What's the smallest kind of screw a lab could get a hold of?

[iris@neuromatch.social]

What's the smallest kind of screw a lab could get a hold of? What other fasteners could I work with to secure something just over 1.5 mm thick? I'm inclined to use mostly joinery approaches to keep the machining straightforward, but there will have to be a final securing ... something.

This yellow bit has channels of liquid in it that need to stay put when the outer bit is put under high vacuum (TEM column). I was thinking of using a coating on the holder where the channel outlets will sit to ensure a good seal, but I'm not at all confident that'll survive vacuum. But it's too small to fit any kind of O-ring I can find commercially available. Suggestions?

Also, look, I'm way out of my depth here so if anybody wants to point me to a textbook or other learning material on engineering on this scale, I'm all ears. #CAD #machining

[gustavinobevilacqua@mastodon.cisti.org]

@iris

This is a question for @MelissaBearTrix : inside watches there are absurdly small screws.

[melissabeartrix@gives.hugz.online]

@GustavinoBevilacqua @iris

You should be able to get down to 0.8 mm screws off the shelf

I can get or make screws from 0.2 mm up

Hugz & xXx

[gustavinobevilacqua@mastodon.cisti.org]

@MelissaBearTrix @iris

Now I'm curious to see the wrench for the bolt of a 0.2 mm screw

[melissabeartrix@gives.hugz.online]

@GustavinoBevilacqua @iris

Not a bolt it's mostly for balance stud holder ... Down towards the bottom of the image circled in purple

Hugz & xXx

[iris@neuromatch.social]

I could fit 1 mm diam square-profile O-ring cord around the sample block if I count on compressing it in to half its width (other two dimensions unchanged) when sealed up properly. Does that seem reasonable? I worry about how little metal would be surrounding this, even if it's stainless steel.