I usually point my customers to McMaster-Carr for various hardware bits, but recently learned that they don't ship to individuals. Grr! Time to register Vandelay Industries, anyone? 🙂
Does any of you have a suggestion for a vendor, preferably in North America, who will sell metric machine screws, standoffs, nuts, etc. to individuals?
In WA, I'd point people to Tacoma Screw. Locally, I'd go to Bolt Supply. It would be nice with a "Digi-Key of hardware", though.
Tom
Does any of you have a suggestion for a vendor, preferably in North America, who will sell metric machine screws, standoffs, nuts, etc. to individuals?
In WA, I'd point people to Tacoma Screw. Locally, I'd go to Bolt Supply. It would be nice with a "Digi-Key of hardware", though.
Tom
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Many local hardware stores, Home Depot, etc. also have metric fasteners.
Metric & Multistandard Components
Product Catalog - Bolt Depot
Metric Fasteners | Metric Hardware Products | Metric Bolts | Value Fasteners
METRIC Products - Fastener Mart
Metric & Multistandard Components
Product Catalog - Bolt Depot
Metric Fasteners | Metric Hardware Products | Metric Bolts | Value Fasteners
METRIC Products - Fastener Mart
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Are you sure about McMaster-Carr? I've placed small private orders with them in the past.
There's no minimum order, and the shipping is charged at cost, there's no flat rate.
There's no minimum order, and the shipping is charged at cost, there's no flat rate.
Or Amazon. They purchased a company called Small Parts. Sadly, Amazon's search tools are hit-and-miss, but the stuff is buried there somewhere.
Spaenaur has a pretty good selection of metric hardware. Lawson Products is good too, but you need an account to deal with them.
I was going to recommend https://www.boltdepot.com/ but the caveat is that unfortunately they do not ship outside the U.S. For Canadians with a U.S. post office box this isn't a problem, but this isn't going to be helpful for anyone else.
That’s why I still specify imperial hardware sizes in my kits, that way my Mouser BOM’ s have it included.
I went to the local home hardware, no 4-40 hardware 🙂 went to Brofasco, they ask way too much.
I went to the local home hardware, no 4-40 hardware 🙂 went to Brofasco, they ask way too much.
U.S. fasteners and measures are not imperial, not sure why people use that description. 🙂 U.S. standard threads are different from the old British imperial threads. Imperial is applied to British units of measure not American. (My mom is British so realize I am only trying to set the record straight.)
United States customary units - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I have found to my chagrin that old British hardware and American hardware really, really do not interchange. There was some attempt in the UK during WWII to standardize on the American thread standards, but that ended with the adoption of metric fasteners in the late 1960s.
United States customary units - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I have found to my chagrin that old British hardware and American hardware really, really do not interchange. There was some attempt in the UK during WWII to standardize on the American thread standards, but that ended with the adoption of metric fasteners in the late 1960s.
I was taught, an inch is imperial and a cm is metric, real easy to grasp. The US did not invent their own measurement system they decided to hang onto the stupid British system, even though they had a war against them. The Brits clued in finally and abolished their stupid Imperial system. When will the US finally clue in that it is a stupid system?
Funny thing is I still design my pcbs in mil, my brain is still wired in imperial but I measure everything in mm, kinda weird but it is easy to change back and forth in cad.
Back to the program, I know of a small outfit in western Canada that sells hardware in small quantity. I have it saved somewhere in my bookmarks.
Funny thing is I still design my pcbs in mil, my brain is still wired in imperial but I measure everything in mm, kinda weird but it is easy to change back and forth in cad.
Back to the program, I know of a small outfit in western Canada that sells hardware in small quantity. I have it saved somewhere in my bookmarks.
The U.S. government made the decision to retain the old imperial system of measures right after the revolutionary war - many of the units have diverged from former U.K. practice over that time. (And obviously some have not) Most industry here in the U.S. is metric now, and while I use °F for weather I would be lost in electronics where I use °C for all temperature measurements.
I don't use much metric hardware because there isn't a need to do so here. Oddly enough I use more 4-40 fasteners than anything else.
I think it is exceedingly unlike that the U.S. will fully convert to metric in my life time.
I don't use much metric hardware because there isn't a need to do so here. Oddly enough I use more 4-40 fasteners than anything else.
I think it is exceedingly unlike that the U.S. will fully convert to metric in my life time.
I checked with them this morning after my customer asked about it, and that's what they told me.
Good luck finding Murican hardware outside of North America, though. I ship my wares world-wide. I don't mind using SAE sizes if Mouser carries the hardware. In this case, however, I needed flat head, black oxide screws. Mouser has nothing. It's for a chassis with threaded holes, so the size does matter.
I appreciate the suggestions so far, though.
Tom
Ace Hardware stores have excellent 3mm and similar sized ANSI hardware products. Also, Amazon carries good nylon 3mm hardware kits that I use in all of my projects.
Cheers,
Greg
Cheers,
Greg
I use ab UK based company for all my bolts and nuts the are really really good.
Bolt Base | eBay Shops
Bolt Base | eBay Shops
Wire and hardware are a bit of a PITA for kit constructors unless everything is included. They are small quantities and shipping inflates the cost.
Even little things like teflon tubing, used for power resistor lead spacers, I include with pcb's I sell.
I did stock up with a bunch of lengths of black oxide flat head philips M3's last year, for kits, because I know these are issues of sourcing and are required to make a complete kit. Bought from eBay.
CANADA BOLTS ONLINE SUPPLIER OF SCREWS, NUTS, BOLTS & WASHERS
I was wrong they are in Saint-Basile-le-Grand, QC
Someone pointed me to Apex for teflon wire
Apex Jr.Home Page
Even little things like teflon tubing, used for power resistor lead spacers, I include with pcb's I sell.
I did stock up with a bunch of lengths of black oxide flat head philips M3's last year, for kits, because I know these are issues of sourcing and are required to make a complete kit. Bought from eBay.
CANADA BOLTS ONLINE SUPPLIER OF SCREWS, NUTS, BOLTS & WASHERS
I was wrong they are in Saint-Basile-le-Grand, QC
Someone pointed me to Apex for teflon wire
Apex Jr.Home Page
Good for you. I don't sell kits, however. And I don't want to either. I would rather leave the process of stuffing itty-bitty parts into itty-bitty bags to someone else. 🙂
I'm providing the CAD drawings for a chassis that'll house the Modulus-686 amplifier. I'm providing the drawings free of charge. To mount everything in the chassis, a few bits of hardware are needed.
While I lived in the US, I'd buy wire at Remington. They'll happily wind you a spool of any length for a very reasonable price.
Tom
I use Monster Bolts for fasteners. Pretty good selection of SAE and Metric stuff.
Monster Bolts Fasteners - Quality Screws, Nuts and Bolts
Monster Bolts Fasteners - Quality Screws, Nuts and Bolts