A Source for Nylon Screws and Nuts for DIY'ers

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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As many here know, "the Duck" is obsessive about ducting as a strategy for cooling and case-mods. I expect I will carry the obsession with me when I finally, belatedly embrace water-cooling of any sort.

And as you also may know, I embrace foam art-board as a marvelous material for those purposes. I may use Lexan plastic for the bling and visibility, but art board is solid, non-conductive, easy to cut and work.

More generally, I'm always looking for ways to attenuate fan and HDD noise within the case. I try to make home-built "shock-absorber" mounts for fans, whenever a commercially-available rubber fan-mount won't do.

Sometimes I use nylon wire-ties to secure fans. They're cheap; they come in various colors. If you use black ones, the protruding buckle of a wire tie on a case side-panel is nearly invisible -- for a black case, that is.

Today I was reassessing my use of wire ties with little rubber donuts to make noise-isolating sidepanel fan mounts. I realized for my purposes that I'd like to replace them with something better. And I've used nylon screws and nuts often to secure art-board covers for case vents I want to block.

I'd only been able to find these nylon screws and nuts at a local electronics "jobber" warehouse located all the way over on the other side of town in the industrial district. Last time I visited, they didn't have what I want.

So today, I did a web-search, and found the same items from a company not that far from my domicile:

http://www.fastener-express.com/

Too bad I can't find the 6-32 screws and nuts in black, but the white ones will still do.

Thought some folks might find this useful. Cheap stuff, too! A box of 50 or 100 for between $2 and $5.
 

Z15CAM

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Nov 20, 2010
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DUCK - You're one Sick Puppy - A side from noise you should have used the word RESONANCE Frequency vibes disconnecting your PSU Cables to MB and Peripherals - LOL

Interesting point though.
 
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BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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DUCK - You're one Sick Puppy - A side from noise you should have used the word RESONANCE Frequency vibes disconnecting your PSU Cables to MB and Peripherals - LOL

Interesting point though.

I've seen many recent threads inquiring about fans or describing some rather naïve installation approaches. Just about anything that isolates a fan (its frame or shroud) from case-metal will reduce or eliminate noise transmission. No less, cheaper cases offer you only the old, traditional installation hardware of screws and metal cages for hard disks. But there are even budget-priced cases as made by CoolerMaster and others with plastic slide-out 3.5" drive trays and rubber-cushioned mounting plugs. I remember even a Dell system I saw in 2005 with plastic rails and rubber cushions.

The first resort for fans of various sizes can be a packet of four rubber fan mounts -- sometimes bundled with a fan, otherwise available at SideWinder, Performance PCs and other places. Sometimes, though, a custom mounting approach doesn't work with those, so I improvise.

But generally, these nylon/plastic screws and nuts often found at electronics supply stores come in very handy. If one looks at OEM systems, the idea of securing a metal screw to a case with a metal nut on the case interior seems to be a "no-no." What would happen if a metal screw or nut came loose inside a case?

I remember my sister-in-law's old Gateway Pentium-Pro desktop. Terrible things were happening. They called me; I opened up the box; someone at the Gateway factory had left a loose 6-32 screw rattling around on the motherboard! And of course -- shorting out the board here and there as it shifted position from one place to the other.
 
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BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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There are a lot of Graingers around.

Depends where you live I guess.

http://www.grainger.com/?cm_mmc=PPC...91720&ef_id=VTPeAwAAAMNQyrUL:20150628035442:s

I know other places near me might carry em.

Good contribution, that! So here's something else.

Folks who want case intake from the bottom and an easier, more elegant option for moving their case around the bare or carpeted floor might want to install brake double-caster wheels. There's an outfit in the Midwest named Lawless Hardware:

http://www.dlawlesshardware.com/casterwheels.html

It would almost be nice if there were a sticky where these source tips could be compiled for the case-modders among us.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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Wow! I was going to abjure comment on your offering, waiting to see what other posts would develop.

I see all the magnetic-tape parts there. I just received a set of custom case-filters for my HAF 922 from DEMCiFlex in South Africa, built around the same sort of item. Their products are stellar, as others had also noted in these threads. But this opens up another range of options.
 

Micrornd

Golden Member
Mar 2, 2013
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How about simpler? - Lowes, Home Depot and Ace Hardware stores ALL carry a very nice assortment of nylon fasteners (nuts, bolts, washers, tubular spacers, etc.).

Oh, and they carry magnetic self-adhesive tape also.
 
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BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
16,127
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How about simpler? - Lowes, Home Depot and Ace Hardware stores ALL carry a very nice assortment of nylon fasteners (nuts, bolts, washers, tubular spacers, etc.).

Oh, and they carry magnetic self-adhesive tape also.

My blinds spot! I must visit Home Depot every two or three months, and I've spent time on the aisle of screws and nuts. But never noticed anything there!

That's especially nice if you're in a hurry and can't wait for delivery. [More and more, I find myself buying everything by online mail-order. Saving gas, put paying for it with USPS, FedEx and UPS.]
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
16,127
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And leave the house?!?

Are you insane?

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: !!

I spent nearly 30 years of my life running up the Shirley Highway 15 miles in the early morning, and 15 miles back in the evening. The arthritic soreness in my "clutch leg" today seems to be the legacy of it. And during the last 15 years, add the weekends for the same trips, since I juggled part-time adjunct teaching with the weekday job.

When I retired, I promised myself I wouldn't have to do that anymore. Long vacation trips and wilderness four-wheelin' are exceptions in my preferences. But I try and schedule grocery trips to reduce mileage and petrol consumption. It's even a major factor in decisions to attend receptions or wine & cheese parties to which I occasionally get an RSVP invitation.

So -- YEAH! Leave the house?! In-freakin'-sane, I say!:biggrin::twisted:

The news has been plentiful these days about Richard Matt and David Sweat. Lifers! Perhaps an hour a day in the prison yard? A little exercise here and there?

But I'm not in prison. I CHOOSE to avoid leaving the house!
 
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BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
16,127
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My package from the online seller of "nylon machine screws/nuts" arrived. They'd thrown in a couple 8-32 screws by mistake, and I thought I might want a few of those.

Went down to Home-Depot in the great grocery-shopping circuit errand.

No Cigar! They don' sell . . . no . . . nylon . . screws . . . and nuts!

Nichts! Nada!

So maybe somebody will be glad I posted the link in the initiating thread post.
 

Micrornd

Golden Member
Mar 2, 2013
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Went down to Home-Depot in the great grocery-shopping circuit errand.

No Cigar! They don' sell . . . no . . . nylon . . screws . . . and nuts!

Nichts! Nada!

Sounds like you looked for them yourself, rather than asked for them :confused:

The easy way - Go to the Home Depot website, select the store you intend to shop at, select the product, and the resulting webpage will tell you what Aisle # and what Bay # they are in, in that store.

Easy Peasy, not Rocket Surgery

BTW - You are looking for nylon bolts, not nylon screws.
Bolts have straight threads, screws have tapered threads (simplified, but reasonably accurate).

Nylon fasteners are a standard stock item in Home Depot, Lowes and almost all Ace's.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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Sounds like you looked for them yourself, rather than asked for them :confused:

The easy way - Go to the Home Depot website, select the store you intend to shop at, select the product, and the resulting webpage will tell you what Aisle # and what Bay # they are in, in that store.

Easy Peasy, not Rocket Surgery

BTW - You are looking for nylon bolts, not nylon screws.
Bolts have straight threads, screws have tapered threads (simplified, but reasonably accurate).

Nylon fasteners are a standard stock item in Home Depot, Lowes and almost all Ace's.

I can only say that I DID seek help. The employee in charge of the fasteners section checked the database on her little handheld device, and there was nothing there. Of course, you could be right and she might have entered the word "bolts" instead of "screws."

Still have to try Lowe's, but that location is as much of a hike from here as the local jobber's electronics warehouse store. So . . . I'm glad I can just go online and get these items mailed from Placentia. It barely took two days the last time, and I was a bit surprised how quickly they arrived.
 

Micrornd

Golden Member
Mar 2, 2013
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Seriously, do the online lookup for HD and I'm sure you'll find where they are in that store :biggrin:

As for Lowes, they are in the hardware section, in the metal pull-out box/trays below the blister pack bolts/screws.

The location in all Ace's I have been in is the same as in Lowes, just on a smaller scale.

All 3 places are great if you just need to pop in and get a few, but if you do any serious amount of work, buy online in quantities of 25 or more to get a much better per item price.

Regardless of the name on the door, for big box stores, I always look online first to see if they carry the product before I go to the brick and mortar.

Also both HD and Lowes use "live" inventory online, so you can pick the store, see how many are in stock there, purchase online, and pick them up at the service desk when you get there and the price is the same as walking in the door.

Difference is, somebody didn't just buy the last 2 they had in the time it took you to drive there.
Plus you don't have to rush down to get them, since you paid for them, they will hold them for a long time before trying to refund them (at least a week).
And this works for anything they sell, including the all sale stuff.

Modern shopping, take advantage of it ^_^
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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Seriously, do the online lookup for HD and I'm sure you'll find where they are in that store :biggrin:

As for Lowes, they are in the hardware section, in the metal pull-out box/trays below the blister pack bolts/screws.

The location in all Ace's I have been in is the same as in Lowes, just on a smaller scale.

All 3 places are great if you just need to pop in and get a few, but if you do any serious amount of work, buy online in quantities of 25 or more to get a much better per item price.

Regardless of the name on the door, for big box stores, I always look online first to see if they carry the product before I go to the brick and mortar.

Also both HD and Lowes use "live" inventory online, so you can pick the store, see how many are in stock there, purchase online, and pick them up at the service desk when you get there and the price is the same as walking in the door.

Difference is, somebody didn't just buy the last 2 they had in the time it took you to drive there.
Plus you don't have to rush down to get them, since you paid for them, they will hold them for a long time before trying to refund them (at least a week).
And this works for anything they sell, including the all sale stuff.

Modern shopping, take advantage of it ^_^

I could be defensive: "Lissen, buddy! I been shoppin' online for 20 year!"
:biggrin:

With HD, my online searches and local visits somehow convinced me they don't put all their products and items in the online inventory. Maybe I didn't search hard enough for whatever it was I sought. But with a few experiences like that, coupled with the accessible location or intermittent need to visit, the profile of online search and dropping by the store during grocery-circuit runs becomes a bit . . . habitual. Folks my age become creatures of habit.

I had to chauffeur a family member to the doctor today, his office on the other side of town and near the jobber's electronics warehouse I use occasionally. They had a few little packets of nylon fasteners, but nothing I wanted. And?! You get about five or ten for about $2.00!! When you can order 50 for $4 online, well -- you're right, and you said it.
 

MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
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That's another, but Grainger would have them also, either one.

Not sure which one has more stores, I'd always thought Grainger, but there are a lot of McMasters out there too you can just walk into even.

Grainger tends to be more general purpose I believe all around, McMaster-Carr specializes a bit more in high end stuff, they are both similar.
 
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BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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Well, I think it sums up that it's a useful type of fastener for case-mods, ducts, fans and so on.

You don't even need the "right" length to begin with; you can use Dremel or lesser tool to trim off the length you don't need. Then just assure the nut doesn't get hung up on barbs left by the trimming.
 

Ranulf

Platinum Member
Jul 18, 2001
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I'm always looking for new ways to life a case off the carpet. Lately I've been using monitor stands from monoprice. I've not been a big fan of some of the setups on casters/wheels but they can work.

On home depot, its often hit or miss for me, even if I've looked up the parts location on their website. Some of their help have no idea where stuff is even if the computer says its in stock. A magnetizer was the last part I had that happen with.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
16,127
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I'm always looking for new ways to life a case off the carpet. Lately I've been using monitor stands from monoprice. I've not been a big fan of some of the setups on casters/wheels but they can work.

On home depot, its often hit or miss for me, even if I've looked up the parts location on their website. Some of their help have no idea where stuff is even if the computer says its in stock. A magnetizer was the last part I had that happen with.

Somewhere in the industrial zone of your city and town, there should be a "metals store." For instance, you can obtain the equivalent of "modders' mesh" there -- as perf[orated]-steel or perf aluminum. You can also get aluminum bars maybe 2" wide, 12" long and 1/4" thick. With a hack-saw and clamp, you can easily trim them shorter (to match case-width) in a few minutes. Aluminum is easy to work.

I used a drill-tap kit ($5+) from Sears to put sets of four threaded holes (for 6-32 case screws) at each end of both bars. Many cases have rubber feet attached with 6-32 screws, so you'd only need to drill two holes along a line through the middle of each bar -- without threads -- to secure each bar to the case with longer 6-32 screws. The double-casters available through the hardware store in my earlier link can be purchased with the square mounting plates and four holes for mounting -- one at each end of the aluminum bars.

There may be variations, some more sturdy than others. Using the aluminum bars in the way I describe, you needn't modify the case itself or drill holes in it unless the original feet of the case were attached in some other way. What I described was adequate for me and saved me from removing all the parts from my case to drill new holes. The only real tedium arises when you need to carefully mark holes for drilling and get them started with the drill and bit.

The Sears screw-tap kit is a hand tool; one only needs to follow directions to avoid getting the tap bound or stuck in the hole -- or breaking it. But like I said, aluminum is easy to work with.
 
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Micrornd

Golden Member
Mar 2, 2013
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That's another, but Grainger would have them also, either one.

I've bought from Grainger for several decades, both professionally and personally, and the one thing that has always fascinated me was their shipping.

Always UPS and Grainger charges a very cheap fixed rate per pound for the complete order.
Yet you may get packages from any number of Grainger locations and never pay more.

I had one work order recently that came from 8 different stores, in 8 different states all delivered in 3 days max and paid $19.36 for shipping.
The heaviest box was 26# and the lightest was the weight of the box (just a special o-ring)
I'm in FL and the closest item was in-state and the furthest (and heaviest) was from WA. :eek:

When I placed the order, they told me where the items were coming from, and when they would be delivered, accurately I might add.

I just wish I could get a fraction of that rate with UPS D:
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
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Solid PTFE fasteners will work too since high strength isn't a requirement.

Back in the 70s there was a toy called Riviton (http://www.museumofplay.org/online-collections/1/17/105.871) that was basically a blind (pop) rivet fastener system based on reusable "rivets" made of a rubber like polymer. The "gun" would stretch them so they could be inserted in holes drilled in two pieces and when the pressure was released they would go back to normal size and expand and hold tight but not super tight or permanent. The flexibility would provide for vibration isolation on fans and other moving parts...
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
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Sep 28, 2005
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i have used fastener express many times in my builds.

They make screws not only in nylon, but also, titanium, alu, and other materials.

I especially like the electroplated alu screws, as i do a lot of work with watercooled systems, and ALU does not rust like steel does.

Also using blingy colored screws makes nice accents when doing show piece builds..
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