Hi all,
I’m an english speaker living in France, where everything is metric!
I’m working on a project that requires me to use the nearest size possible to M7 ( which is 7mm metric diameter bolt.
I’ve searched the entire planet for M7 bolts, but no one makes them anymore!?
So, my question is, what is the equivalent size in imperial please ?
Many thanks in advance.
TURK
According to this list there is no exact match, how could it be.
I don’t know if 17/64 or 9/32 are existing sizes in imperial.
This search term revealed many M7 fasteners. What am I missing?
Many thanks for the responses guys ; )
That’s an excellent list hennep, far batter than the one I downloaded.
@donkjr - The first rule in retail is to ‘get your client in the door’! So all of the M7 so called availability isn’t so … just try placing an order with any of those companies, it’s not possible.
The other thing to consider is the cost implications, M7 nuts and bolts are no longer considered ‘the norm’, so most of what you see on the Internet are very very expensive as they are made individually, and not mass produced.
As my project requires dozens upon dozens of these nuts and bolts ( Nylock nuts ), usually priced at €5.00 each bolt! ( about $5.00 to you guys in the US ) would make my project a no go.
My search made me open an account on ‘Aliexpress’, where I found many listings for M7 bolts, so I put them in my basket, it got late in the evening, so I decided to confirm the order the following day … however, the following day, the listing was now changed to M8! No one has them in stock : (
My only course of action is to look at ‘Imperial’ fasteners.
And you’re correct hennep, 9/32 is the closest thing to 7mm. I’ve researched this for days now, also, would a 1/4" nut and bolt ( 6.35mm ) be a common thing in the US? I think I could maybe get away using those.
What would you recommend?
TURK
What would be my choice?
That’s not easy to say when you don’t know the whole plan. You only told us that you are looking for m7!
But if possible, I would use m6. If m6 is not strong enough I would use a few extra on strategic places.
They are cheap and fit everywhere a m7 was planned. With m8 you aren’t sure beforehand.
Also are the holes drilled already? Making the holes bigger could weaken the construction, using m6 bolts in 7mm holes might need thicker washers.
Incredibly common.
1/4"-20TPI is used worldwide (sorry!) for camera mounts. I would expect I could go to any hardware store in the US and get 1/4"-20 nuts, bolts, screws, all-thread, etc.
I would not be shocked if 1/4"-20 is the single most easily-available imperial thread in the metric world.
(If I needed M7 hardware, I’d expect to have to make it myself. And it would be a pain, because even though I run a mostly metric shop, I don’t have an M7 tap that I know of.)
For UNC or Whitworth you would need to find yourself a specialised shop and in a shop like that you always pay too much. Isn’t that like finding metric in the States?
When I look at the website of a stainless steel discounter they don’t even mention UNC.
I didn’t know I had one. Until I just found a m7 tap in the collection of tools that I inherited from my father.
It is of little use since I don’t have the same size die 
Not at all. Every “big box” retailer has piles of metric hardware (typically a chest or set of chests roughly a meter to three wide and a meter or more tall), and there are many online sources, including inexpensive sources. All my stock from M2 to M12, in multiple materials, grades, and finishes, was easily purchased in the US.
I expected only and specifically 1/4-20 to be available worldwide because it is used for mounts like tripod mounts for photography and videography, and beyond into everything that wants to share equipment with that.
I could easily single-point a male M7 thread on the lathe, but that’s small enough that I’d have to grind a custom tool to single-point an internal thread.
Apologies guys if I didn’t elaborate further in my original post, just trying to keep things as short and sweet as possible, and straight to the point.
Now that I have you all confused! … I’ll explain my situation. I’ve designed a product that already has an awful lot of interest, to the point where I have begun a ‘Pre-Order List’, the prototype turned out fantastic, assembly was a bit awkward however, I used what ever nut and bolt I had in stock. Now that the design has been finalised I have to work out my workflow … being, ease of assembly after the various parts have been made.
The design has to incorporate a steel plate, about 5" square with a 7mm hole in each corner ( non threaded ). When installed I won’t have access to the rear of the steel plate, so the bolt will simply spin if I try to add the nut to the front of the assembly. Hence the reason why I need to thread that hole.
Out of desperation I went back to Aliexpress and placed an order for M6 nut and bolts ( Nylocks ), my idea is now to tap the existing 7mm holes with a 7mm tap, and use JB Weld to secure the bolt in place. There’s just enough ‘meat’ for the tap to bite. Hopefully that should hold the bolt in place during the assembly procedure.
As ‘Makers’ and ‘Tinkerers’ we all have to experiment and try various processes in our projects, particularly when we have a known saleable ‘product’.
I would also like to take the opportunity in saying what a wonderful forum/community you have here, the responses and help has been superb!
Many thanks ; )
TURK