parts

hello fellow reprappers

i am in search of M8 threaded rods at local stores like home deopot or lowes and im doing this to cut costs and because i notice i cant just find the threaded/smooth rod kits online like amazon or 3d printer parts site in US
problem is i am unsure if what i am looking at on homedepot.com is what i need. non of the search results are saying "M8" on the parts details (see attached)

Those arnt m8. Theyre imperial sizes not metric.

M8 means 8mm diameter usualy 1.25mm thread.
Easy to find over here in the UK and europe.
You need to ask your suppliers for metric sizes.

Gordon

would a US hardware store carry metric threaded rods ?

Quote
pspuria81
would a US hardware store carry metric threaded rods ?

try Fastenal
[www.fastenal.com]

Steve

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My updated Instructable on our Prusa i3 Build
[www.instructables.com]

Or [www.mcmaster.com]#

Or you could go with 5/16" rod. Only .002 smaller

I would like to add that the U.S. does sell metric sizes. Of course places like home depot or Lowes does not keep them in stock. However, if these rods are only being used for structural support and do are not used as a lead screw you can get by with imperial

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2014 03:21PM by yoUmake-3d.

Also to add, it would be cheaper to do imperial threaded rod in the states. You just need 8mm non threaded rod for the slides, or print out linear bearings in whatever imperial size you use.

1 meter of galvanized M8 cost me around 71 eurocents here at the local hardware store. Just to give you a perspective on the 'real price' of the threaded rods.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

1 Metre of 8mm (M8) threaded rod is about $0.80 Australia Dollars..

at your 'Lowes' i see all size but the M8, i see 5,6,10,12,14
[www.lowes.com]#!

Those are not metric.

Anything below 1/4 in numbered 1-12 I think. Just make sure you see the # symbol.

I have the same problem, building my first printer, but it's super hard to find metric fasteners that are a decent price. I ended up using 3/8 threaded rods instead of 10mm for my structural supports (I3 rewoked).

All the rest of my hardware is going to be ordered from Fastenal. Some of their prices are quite decent, and you can pick up your order from a store near you to save more, they have a lot.

Check out Grainger they are local a block away from my house, so I got a bunch of stuff there. Here is a link

$1.47 US for 1 Meter long M8 x 1.25

If I was to start another build, I would do an SAE one. Being in Canada, its pretty much impossible to find metric anything. Threaded rod is incredibly cheap in imperial, but inaccessible in metric (without ordering it in custom). Fasteners are the same issue - no one carries M3 hardware. Polished rod was carried in my local Fastenal shop, but not in metric. In the end, I bought all my metric stuff off a local 3d printing guru, but it cost me more for ground rod and t-rod than it did for all my motors...

Search for the SAE models of the Prusa i3 and Mendel. They're much more North America friendly. You'll probably need to be a handful of M3 bolts to attach the motors (NEMAs are metric), but everything else should be accessible in imperial without much trouble. McMaster-Carr is your best friend, particularly if you can ship to a business.

"Stock Drive Products" sdp-si.com. Everything you could need to build a printer or robot. Click on "Online Catalog" then choose metric.