Canada: Found a source for M3 Screws and M8 threaded rods

Posting this for anyone in Canada that is having trouble finding M3 screws.

If you are looking for various sized metric M3 machine screws, try Home Hardware. Previously I tried Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Lowes, hobby shops, electronic component stores (Sayal, Active Components) music stores (which had M3-30mm screws) and even Brafasco and I could not find all the sizes needed for the Reprap. That hardest one to get was M3-40mm. Today I was pleasantly surprised to find that our local (Newcastle, ON) store had all the sizes needed. They didn't have a 40 mm M3 screw, but they had a 50mm M3 (which can be easily made shorter).

If you are looking for M8 threaded rods, Brafasco carries those. They come in 1 meter lengths and are reasonably priced. BTW they also carry M3 nuts.

If you are looking for M8 smooth rods, probably the best bet is to check out computer surplus places. These are often used in old printers. I got mine at an electronics surplus store called A1 Electronics in Mississauga.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2013 02:22PM by va3ngc.

Welcome to the forum!

I've run across all sorts of odds and ends in the Home Hardware stores, they can be helpfull in a pinch. BTW, 5/16 threaded rod is interchangable with M8. 5/16 is easy to find.

Brafasco is good, they can order just about anything, but they can be expensive!

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Yvan

Singularity Machine

Thanks for the info guys

Despite the fact that Canada supposedly uses the metric system, it can be very difficult to find a comprehensive supplier of metric hardware You can find odds and ends at the brand name hardware stores but unfortunately these stores are not a one-stop-shop for all of your RepRap metric needs. Back when I was looking for a good metric hardware supplier I stumbled across Cook Fasteners. They are located in Mississauga and have a low MOQ so you can get pretty much whatever you need without buying bulk. Their prices are reasonable and they have all the metric hardware you will need for building a RepRap. You can pick up your order or have it shipped.

These guys are a great supplier so I recommend that you check them out! All of the hardware I bought from them has been of high quality.

Eric

I personally use www.fastenal.com

They have a wide choice of hardware at a very low price.

Eric, I actually called Cook the other day and thought I had found a good supplier for 8 mm rod, but it turned out it was very expensive! The rest of the prices they gave me were good though. Shipping was reasonable and fast too.

wooden, I had forgotten about Fastenal.com. How much shipping do you pay for "RepRap sized" orders?

I find the local place here (OSI) beats them on price though, by about 10 to 50% on each item. But they are slow and I need to pick it up myself, about a 15 km drive each way. Just barely far enough to properly warm up the Ford V8s.

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Yvan

Singularity Machine

Yvan:

Yeah. Their precision smooth rod in insanely expensive but everything else in reasonably priced... I forgot to mention that, sorry. They are a good supplier if you need any kind of metric nuts/bolts/threaded rod etc... but unfortunately not smooth rod.

Eric

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woodencase01
I personally use www.fastenal.com

They have a wide choice of hardware at a very low price.

Ditto that for canada. got a majority of my stuff there. I just pick it up at the local warehouse 5k from my house

Sayal also has a lot of good stuff.hardware included.
I also live in an industrial steel making city so Ive been just going to local places to get things.
Hard ware in small or custom quantity if you dont want to buy the 50 or 100 cases for a good price.
the smooth rod I got from my local metal supply shop, as well as mtekeda tools, for a pretty cheap price.

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RP Iron Man
Despite the fact that Canada supposedly uses the metric system, it can be very difficult to find a comprehensive supplier of metric hardware

supposedly being the operative word
you can thank brian mulroney for that

Try Revolution Printers for a decent Canadian source for smooth rod. Pretty nice quality stuff. I'm also partial to their premium 3mm PLA. Damn nice stuff and a pretty good price. All the rolls that I've gotten from them have been bang on 2.85mm and nice and round.

[revolutionprinters.com]

Canadian here,

Places I have used,

www.fastenal.com for metric hardware (Screws/Nuts/Taps)

www.misumi.com for rods and other linear motion hardware

www.newark.com for electronic supply

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ShadowRam
Canadian here,

Places I have used,

www.fastenal.com for metric hardware (Screws/Nuts/Taps)

www.misumi.com for rods and other linear motion hardware

www.newark.com for electronic supply

+1 for newark.ca
This website is amazing! There have quite nice hardware too. I've bought M6 Clinch nuts there, couldn't find it anywhere else.

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amramsey
Try Revolution Printers for a decent Canadian source for smooth rod. Pretty nice quality stuff. I'm also partial to their premium 3mm PLA. Damn nice stuff and a pretty good price. All the rolls that I've gotten from them have been bang on 2.85mm and nice and round.

[revolutionprinters.com]

I've ordered a few things from Rev., in what way is their premium PLA different? I've just started printing with PLA with one of their silvers.

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Yvan

Singularity Machine

I have found a few good online sources here in the US (but know well how hard it can be to get shipments reliably to Canada). I still sometimes like to drop into my local industrial supply place. I'd be surprised if there weren't cash and carry places like this especially around greater Toronto. They can be hard to find (usually tucked away in an industrial park) like this place: [www.marshallshardware.com]

They don't always have the best prices compared to chains like Home Depot but have a HUGE assortment of fasteners in metric as well as SAE sizes. M8 threaded rod is available as is smooth rod. They also have vinyl tubing sizes which are not available in the big hardware chains (both smaller and larger). I've also gotten large metric drill bits (12mm for making diode laser heat sinks, for example).

The only thing this type of place lacks is usually the subminiature hardware (M2, M1.6, M1.2, etc) which I have to get online since my local hobby shops have all gone out of business...

I don't know if Markham is similar to Marshall's but they seem to be a good potential source: [www.markham-industrial.com]

Just pointing out that industrial supply places can be a useful resource - prices are not always the best but definitely a better selection.

Those industrial suppliers are always worth looking into. Some will not really want to serve the small guys, but others are very good with that. Prices can go from very high to very low I find. You can't tell from the outside! The place I get most of my stuff now is very cost competitive. They beat every single price I find online or in other bigger shops like Brafasco and Fastenal. They are slow though, so it takes up to a week to get stuff. I just ask them to track down the best deals and they consistently do.

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Yvan

Singularity Machine

A good source for low MOQ M3, 4 etc hardware in Edmonton is Edmonton Nut and Bolt. They also have reasonable priced threaded rod in various grades/materials.

Address: 8635 63 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 0E8, Canada
Phone:+1 780-465-1466

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Yvan

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amramsey
Try Revolution Printers for a decent Canadian source for smooth rod. Pretty nice quality stuff. I'm also partial to their premium 3mm PLA. Damn nice stuff and a pretty good price. All the rolls that I've gotten from them have been bang on 2.85mm and nice and round.

[revolutionprinters.com]

I've ordered a few things from Rev., in what way is their premium PLA different? I've just started printing with PLA with one of their silvers.

Their 'premium' stuff is consistant circular diameter and the various different colours have the same melting temp (at least, the ones that I've tried). Essentially I can get a new roll from them and start printing immediately. That isn't true of stuff from places like Repraper, where everything needs to be dialed in a little for each roll that you get.I found that their PLA sticks really well to blue painters tape whereas other PLAs that I've used have not always consistantly worked depending on the colour.

Also, the reels are pretty high quality and actually can be taken apart to make it easier to throw different unreeled filament onto them when I've done with the original PLA on the roll.

I haven't tried their other filament but I have a sneaky suspicion (based on the pics of the rolls) that it is simply Repraper plastic, which isn't bad but definitely not as nice as their 'premium' stuff.

Anyhow, I've got about 8 rolls of their stuff right now and will be grabbing some more as soon as they get more stock in on some of the colours.

The other thing is that they are pretty responsive to email and just generally seem like a pretty nice company to deal with.