Interesting replies, thanks everyone.

Thread-lock:
Locktite. So, THAT"S what that stuff is. I might just have some.

Washers:
First, what's the deal with the "conductive path"? I thought the screw holes were somehow isolated from the PCB or other electrically sensitive components on the drive.

And the washers that I've used for motherboards are SO thin and, generally, feel like felt. I wouldn't trust a drive with them. I don't have a ruler, but the metal washers I'm considering are pretty thick: over half the thickness of a dime and barely bigger than the head of the screw. Seems like a good size to me, but maybe not enough to raise the drive about the electrical tape?

Torque:
Hmm, the only screws I have which have near-flat heads are kind of long. I thought that length would help go through the sled, washers, and into the drive. But, I might have to turn them pretty tight to get it to work. So, you're saying this is bad? Like, it might throw off the geometry of the spindle in the hdd? Woah.

Ok, I'm just going to open my damn thing up (carefully) and see what kind of components are inside. Rob, I might just need those screws and washers from you. Thanks.