#7 screw?

It seems to me that a lot of fixtures come with screws just as you describe, like a sloppy 8\32. Why not cut the ones you have

You could use a Klein triple tap tool to cut 8/32 threads into the holes and use any length 8/32 screws you want. The tool isn't that expensive and you would find it to be one of the most useful tools in your collection. Besides most wire strippers have threaded holes in them for cutting standard screws without deforming the threads.

Its big box #8/32. The easiest thing to do is run a tap in the hole and make it a standard #8/32 thread.

As someone else said, cut the ones you've got to length.

There's a set of threaded holes in the pair of wire strippers for precisely that purpose...

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I have a Klein 627-20, it's a six in one tap tool. Bought that probably

Are you sure it's not m4 x .7? An 8-32 would be a little too big for the hole, and the threads would be a little too coarse.

I've been carrying the same six in one Klein in my tool bag for at least 25 years. I may have replaced one broken tap in that time. On of my new (in the last decade) favorites is a set of drill point taps from Greenlee.

As others have suggested you can upsize the screw to 8X32 or take the screw into the hardware store and ask to use there pitch gauge. These are little metal plates that have vee notches in them that you can measure the thread pitch.

In standard threads the pitch is measured in the number of threads per inch. In metric threads the pitch is measured by the distance from thread to thread in millimeters.

Once you have that measurement you then measure the major diameter and figure out the size of the screw.

Another option to consider is just to get some self tapping 8X32 screws and let them cut their own threads.

LOL, Chinese 8/32, yes exactly what it is.

"RBM" wrote in news:4b7b64ba$0$22508$ snipped-for-privacy@cv.net:

Put a nut on it before you cut it. Debur the cut edge on an angle. Remove the nut to clean up thread.

Chris-

As many have suggested ...cut the screws with the threaded hole "screw cutters) that are present on most good pair of wire strippers.

Also as many have suggested..... "chinese 8-32"

A proper 8-32 is about .163" to .157" od

a 4mm screw is about .157" to .151" od but the standard thread pitch (mod) is .7mm per thread which is about 36.3 tpi

so I'm guessing that the Chinese mfr just uses the 4mm cold headed blank and tweaks the threading machine to do 32 tpi instead of 36.3.

The result is "close enough"........ a screw that threads into a standard 8-32 hole but is rather sloppy being about .005" to .010" undersized. :(

cheers Bob