M3x10 Bolt

thingiverse

I always heard you could not print small bolts, but since I always seems to need M3's and M4's in various lengths and struggle to find in shops, I decided to give it a try. Although there is some residue after print in threads, after I screwed on a metal nut it worked perfectly and is really quite strong. For me, this is plenty strong for mounting arduinos and similar. This bolt is just a test you can use to see if it works for you, and result may vary with different materials and printers. I provided two files. One with fusion 360 standard clearance and one with -0.01 offset in threads. Only the latter could fit the nut for me, but may vary with printers. You have to use a strong material. I used PETG which is great on Prusa but Nylon may work as well. Use a metal M3 nut to clear the threads after print. I know using store bought bolts is likely better, but they take time to get so for less strong needs this will be my go to option in the future if I just need something fast. If it works for you please share a comment about which file you used. I am thinking of doing a full set of all M3 and M4 sizes countersunk and hex head (with right size heads as well)