When I got my Sterns I observed that Stern used these sexy flat top screws for attaching plastics to the wooden side rails. Trouble was that half of them were missing and I had to find some other screw for a replacement.
This is the flat top screw I had attaching my plastics. But I have found nowhere to buy these. But I worked up a solution for making my own.
This is an original Stern screw. You can see the flat top and beveled sides.
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I got some #8 stainless steel screws. Then I loaded them up in a drill and hit the top and the sides on a belt sander, followed by polishing them on the buffing wheel. It does not take long to convert a screw head. Now I can have all the flat top screws I want for my plastics.
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It is a minor detail, but it is something I have been wanting to figure out.
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The screw on the left is a Stern original. The next one is a standard #8 stainless screw. The one in the middle has just had its head sanded flat. And the next one has just had its sides sanded flat. The one on the right is completed and polished and looks like a Stern original.
If you have the tools, they are easy to make.