MakerGear Forum

Okay guys - what other cool stuff do i really, really need from McMaster-Carr? (Got the drill bits lined up for nozzle cleanup.)

Screws, fasteners, hand tools? Anything you use a lot of, or can't do without? (Keep in mind, I'm a sandpaper over chainsaw kind of gal, and I'm pretty well covered on PLA glues.)

The first thing I got from McMaster-Carr was more bolts for making more filament drives. . . the additional bearings, though, I got from Amazon.

I only use a few tools that didn't come with the M2, and that's some precision tweezers I got from Fry's Electronics, and a pair of small wire clippers and pliers (either from Fry's or from Digi-Key, can't remember which). I keep a razor blade handy, and a caliper which is probably the 2nd most useful thing on my table (the M2 is the most useful thing, of course).

That is an excellent idea....I assume the bolt sizes are listed on the specs over on the site? (I'll go check.) And I do need a couple of flat razor blades - been getting by with an Exacto.

I also need to pick up some screws and things for designs, but i have no idea what sizes to stock up on - might just do a quickie hardware store run for a selection. (But i never pick up enough of the same size of whatever i eventually decide on anyway. Chuckle!)

just a note on the little carbide bit for the nozzle. as i said it is carbide which means its extremely hard but also very brittle. you need to be extremely gentle with it and be sure it goes in nice and straight. it will break in a heartbeat if there is any side to side movement. mine is still ok a year or so later but some guys that bought it broke it instantly. guitar strings work well also. insta knows the correct size of those that fit the nozzle.

jimc wrote:just a note on the little carbide bit for the nozzle. as i said it is carbide which means its extremely hard but also very brittle. you need to be extremely gentle with it and be sure it goes in nice and straight. it will break in a heartbeat if there is any side to side movement. mine is still ok a year or so later but some guys that bought it broke it instantly. guitar strings work well also. insta knows the correct size of those that fit the nozzle.

I'm ordering four......i'm like the world's biggest klutz!
i saw insta's thread on the guitar strings (E), and got one and cut it up. (And I hope I never have to use it because i keep dropping the damned things and they are impossible to see.)

boltdepot.com is very handy when you need a few (or many) very particular screws for a project. Their minimum order size is one screw, although it will cost $5 for shipping so best to get more. I've been doing a lot of metric screw shopping lately for an eggbot. I think my strategy will be to get a box each of M3, M4, and M5 nuts and washers, then buy the screws in the lengths I need them as I need them.

jules, what you need is called a pin vise. it looks like an exacto knife handle but it holds a wire or pin in the center. although now that it think about it you probably could just use a regular exacto handle. most handles are split in an "X" so slip the guitar string piece in the center, clamp it down and you should be good to go.

jsc wrote:boltdepot.com is very handy when you need a few (or many) very particular screws for a project. Their minimum order size is one screw, although it will cost $5 for shipping so best to get more. I've been doing a lot of metric screw shopping lately for an eggbot. I think my strategy will be to get a box each of M3, M4, and M5 nuts and washers, then buy the screws in the lengths I need them as I need them.

I built an eggbot from that kit that they sold - heck of a lot of fun, but I never did have time to work out any designs of my own - most of them came out very wonky looking. Some folks have incredible designs for it already though, so it wasn't a wasted effort. (Actually building the bot from scratch is a whole other level of cool, waaaay beyond my abilities.)

I'll check out boltdepot too....many thanks! I'm not too keen on having to search through bins of mismatched bolts and screws at a hardware store, and never finding the right one 'cause other people have been tossing them into the wrong bins for months.

jimc wrote:jules, what you need is called a pin vise. it looks like an exacto knife handle but it holds a wire or pin in the center. although now that it think about it you probably could just use a regular exacto handle. most handles are split in an "X" so slip the guitar string piece in the center, clamp it down and you should be good to go.

That is genius! I'm sure I have a couple of pin vises around here somewhere that I used to use for crafting! (And never would have thought to use them to hold the wires, they held drill bits.) Now, if only I didn't toss them out during a cleaning frenzy.....

Jules for christ's sake do not use the 0.3mm drill bits. That is the fastest way to have to drill out your nozzle! The bits are super brittle, designed for robot hands, and yours are presumably not. The guitar string works perfectly. I just keep it spooled up and unroll a bit when I need it.