Chinese Brass

[nevadablue]

While snooping ebay for a piece of 1mm brass sheet for a small steam engine build, I stumbled onto brass 'standoffs' made for electronics work, on printed circuit boards. They are cheap, plentiful and will work for all sorts of 'stand off' work I think.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270Pcs-M2-3-25mm-Male-to-Female-Brass-PCB-Standoff-Screw-Nut-Assortment-Kit-Set-/132034049382

Threaded M2, male on one end, female on the other, lots of sizes and 90 each nuts and screws.



Example of what they could be used for... (stolen image)

[b.lindsey]

They could be used for the legs but by the time you adjust them for the correct height, probably just as easy to make them from scratch, as I recalled I used mild steel or drill rod and threaded both ends as female.

Bill

[derekwarner]

The range of brass metric fasteners from the Chinese suppliers appears near limitless... cheap as chips....all CNC produced 

M3 brass x 25 long hex standoffs, machined, chemically blackened & used as RC servo legs
M3 hollow pointed grub screws.......used as soldered fabricated tie rods......straight or angular
M3 brass externally knurled  insert nuts used as paddle wheel bolting components
M2 brass externally knurled insert nuts ...to be used as paddle wheel bolting components 

Derek 
 

[PStechPaul]

That assortment from eBay is certainly a bargain at $3.99 + 0.99 shipping, but there is an extended shipping time possibly into March. I found the same thing, and others, from Banggood for $6.61 with free shipping and probably 2-3 week delivery:

http://www.banggood.com/search/brass-standoffs.html

[derekwarner]

Paul.....we have the same published extended shipping times...say 25 to 45 days for delivery in Australia

I believe, the Chinese Government support 'free air parcel post' for a $2.50 parcel of goods 

It appears that the hundreds & hundreds of customers individually sealed parcels of goods are sent in one consolidated air freight shipment to an address in a suburb in Sydney [Australia] then individually re-posted via our Australia Post to the recipient's address

It all depend on the fortunes of timing  ...I have received small parcels of these M3 brass nuts  & washers in 4 days, then waited the full 45 days for other parcels of the same/similar ordered a few days later

I find the experience of buying & repeat ordering via E-Bay from these Chinese suppliers absolutely 100% in terms of quality & as quoted delivery 

Derek