length varies depending on thickness of what is being attached. Different sights and rests have different thickness for the fasttners to go through. I'd figure on 1/2" into the bow, plus thickness of whatever you are attaching.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I don't have my bow currently at hand to check actual bolt lengths, but you should be able to get close enough by measuring the depth of the threaded hole in the riser and adding the thickness of the component you're attaching. Then maybe subtract 1/4" off your calculated bolt length to ensure that you don't bottom out before getting tight.

For most diameters in the Unified Thread Series, there's a "coarse" (lower threads per inch) and "fine" (higher TPI) thread form (some diameters also have an "extra fine" thread form). A fine-threaded 5/16 bolt has 24 TPI (coarse-threaded 5/16 has 18). A "5/16-24" bolt is the same thing as a "5/16 fine" bolt (or "5/16 UNF" as it's sometimes abbreviated).

Most bow fasteners I've seen are carbon steel with a black oxide surface finish, which are somewhat corrosion resistant but often eventually develop some rust. Stainless would also work fine and offer better corrosion resistance.

All the rest mounting bolts I've seen have a rounded head (sometimes called button head) with a hexagonal drive socket. Head style on sight mounting bolts is more variable; I've seen them with socket heads, rounded heads, and flat heads.

I've sometimes found these kinds of bolts in store at Lowe's and Home Depot in the "specialty fasteners" drawers. Selection is often limited though. More specialized retailers like Fastenal, McMaster-Carr, or Bolt Depot would certainly have them.

 

[WCB]

Contact the rest company and get some from them?

 

[wildernessmaster]

Looks like 10-24 for sight bolts isn't correct. The 10-24s I just bought are a finer thread density than the ones in it. Mission bow, so I am guessing it should be standard.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Looks like 10-24 for sight bolts isn't correct. The 10-24s I just bought are a finer thread density than the ones in it. Mission bow, so I am guessing it should be standard.

That's strange. I'm pretty sure the sight mounting holes on all the bows I've owned were threaded 10-24. Just FYI, #10 fasteners are commonly available with 24 and 32 threads per inch. You might double check that what you bought is indeed 10-24, not 10-32.

 

[wildernessmaster]

That's strange. I'm pretty sure the sight mounting holes on all the bows I've owned were threaded 10-24. Just FYI, #10 fasteners are commonly available with 24 and 32 threads per inch. You might double check that what you bought is indeed 10-24, not 10-32.

I think the bin was mixed. It is 10-24. I think someone had slipped 10-32's in it. Only place I could find them looked like a hurricane came through it.

 

[Supranatural]

Bolt Depot (Google it) has a great selection of nuts and bolts of almost any configuration you can think of in any quantity you want. I buy a ton from them for my son's race karts and my dirt bikes to have on hand.

 

[Arctic Hunter]

Go to Lowe’s or ace and check what you have on the thread checker thing they have back by the threaded fasteners. Material and length doesn’t matter much as long as they are long enough to hold.

Go to a local hardware store and ask them if you can bring the bow inside. Sight bolts are standard 10-24.

I have called a couple of companies (TruBall and Carter) and asked them if I could buy some specialty screws and e clip type hardware I needed for their stuff. Both times they just sent me some for free. Earned my business for sure.

 

[Fatcamp]

Ace Hardware rarely lets me down. They have a fantastic selection of hardware.

 

[wildernessmaster]

Ace Hardware rarely lets me down. They have a fantastic selection of hardware.

Bow mine let me down!!

 

[wildernessmaster]

Bolt Depot (Google it) has a great selection of nuts and bolts of almost any configuration you can think of in any quantity you want. I buy a ton from them for my son's race karts and my dirt bikes to have on hand.

Found this company... Winner winner chicken dinner. But thanks if I had not I am glad you put it in here.

 

[Supranatural]

Glad it was helpful! You gotta pay shipping but the price per bolt is 1/4 to 1/3 of what you would pay in Lowes/HomeDepot/Ace and since I'm in NJ I get it 1-2 days.

 

[wapitibob]

lengths aren't standard, thread sizes are

http://www.outlab.it/doc/amostd.pdf