I have a regular sized 72 hole bin with an assortment of metric. The bolts come from an old dealership in town that liquidated everything years ago. So ya like you mentioned , I have 20 of this and 30 of that, but then I probably use more than most, as I'm fixing stuff for others besides my own. Also, like there is NC and NF in inch dimensional bolt hardware, in metric there is different pitch as well, some sizes have up to three different ones. Makes for a larger and more complex variety of hardware one needs to have to maintain a complete supply.

But one thing I think is important, that is to keep the metric bolts far enough away that they don't get inadvertently mixed in with the normal ones. With NC and NF in the inch bolts is bad enough, but with metric added to the mix is a SOB. We all have little helpers now and then, and I sure remember as a kid myself. using a new nut from a box to find a used bolt the right size when asked to find one lol. And even some adults can be bad for mixing stuff together, I see it now and then when someone comes by looking for something they need.
So what I did is, while I have several bins of inch bolts all along one wall, NC and NF in both grade 5 and 8 in separate bins, I put the metric bin on the opposite side of the shop, and its actually up off the floor on top of another cabinet. Sure it can be a pain to use my little two step ladder to reach the upper compartments, shorter people need it to reach them all lol. But then, its not very often I need to access them, so I have no issue with it at all. And by doing that certainly keeps cross contamination to a minimum or eliminates it entirely. Nothing more annoying than grabbing a handful or less of something out of a bolt bin, and one piece is different than what it should be. This was my way to limit that problem.

 

Is there not 3 metric bolt systems? Japanese , German and North American. I think you take the pitch off the diameter for a tap drill size. Real simple system that makes no sense. The half and half machines are the real fun ones.

 

Yes those are the knuckle busting SOB's I really like working on.

When did metric thread spark plug start to be used. They would be 13/16 or 7/8 with a metric thread. Were the old socket sets with 32's to accommodate metric? Do they make a metric ratchet instead of 3/8?

I personally lost interest when they came out with metric Crescent Wrenches, If they have to come out with a new standard to replace a 1/2 inch drive with a 13mm drive I think I will give up. End up with a 1/2 inch drive ratchet on a 13mm drive socket that happens to fit a 19mm bolt head while trying to remove a 1/2 inch bolt, (3/4" head). Real knuckle busting, only to catch the flying pieces in the teeth.

 

When did metric thread spark plug start to be used. They would be 13/16 or 7/8 with a metric thread. Were the old socket sets with 32's to accommodate metric? Do they make a metric ratchet instead of 3/8?

 

Were the old socket sets with 32's to accommodate metric?

That as I recall was to do with accommodating British Standard.

Not only did they have some funny head sizes, like 17/32, the British inch thread is even a different pitch compared to SAE.

I have a bunch of British bolts my father picked up somewhere in Edmonton years back when all the RAF surplus was being sold off sometime after the war. They aint SAE and they aint metric...and dam are they hard!

 

I have read of three metric threads before and remember dad speaking of it years ago. One of the reasons for posting a thread on a relatively simple topic. For instance i have come across my fair share of "fine" and "coarse" thread metric but dont know how often i have seen the third one. I never paid close attention as i go to my assortment and walk away happy if two pieces thread together without knowing if i somehow got lucky and had that rare third thread pitch in my box.

My SAE fine thread assortment has been quite small but ok to get by. Wonder if fine thread metric is quite common and so a guy should have equal selection of at least two thread types. My impression is that i should.

 

6 or 8 metric threads. Course and fine in each. The rest of the pain is metric fittings. Flat face oring, British pipe, and the adapters to a white mans jic. Fortunately the extra fine in imperial threads is pretty specialized and not in common use. Is there metric hose out there?

 

We need an app to differentiate between imperial and metric?

 

Have mostly coarse metric and sae in my bins and mostly common sizes.
Indeed 3 metric threads, 1.5 is fine , 2.0 is medium and 2.5 is coarse.
Needed 10 bolts yesterday, 2.0 M20 and 90 mm long 10.9 strength , none to be found in western Canada. Option :fly them in from Europe or had them made at machine shop, chose the last option by using 160mm long and cut off the coarse threads and had them cut the 2.0 on it and turned out perfect!!!!! ( not cheap tho...)
Had one as example for them and were done today.
Wasn't happy with the fact I couldn't trace one through dealers or bolt and nut specialists right here.....

 

Any body see them by the pound like sae?

 

Yes, and someone please tell me why it costs sooo mucchh more to cut metric threads than old school?

I just can't understand why metric bolts cost 4-5x as much

 

I have never seen them being sold in bulk, would be nice. We put together a metric bolt bin about 3 years ago. Got about $1500 invested in it and it has been sufficient so far.

 

I looked on the fastenal site and they listed M20 bolt pitches in 1.5 and 2.5 mm, don't even carry a 2.0 in that size so no wonder it was hard to find.

I found a chart that lists various external threads in the "Metric ISO thread table chart" for a M20 diameter and not to say all these pitches are made into bolts but what a list. 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5

Lacking is an understatement with the few metric bolts or nuts I have kicking around but as to kenmb's question, I would say the one thing to start collecting in various sizes and pitches is the nuts, often its the nut I have dropped or it rolled away and can't find it or its buggered up. If you can figure out what the most common pitch is in each size, get more of those but have a few of all pitches and the most important is to have a place to put them so you can go to the bin or drawers and find them because its all marked down.

 

ATD-344 metric bolt set 800pcs. Comes with bins. About $100 on Amazon grade 8.8, I think. I bought 2 sets now and has gotten me by with the basics fairly well. They also make an sae set I have bought as a gift once.

 

We got a metric asst from Fastenal we go from m4 to m20 in various lengths. Lucky for us anything not at the local can be had the next day so if we do find we don't have something we add it to the system

 

I bought a couple of sets from an auto parts store across the border a couple of years ago, about $100 US funds. It has an assortment of M6-M16, I supplemented it with some M20 stuff from Fastenal. I noticed that Fastenal had about the same assortment of bolts/nuts that I got in that kit, really pitiful! Kit also came with the bins and labels too. I probably will reload with hardware from Fastenal or local dealer as the quality may not be as good on this stuff, but it works in a pinch and don't find I need metric that often anyway.

This is one of the sets.

 

That looks like the ATD set I have purchased. Affordable way to start a set. At that price, the bins are free.

 

In Whitworth the bolt size is the wrench size. A half inch whitworth wrench fits a half inch whitworth bolt.So yes the 32's would probably be for that .25 /32 or so for a 1/2 inch whitworth

 

11 kgs for 350 dollars Cdn shipped Probably 20 pound of bolts for 17.5 per pound. And uknown quality

 

Metric Nut and Bolt Assortment, 800 pc.: Amazon.ca: Automotive

11 kgs for 350 dollars Cdn shipped Probably 20 pound of bolts for 17.5 per pound. And uknown quality

Amazon.com: Advanced Tool Design Model ATD-344 800 Piece Metric Nut & Bolt Assortment: Automotive

Quality of the bolts is par with any SAE grade 5 I have used. You price is not very impressive.

 

Stevie reminded me of something that ends up being very important if bolts are being used in critical locations, the known quality of them. Counterfeit bolts from what I have heard are BIG business and reputable companies bringing in supplies can even get stung so ordering something suspect online, it could be gamble. They would be marked as per grade to give you the illusion but may only be a grade 2 bolt or have other inferior composition. Just a heads up, things we never used to have to worry about at one time as most items were made in North America or shipped from other quality oriented countries.

 

we bought a second bolt bin from TSC store and then stock all of the common sizes. We stopped at our different dealerships and talked to them about what they stalked and now that is what we stock. A great place to get bolts at a great price is Scotsmun Steel & The Nuthouse out of virden. Guys are great and they stock most sizes