Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Correct screw size for CRU cartridge?

This is topic Correct screw size for CRU cartridge? in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-27-2016, 11:52 AM:

Can anyone tell me the correct screw size for the two screws in the side of a CRU cartridge (i.e. the ones that hold the lid on)? The ones that secure the drive to the chassis are regular 5.25" drive screws (6/32 x 1/4" machine screws), but the ones in the side are significantly thinner. I bought a couple of used cartridges on Ebay, one of which only has a 40GB drive in it and one of the side screws has a totally stripped head.

I've drilled the head out, got lid off and undone the stump of the screw with pliers, but I don't have any spare screws of the correct size to replace it. I took one to Home Depot, but they don't have anything even close to small enough.

Many thanks in advance.

Posted by Paul H. Rayton (Member # 1817) on 10-27-2016, 12:44 PM:

Those are "4/40" bolts. I.e., #4 wire diameter and at 40 threads per inch. Typically available in hardware stores, but since they're so small they often displayed separately from bigger nuts and bolts, and typically packed in sets of more than you'll probably need...

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-27-2016, 12:56 PM:

Many thanks Paul on their way. I don't mind keeping a stash of them to hand, because we often receive CRU drives with missing, loose and/or head-worn side screws. While we shouldn't have to repair Deluxe's drives for them, I'd rather do that than have a screw catch the side of our CRU bay and damage it, or even worse, refuse to insert.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 10-27-2016, 03:48 PM:

Or, get your own

CRU DX115 Drive Carrier

and remove the HD from the defective carrier to your own.

-Monte

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 10-27-2016, 04:31 PM:

I've had to tighten those screws before but I don't recall ever having to change one. I keep a screwdriver beside my server for just that purpose, in fact.

I guess that if I really needed to change a screw I would just swipe one off of a CRU drive that I was finished with. Situation hasn't yet come up, though.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 10-29-2016, 08:09 AM:

There are usually loose ones in some of the boxes the hard drives come in......

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-29-2016, 01:02 PM:

Monte: transplanting a drive from a damaged CRU cartridge to your own to ingest and then back again takes around 20 minutes in total: replacing a missing screw (or tightening a loose one) takes two or three minutes at most. I have gone the transplant route on one or two occasions when the board in the back of the cartridge has gone bad (i.e. I insert a drive, the server can't see it, but I don't hear the click of death or see any drive activity lights), but if it's just a screw ... well, for six cents a screw, I'm not going to lose much sleep over that.

I guess this is the d-cinema equivalent or replacing a crushed core or a shipping reel with a broken flange on a print that arrives. You shouldn't have to do it (the distributor should have ensured that the print shipped to you in serviceable condition), but if you don't, the print and your equipment could suffer.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-30-2016, 05:41 PM:

The screws arrived yesterday and fit perfectly - thanks again, Paul.