Inspection finds minuscule attachment to fastener, reportedly (8)
I believe the answer is:
scrutiny
'inspection' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'minuscule attachment to fastener reportedly' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'minuscule' could be 'tiny' (I've seen this before) and 'tiny' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
'finds' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for scrutiny that I've seen before include "From close inspection" , "Intense study" , "Detailed perusal" , "City runs (anag.)" , "Careful inspection" .)