[jeffrey001]

Hi, most of my work is doing prototype for companies and other thing.

I'm looking for a metal supplier that can sell metric (mainly shaft) , cold rolled or alloy .

I do not need a lot, but all suppliers around me only have inches dimension.

Suppliers in the province of Quebec would be great.

Canada has been a metric country since 1970 I think, but I can't understand why it is so hard to find metric supply.

Thanks for any information.

Jeff

[SirDenisNayland]

Yeah, you'll pay a hefty premium here for metric spec material.

Find the closest you can and just turn your OD. Or face off whatever you need.

It's hard because we've got the US to the south and a lot of our material comes and goes to and from there. I work mostly in inches.. I still convert mm drawings into inches because all our machines run in inches, that and oddly enough, I find it easier at times lol.

You say to me 55.8mm and ill stare at you for a second processing it, but say 2.1968" and I'm like alright!

[Geof]

......Canada has been a metric country since 1970 I think, but I can't understand why it is so hard to find metric supply....
Jeff

Not entirely correct, I think this is the way things happened.

Canada started to convert to metric back then with a transitional period during which both Imperial and Metric measure were legal.

Towards the end of the transitional period the government, I cannot recall whether it was Liberal or Conservative, cancelled the legislation that would have made Metric the only legal measure. The result is that both systems are still legal.

I buy aluminum, brass and steel round bar in inch sizes and cannot easily get metric. I can get most metric bolts, screws, etc. I buy 6mm plastic in 4' by 8' sheets.

I think most of the time in imperial because I am an old fart but sometimes I will tell someone to cut of a length of something in imperial plus or minus a millimeter or so.

I think it is safe to say I am as screwed up as the whole country when it comes to metric measure.

[SirDenisNayland]

Nah Geof, nothing to do with being old, I'm a young fart. More to do with conditioning I suppose.

Grew up using all metric, when I began machining i had to learn imperial. The 8ths and 16s and 32nds and 64ths and so on do have a logic to them, even converted into base ten... You've just got to immerse yourself in it. It's like learning a new language

[jeffrey001]

Me too, 99% of my works are with inch measurement.

Last week, I had to machine a part with metric dimension but converted it to inches.

But needed metric shafts, 4mm and 6mm with bearing fit, not easy to find.

Some available on ebay but mostly from UK and shipping is very high, even with sample like 500mm long.

Same thing with metric end mill(ball nose)

Will continue searching.

Jeff

[DareBee]

It is hard to get CRS in metric.
Ground finish rod and flat is easy to get in Metric (O1).
Otherwise best to machine.
Try Misumi USA if you really want to buy metric stock - they have a special shipping program for us Canucks.
Some of us with established McMaster Carr accounts also can get it there.

[Dualkit]

I don't know about Canada, but here in the states I would never even think of buying metric material, way too expensive.

[jeffrey001]

I don't know about Canada, but here in the states I would never even think of buying metric material, way too expensive.

I almost never buy metric either, but the client I was working for sells his products all over the world so all drawings are metric with metric bearings as parts number.

So turning a shaft 4mm (0.157)X 100mm (3.937) long is out of question.

I made the conversion for you:banana::banana::cheers:

So just wanted to have some on hand if I need it

Thanks, Jeff

[Geof]

......So turning a shaft 4mm (0.157)X 100mm (3.937) long is out of question....

In the days of Turret lathes (Capstan lathes) with Box Tools that would have been a snap.

[SirDenisNayland]

So turning is out of the question, but you expect a cold rolled bar stock to be acceptible for a bearing axle?

Yeah...

Even if you had to do it in stages on an old hardinge chucker lathe you'll end up with a better quality if you ask me.
What if you get your 4mm rod and its on the plus side of mill specs and won't fit into the bearings?

[jeffrey001]

So turning is out of the question, but you expect a cold rolled bar stock to be acceptible for a bearing axle?

Yeah...

I said crs or alloy, I just want CRS or ALLOY stock to use when I need it.

I don't expect cold rolled steel to have the tolerance to fit bearing but If I could find ground stock, or crs, that would be a start.

I've been a machinist for more than 30 years so I know a bit about steel.

Jeff

[DareBee]

I would use O1 - as I previously mentioned

[Johnny@MISUMI]

It is hard to get CRS in metric.
Ground finish rod and flat is easy to get in Metric (O1).
Otherwise best to machine.
Try Misumi USA if you really want to buy metric stock - they have a special shipping program for us Canucks.
Some of us with established McMaster Carr accounts also can get it there.

DareBee,

Thank you for referring Misumi. 98% of Misumi's parts come in metric dimensions and you can find almost everything because there are over 1 million components. Here is the link just in case anyone reading this does not have it. Thanks again DareBbee!!
www.misumi-ec.com/mech

[gio666]

I have lots of the metric shafting in Canada , that's all i use, everything is metric

[gerritv]

BoltsPlus in Ontario
Fastenal
Brafasco

all sell metric drill rod at reasonable prices. Other shapes are a bigger challenge

Gerrit

[Dualkit]

BoltsPlus in Ontario
Fastenal
Brafasco

all sell metric drill rod at reasonable prices. Other shapes are a bigger challenge

Gerrit

The Fastenal store here is a joke. The shelves are stocked about as well as a place that has had a 50% off going out of business sale for a month.

[DareBee]

Not to mention that Fastenal is usuallu way more money than everyone else on anything other than fasteners

[L98FIERO]

Darebee, include fasteners in there as well, and the store in Newmarket is the same, nothing in stock and all overpriced.

Oh, by the way, if yu need metric metals http://www.metricmetal.com/ You can't buy it in Canada, an officially metric country but you can in the US.

[raynjer]

A good source of quality metric components that are comparable in cost to standard components is Hasco which has a sales office and warehouse in Scarborough, Ont.
You will find a good selection of various metric screws, bolts. bushings, rods, etc.
Things like rods you'll find when searching their website will go by names like guide or angle pillar, ejector pins, core pins, etc. These are the names they are commonly referred to in the moldmaking trade.
They also carry a good supply of tool steels in plate form in various sizes and thicknesses (mild steel, P20, 420SS, etc).
HASCO - Hasco

[rmcgraw351]

try metricexpress.com. pretty fair selection