The #1 thing that sucks about being an american is...

*drum roll*

Imperial measures.

I of course do all of my work in metric, being a scientist, buy all my parts (lenses, etc) with metric measurements, because they are of course from scientific supplies, but I go to try and pick up metric hardware (washers, bolts, etc) for my design at the local store, and the guy actually asks me "What is a milimeter?"

Does anyone know where one can find metric hardware on the internet for mail order? I know a lot of you are EU citizens, correct? Surely there must be some place?

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-Gandledorf

Come visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laser_design a group dedicated to help designers build electronic games, and design optical combat systems.

 

Here's a great start:
Go to www.thomasregister.com
then enter in keyword, probably "metric" or something like that.

Then the database will pop out tons of manufacturers. You'll be able to find links and such.

Other cheesy links:
www.acehardware.com.
They have some metric stuff.

www.grainger.com
but I think they just have metric eye bolts???

Good luck!

 

It took me years to get used to mental conversion from imperial to metric. I didn't mind that as it's for the better in the long run (don't mean to start a debate on imperial v metric here). However, having gone to metric after all these years, I'm still greatly baffled why our building industry in Australia still sticks to imperial measures on many hardware like nuts and bolts, screws and washers. Whenever I saw a piece of hardware in imperial measurement, my eyes just glazed over and my mind went blank while my mouth cursed and swore at the stupidity of it all.

Maybe the international space community needs to loose a few more expensive spacecrafts to wake up to this senseless fiasco.

 

I have used www.mcmaster.com, and scroll down to fastening and sealing devices. The only bad thing was you have to buy standard packages. I found the web site to be very good, shipment fast, excellent product.

On a local basis, I have found that the bigger Lowes Hardware have a good selection also.

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The great thing about electronics is unlimited ways to do the job. The only limit is one\'s imagination. I generally think my way is best.
Show me a different way. I have an open mind.

 

It's rare that I buy hardware .... REALLY RARE. I've been spending the last 40 years saving every screw, nut and washer and have it all cataloged into around 150 divided plastic parts drawers, to the point that if you ask me for a 6-32 brass screw, 1.5 inches long with a Torx pan head, I can lay my hands on it in under 30 seconds.

Collecting hardware this way has one major advantage: I can produce nearly any item of hardware you need, which is great for replacing missing hardware and build small and medium sized projects.

Of course, it has a couple of disadvantages: (1) you usually don't have enough of any one screw (washers and nuts usually aren't problems) to handle production runs of a project and (2) boy, oh, boy does it take a long time to sort hardware; I usually keep a coffee-can-sized container on the bench for loose hardware and if I'm in the midst of scrapping a lot of stuff, I end up with a gallon can (sorry about the Imperial measures, folks) if stuff and it does take several days of intense sorting to get it all put away.

But, I have hardware in both SAE (Imperial) and metric, all the way from the tiny 0-80 and even tinier screws found in wristwatches (it's amazing how a stock of those can come in handy) all the way to the big stuff used on machinery. I know that a lot of folks, when they harvest parts from equipment, just toss away the hardware. What a waste!

Dean

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Dean Huster, Electronics Curmudgeon
Contributing Editor emeritus, "Q & A", of the former "Poptronics" magazine (formerly "Popular Electronics" and "Electronics Now" magazines).

R.I.P.

 

Have you checked out any of the following?

Small Parts Inc

Stock Drive Products/Sterling instrument (SDP/SI)

Berg

All of the above carry metric hardware and are excellent sources for the prototyper and/or hobbyist...

 

If you are after buying Metric mechanical "stuff" and also a different range of electronic components:

Check out Farnell

www.fanell.com.

It is a british components company that is open to the public (unlike RS rswww.com)

They recently struck a deal with NeWark (www.Newark.com) in the states to do transatlantic trading.

This way I have had access to a much wider range of IC but equally the US has access to british sourcing