Source for silver screws

[John Shortell]

I want to replace all the brass parts on my Hawken style rifle with silver. I have no problem making the parts out of silver, but I can't find a source for silver screws. Do you gun makers make your own screws or do you have a source you could share?

 

[necchi]

Can't say I've ever seen a source for "silver" screws, or even nickel plated.
Polished steel or even iron is a light color, not quit the same shade as silver but close :wink:

 

[Zonie]

If you want to use silver screws on your gun, that's fine but just for the record, the guns made during the years that the Hawken family was making guns would never have had a silver screw on it.

For that matter, they wouldn't have had a brass screw on them either. Such things simply were not done on a gun that was intended for use.

Iron screws were the name of the game in the 1800's and earlier.

Perhaps this explains why I have never seen a Silver screw offered by any parts supplier.

As for silver, in its pure form it is much too soft to make a screw that must be driven into a piece of wood.
Even Sterling Silver is almost too soft to be used without the possibility of stripping out the screw slot.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Unless silver is alloyed with other elements, its generally considered to be too soft to use to make screws- other than the very fine jeweler's screws seen in some fine watches. Even then, you are more likely to see that the screws are made out of some alloy that just looks like its "silver". German Silver, for instance, used in making many "Brass Instruments" has NO silver- not even silver plating-- on it or in it!

The shiney finish comes from coating steel screws with either zinc, or cadmium-- not silver.

 

[denster]

What Zonie said is correct. However if you just must have silver screws just get one of the inexpensive electroplating kits and plate steel screws or brass screws.

 

[sundog]

I'm with DennisA on this silver plating is the best way for you to go.
Silver itself is way to soft to use.
A silver plated screw on the otherhand will give you the look you want and the ruggedness you need.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Zonie and Paul are correct, silver is too soft, especially the head where the screwdriver is guaranteed to damage the slot in very short order. If you feel you must have silver furniture do what the old timers did and use blued steel screws, the contrast will be very attractive. You can easily blue the screw using a propane torch, don't bother with cold bluing.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I believe that Brownell's sells a plating kit you can use to plate parts, including screws, if you must. :thumbsup:

 

[Stophel]

I'd rather have nice blued steel screw heads on a silver patchbox, myself. :wink:

 

[John Shortell]

Thanks for all the responses. I had thought about the plating solution, but had never thought about blued screws. That sounds like it would look nice. Thanks.

 

[jerrywh]

Most screws on old guns and new ones also were case hardened. Silver would make a lousy screw. Very soo all the slots would be ruined and the threads stripped.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Me, too. But that is not what the poster wants.

 

[Zonie]

If you remove any plating or oxides that are on a steel screw and then gently heat it up to about 750 degrees F it will turn the most beautiful dark blue you have ever seen.
When it reaches this color drop it into a can of oil to lock in the color.

If you over heat it and it starts to become gray then cool it down, re sand and/or polish it and try again.