Screws are a pain to make, and sometimes impossible to order correctly. When one is missing, sometimes the best solution is the scrap screw bin.

Searching for the right screw is a daunting proposition nonetheless. The screws are almost entirely unsorted, and it's going to take careful eyeballing to find the right one.

My Vostok 2809 is missing dial screws, which need to be replaced. The USSR probably used metric screws, but who really knows? Time to dive in.

The first step is to find screws that have the right thread diameter. Since I can't see the internal thread pitch, I just have to fit differently-pitched screws until I find one that screws in properly.

I was extremely lucky to find these within less than 20 minutes of searching. They have the right diameter, pitch and length to hold the dial in place.

Not only that, but the heads fit perfectly into the recesses. Truly a lucky break, but I'll take it!